Build your skills with a Certified Instructor

🛶ALMOST TIME! New 2024 season kicks off mid May with new classes-more instructors! Stay tuned!!

Welcome to your flatwater kayak, canoe and SUP classroom! Beginners will learn boat design and how to choose the boat that is right for you, fundamental skills, water safety, trip planning, and proper strokes and paddling techniques that you NEED to be safe on the water, and so much more. Intermediate paddlers can build your skills in our touring classes, or mini-clinics designed specifically for areas you need help with, i.e., paddle strokes, self-rescue, assisted rescue, and towing. Grow and learn new skills in a safe, friendly environment, all while having FUN!
Check out our Service page for a full list of services

FOR THE LOVE OF KAYAKING!

My name is Karen O'Hara, owner of Knoxville Kayak Clinic, and I am an American Canoe Association Certified Kayak Instructor. I have followed my love of the sport with a great desire to share my passion and knowledge with you. I have been an avid kayaker for over 20 years, paddlng on the east coast of SC for many years. After a move to TN and the experience of paddling the Tennessee River, I fell in love with the area. In 2012, I became a Level 1 ACA Certified Kayak Instructor and have taught many people since then. I have served on the Chota Canoe Club board as Conservation Chair, currently Touring Chair, lead many trips and paddled with numerous paddling clubs in the Knoxville area. I am currently the American Canoe Association Deputy Director for the state of Tennessee, served as an American Canoe Association Tennessee State Council Volunteer, and on the American Canoe Association Tennessee Regional Activities Council. In 2022, I became an L2 Certified Coastal Kayak Instructor. In 2023, I received my Paddlesports Safety Facilitator Certfication. I have developed my own unique and effective teaching methods over the years, and I want to help you develop the skills you need to enjoy this sport at your best level.

We now offer kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard and SUP Yoga instruction. We even have a class on how to prepare for an expedition or multi-day trip, taught by Steve Ellis, who has paddled all 652 miles of the Tennessee River! We have something for everyone to learn and grow.