OMOD kicks off the semester with exciting adventure trips

OMOD will kick the semester off this weekend by taking students for a ride down the Ocoee River in eastern Tennessee and offering a sailing clinic at Sardis Lake.

The Ocoee River is one of the most commercially-rafted rivers in the country, boasting numerous class three and four rapids. 

While over 20 outfitters operate on the river, OMOD will raft with the Nantahala Outdoor Center, a company that was voted by National Geographic Adventure Magazine as “one of the best outfitters on earth.”

“When rafting with the NOC, a guest is getting an experience from a guide who is passionate, professional and filled with the knowledge of a company that has been setting the standard for whitewater safety since 1972,” Kliness Debuty, a raft guide who has been working with the NOC for five years, said.

This whitewater adventure will consist of a five-hour rafting trip on the Upper Ocoee, which features a section from the 1996 Olympic Canoe and Kayak course, and the Middle Ocoee. Trips will be led by some of the NOC’s most experienced raft guides. 

OMOD trip leaders Casey Armstrong, a senior parks and recreation management major and Savannah Oliver, a sophomore Spanish major, will be leading this weekend’s trip.

“If you enjoy the outdoors and water, then this is the perfect trip for you,” Armstrong said. “The Ocoee River whitewater rafting trip is one of the most exciting trips we are offering this semester.”

If you are unable to leave Oxford for the entire weekend, OMOD is also offering a sailing clinic at nearby Sardis Lake. Sailing lessons will be given by OMOD trip leaders, Chance Beasley, a graduate assistant, and Rob Treppendahl. 

All equipment will be provided.

“On Friday we will learn basic sailing techniques and do several land drills, then on Sunday we will head to the lake and put into practice what we’ve learned,” Beasley said. “The clinic is a perfect fit for experienced sailors looking to perfect their skill, or beginners just looking to try something new.”

The Ocoee whitewater rafting trip will leave Oxford Friday, September 10 and return Sunday, September 12. The cost of the trip is $230 for students and $250 for non-students. The Sailing Clinic will be Friday, September 10 and Sunday, September 12. 

The cost of the clinic is $15 for students and $25 for non-students. 

The registration deadline and pre-trip meeting is today at 6 p.m. For more information, please visit OMOD’s website or call  915-6735. The office is located at 112 Turner Center.