ESSENTIAL ELIGIBILITY AND TERMS OF REGISTRATION
Northwoods Outdoor Center (NWOC) provides a variety of whitewater kayaking instruction workshops/clinics and special events every year. Attending one of these activities is a great way to meet new friends, learn new skills, travel to new places, and have fun. Instruction workshops usually consist of full-day, weekend, or even week-long instructional clinics and may involve travel.
ELIGIBILITY
- To attend an instructional workshop or a trip, a participant must both register and pay an indicated deposit or in full at the time of registration by Venmo, an alternate agreed upon payment app, or over the phone or receive a scholarship.
We utilize the following ACA: Essential Eligibility Requirements:
- Breathe independently (i.e., not require medical devices to sustain breathing)
- Independently maintain sealed airway passages while under water
- Independently hold head upright without neck / head support
- Manage personal care independently or with assistance of a companion
- Manage personal mobility independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance
- Follow instructions and effectively communicate independently or with assistance of a companion
- Independently turn from face-down to face-up and remain floating face up while wearing a properly fitted life jacket*
- Get on / off or in / out of a paddlecraft independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance*
- Independently get out and from under a capsized paddlecraft*
- Remount or reenter the paddlecraft following deep water capsize independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance*
- Maintain a safe body position while attempting skills, activities and rescues listed in the appropriate Course Outline, and have the ability to recognize and identify to others when such efforts would be unsafe given your personal situation*
- Must not be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription drugs during sanctioned trip activities.
*To participate in adaptive programs, participants must acknowledge only the first six EEC listed above. Adaptive Paddling Endorsed Instructors are trained to work with individuals who need or wish to learn skills required for ACA EEC#7-#11.
- Some trips or instructional workshops may have specific pre-requisites that participants must meet to be eligible.
CLINIC/TRIP SIGN-UP
In order to attend a trip or instructional workshop, participants must do the following:
- Register for the trip during the appropriate sign-up period online or over the phone. Payment in full or a non-refundable indicated deposit is acceptable for specified courses. Payment in full is mandatory by the indicated date and start of all courses.
- Submit a signed liability waiver to attend the trip or clinic.
- Provide an eligible email address and /or phone number to provide participant with appropriate pre-trip information.
- Be on time to the trip or workshop. Trips or workshops will not be delayed or pro-rated for participants who are late or don’t show up for all or a portion of the program.
CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY
- We do not offer refunds for NWOC group instruction/private instruction/trips or programming. NWOC reserves the right to cancel and reschedule a clinic or lesson at any time as weather and river flows can be unpredictable, and, will work diligently to communicate changes in plans and location in a timely manner with safety and effectiveness as a number one priority. Should a course be canceled on the part of NWOC, a full refund or course credit will be offered.
RESCHEDULING
Because we are a small business and need to plan around registrations, our clinic fees and deposits aren't refundable. We can often offer a credit, less a $50 rescheduling fee per participant, for another similar clinic in the same season if space is available.
- Rescheduling is not an option within 30 days of the start of class.
- For Wisconsin clinics, a credit, less a $50 rescheduling fee per participant, will be issued for rescheduling prior to 30 days of the course date; this fee may be waived if a replacement is found for the original course date.
- Credits for rescheduling will only be valid within the same river or pool season.
- A credit can only be rescheduled once.
- Credits and rescheduling are not available for trips outside of Wisconsin. Deposits and payments are non-refundable.
TRIP INSURANCE
- For travel, we recommend a service to insure the cost of your trip or early departure. Additional policies can be purchased for medical emergencies. These policies are easy to purchase and generally cost about 10-15% of the course fee. We recommend these three policies that can give you an online quote directly: Trawick Voyager, Trawick Explorer and Allianz
- For most, you can start your policy right after paying your initial deposit.
CONDUCT POLICY
- NWOC has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to behavior, actions, and/or language that is disorderly, threatening, discriminatory, harassing and/or abusive to other course/program participants, staff, third-parties, and/or wildlife. This includes but is not limited to any and all behavior, actions, and/or language that compromises the safety and well-being of the aforementioned and/or the ability of the NWOC team to provide safe, fun, inclusive experiences for all participants. Those in violation of this policy may be dismissed from NWOC programming without a refund.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL POLICY
- NWOC has a zero-tolerance policy for the use of alcohol and non-prescribed drugs by any participant during any NWOC river or pool activity. If an NWOC guest has been determined to be under the influence of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs they will be asked to leave the NWOC clinic without a refund.