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- Who takes this course?
- Anyone who wants to learn or refresh his/her basic sea kayaking skills in a safe and fun environment.
- Do I have to have kayaking experience to enroll in this course?
- No prior kayaking experience is required for this course but you must be in adequate physical condition to re-enter a kayak from the water. If in doubt, check with your physician first.
- What does a person learn in this course?
- In the classroom sessions, students learn about essential
kayak equipment and gear, kayak safety, proper clothing for paddling under a
variety of conditions, how to prevent hypothermia, basic navigation skills,
how wind, waves and currents can impact a trip, and keys to a successful group
paddle. In the Pool and Deep Water Skills sessions, students learn basic
strokes and bracing, how to exit your boat safely if you capsize (i.e., wet
exits), how to self rescue and how to perform an assisted rescue. Students of
this course will also complete 2 qualify paddles where skills developed in the
classroom, pool, and deep water session will be applied. The two
club-sponsored student paddles must be completed through the Seattle branch
before paddling on any trips offered through other branches.
- Will I learn to roll in this course?
- You will not learn to roll your kayak in this course. You can
enroll in subsequent
classes that teach kayak rolls after you have completed the Sea Kayaking
Basics Course.
- How often is this course offered?
- The Mountaineers Sea Kayaking Basics Course is offered once a year in the spring so you'll be ready to paddle during the summer months.
- Where does the instruction take place?
- The classroom sessions take place in the Mountaineers
Clubhouse. The Pool Session is held at a community pool. The Deep Water
Skills session takes place at Matthews Beach on Lake Washington, or either Golden
Gardens Park or Seahurst Park on salt water.
Driving instructions and complete information about the Pool and Deep Water
Skills sessions are provided in class.
- How many people take this course?
- Enrollment limits vary year-to-year. Class sessions involve
groups of approximately 6-8 students with two instructors. Pool and Deep
Water Skills sessions generally consist of groups of four students with two instructors.
- Who teaches this course?
- This course is taught entirely by volunteers who are experienced kayakers and have completed American Canoe Association (ACA) instructor certification training or other specific training for the instruction offered.
- Do I need my own boat?
- You do not need to own a boat but you will need to have
access to a single kayak with approved floatation or bulkheads for part of
this course. Boats are provided for the pool session. However, for the Deep
Water Skills session and student paddles, students are required to have an
appropriate boat. If you do not have access to an appropriate boat, rentals
will need to be pre-arranged. Rental fees are not included in the course fee.
Additional information is included in the online course description, as well
information on rentals will be sent to you in a Welcome Letter and Student
Profile Questionnaire after you complete the course registration. You will be
expected to pay the rental fee(s) in the first classroom session.
- How much do boat rentals cost?
- Boat rentals are approximately $65 per day, plus tax.
- What other gear do I need for this course?
- Immersion-wear is required for all Mountaineers paddles. You
will be required to wear a dry suit during the Deep Water Skills session and
the Sound Instructional paddle. If you do not have access to a dry suit, we
will arrange a rental for you. Rental fees are not included in the course fee.
Additional information in included in the online course description, as well
details on rentals will be sent to you in a Welcome Letter and Student Profile
Questionnaire after you complete the course registration. You will be
expected to pay the rental fee(s) in the first classroom session.
- How much do dry suit rentals cost?
- Dry suit rentals are approximately $35 per day, plus tax.
- What if I miss a classroom session / the Pool Session / Open Water session?
- It is generally not possible to make up a missed session so check your calendar carefully and make sure you can participate in all the required classes and activities before you enroll. If you cannot make all the required classroom sessions and activities, please consider taking the course another year. The course is run entirely by volunteers and requires us to make special arrangements for renting classroom space, pool time and the use of city parks for Open Water sessions.
- Can I make up a course session?
- Each student must attend all course sessions for the total amount of time the course is in session. Session make-ups are determined on a case-by-case basis and only permitted under extraordinary circumstances. Being gone for a course session because of a pre-arranged vacation is not an extraordinary circumstance. Because the course is run entirely by volunteers, we have no way of repeating sessions in their entirety if they are missed.
- Is there a required textbook?
- Purchase of a textbook is not required. However, we do recommend that you
consider purchasing either The Complete Sea Kayaker's Handbook by Shelley Johnson or Sea Kayaking Illustrated by John Robison. These books are available at
the Mountaineers Bookstore for the Mountaineers membership discount.
- What do I have to do to graduate from the course?
- Successfully complete the following by August 31:
- Attend all classroom sessions for the full required amount of time
- Complete the pool session
- Complete the Deep Water Skills session, demonstrating a wet exit and recovery
- Complete two club-sponsored student paddles, one of which must be at least four hours on saltwater
For the two paddles needed to graduate, you must provide an appropriate kayak. If you do not own or have access to a kayak, you will need to rent one. You will also be responsible for transporting that boat to the launch site. This means you will need a roof rack or some other means of tying the boat to your car. The course will schedule a limited number of paddles at locations where boat rentals are available but it will be your responsibility to make arrangements to rent a boat for each trip. Additional information is provided in class.
- How old do I have to be to take this course?
- To participate without parent or guardian, you need to be 18 years old. If your parent or guardian is taking the course, you may be able to take the course too, but you need to contact the course organizers to discuss this prior to registering.
- How do I contact the course organizers?
- The name and contact information of the course organizers is on the Seattle Sea Kayak web
site, under Sea Kayaking Basics
Course information.
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