A group of people in kayaks gather together for a smiling group picture.

A middle-aged man in a red shirt and baseball cap stands on the shoreline with small rocky island behind him and a red kayak on the far right.

A bearded man works to pull himself up the rear of kayaking while doing a wet exit and self-rescue called "cowboy."

John Chase ACA Skills Weekend

Thursday, September 18 – Sunday, September 21, 2025 (3 nights)

    Come play and learn kayaking skills over a full weekend in the Les Cheneaux Island this September with American Canoe Association Instructor Trainer, John Chase. John is the host of the Paddling the Blue podcast, author of Power to the Paddle: Exercises to Improve Your Canoe and Kayak Paddling, and a Team Paddler for P&H Sea Kayaks. 

    Previous guests of our WOW! trips have been impressed by the high-quality food, top-notch gear, updated and comfortable accommodations, activities, and guides (who are John's assistants for this offering) and felt that the price was worth every penny and that the experience in itself was priceless. We hope you'll agree and join in forming new memories and honing skills that will pay dividends for years to come during this inaugural adventure.

    What you'll be doing:

    • Multiple Paddling Excursions
    • Demonstrations & Lectures
    • Skill-Building Sessions
    • Navigation Exercises
    • Rock Garden Exploration (conditions permitting)
    • Campfires
    • Sunset or Sunrise Paddle
    • Kayak Camping Q&A

    We want your experience to be awesome from start to finish! Here’s what’s included:


    • ACA Instructor Trainer John Chase leading a weekend of curriculum
    • 8 Chef-Curated Meals (3 dinners, 2 lunches, 2 breakfasts, and 1 brunch), some snacks, plus Coffee, Tea, and Hot Cocoa
    • P&H Sea Kayaks (solos; most boats are only 1–2 years old) and Current Designs tandem sea kayaks
    • PFDs (aka life jackets), Wetsuits (if needed based on conditions), skirts, and Werner Paddles (with a chance to try bent shaft, low & high angle, etc.)
    • 1 or 2 Personable and ACA-Trained Guides (also local experts) (you will always have one guide fully dedicated to WOW!)

    Meals are catered by Chef Anne, a Les Cheneaux Culinary School graduate; we promise this is more than a boxed sandwich because good food both feeds our bodies and fuels our souls!

    We’ve had: stuffed poblano peppers, all-day smoked rubbed pork shoulder, flank steak, roasted corn on the cob, homemade gnocchi with a lemon-dill sauce, garlicky shrimp scampi, fresh sourdough bread, crème brûlée, lemon bars, spring roll wraps, baked oatmeal, yogurt and homemade granola parfaits, strata, and the list goes on.

    Guests LOVE the food!

    And YES we can accommodate dietary restrictions!