Hangin’ with the PPA!

A few weeks ago I received an invitation from Don Roberts, Chairman of the Professional Paddlesports Association, to run down to Florida for a few days and join them as a guest instructor at the PPA’s National School of Paddlesports Business. Not able to turn down an offer such as that, I loaded the Cuda on the roof rack and set the GPS for Adventures Unlimited, Milton FL.

The goal of the Professional Paddlesports Association is to unite outfitters from across the country into a group that learns from each other and assists each other in creating and operating a successful business in the paddlesports industry. Don’s hope for my assistance was that I could teach a Continuing Education class to several outfitters on how they could successfully incorporate kayak fishing into their business model. Also, most of these outfitters deal only with recreation kayaks such as the Jackson Riveria and Ibis so a clinic on fishing kayaks was needed as well.

Luckily that’s right up my alley! So, we covered everything from guide services to hosting fishing tournaments and hit the river for an on-water clinic in the Cuda and Coosa. The Elite Seat was an immediate success! Everyone was very impressed with the unmatched comfort and the ease of switching between the high and low positions. The stability of both kayaks was a huge hit as well. At first, no one was comfortable with attempting to stand and paddle while moving down river but by the end of the clinic I had everyone up and standing like professionals!

All in all, we had a great time at the school. I really enjoyed sharing what I’ve learned over the years and the PPA is comprised of a great group of people. We laughed, joked, swapped stories, and had a blast getting out on the river! I can’t wait to go back next year.