In honor of Boating Safety Week in Georgia, low-cost kayaking lessons are available

As the weather warms up and Georgians head out onto the water, several partner groups are teaming up to teach boating safety skills.

Low-cost kayaking lessons are available this weekend at five Georgia locations.

Andrea White of the Georgia River Network says it’s all about the basics — wear a life jacket, make a float plan and don't be lulled into complacency by “easy water.”

“What we've seen in the statistics is that the incidents of fatalities happening on what we might call 'easy water' — things that people take for granted — are now outnumbering those in more difficult conditions,” she said. “That means that each of those incidents of fatalities is highly preventable.”

The American Canoe Association and its partners will offer 43 simultaneous “Kayaking 101” classes across seven states to kick-off Safe Boating Week on Saturday.

The Georgia locations include three on Lake Allatoona and one each on Lake Oconee and on Skidaway Island.

There’s also a South Carolina location at Aiken State Park, east of Augusta.

Participating locations for this event include:

• Allatoona Lake, Stamp Creek Ramp, 365 Wilderness Camp Road, White, Ga.
• Allatoona Lake, Kellogg Creek Day Use Area, 2077 Kellogg Creek Road, Acworth, Ga.
• Allatoona Lake, Old Hwy 41 #2 Day Use Area, 6693 North Main Street, Acworth, Ga.
• Lake Oconee, Lawrence Shoals Campground, 123 Lawrence Shoals Rd, Eatonton, Ga.
• Skidaway Island, Rodney Hall Boat Ramp, 25 Diamond Causeway, Savannah, Ga.

Classes cost $15 per person including a free kayak rental for anyone who signs up for it at registration for training that often retails for $75-$150.

You can sign up using this link.