Additional Resources
 

Operation Paddle Safe (OPS)

Operation Paddle Safe is the newest paddlesport safety education program offered by the American Canoe Association (ACA). This program is designed to provide safety education documentation for camp counselors, summer staffs and others who require documentation of safety training but not full-fledged Instructor certification. Here's how the program works:

  1. Students (age 15 or older) take an on-water workshop at the Intro to Canoe or Intro to Kayak level or higher from an ACA certified Instructor or Instructor Trainer.
  2. Students should go to ACA website, download the test and registration and complete the test of paddlesport safety knowledge.
  3. After completing the test, students should mail test, registration and a copy of the participation card to the ACA National Office.
  4. ACA then issues documentation stating the student has completed a paddlesport safety education program and online test in paddlesport safety.
Students have up to five months following the on-water workshop to complete the online test.

OPS documentation is valid from the date of the online test until May 1 of the following year. Additional copies of the letter are available throughout the year as needed.

One year extensions are granted once only for participants who reregister and retake the online safety exam between January 1 and May 1 of the following year.

OPS graduate participants must be 15 years of age prior to the on-water workshop. Cost of the exam is $5 plus ACA membership. Annual ACA membership is required for those completing and filing the exam.

Graduates of OPS are not given authority to teach any ACA program and ACA strongly advises OPS graduates to seek further paddlesport experience and education.

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