Can a beginner take your Five-Day Training Camp?
Yes, provided you are in good shape and comfortable in water. In fact,
beginners generally learn more quickly because they don't have to overcome
a bunch of bad habits. If you have never been in a kayak, there are things
we recommend you do to give yourself a head start - call us for more
information.
Is your Paddling Technique and Rescues Course worthwhile for intermediates?
Yes! We've never had a student who was too advanced for this or our
Five-Day Training Camp. Due to our maximum of three to five students in a
class, we are able to push the limits of experienced kayakers without
neglecting the needs of the beginners. Further, we don't divide the paddling
strokes into beginning and advanced techniques -- we teach all the strokes
in our most basic courses and spend lots of time practicing them.
On the Five-Day Training Camp, do we camp out all four nights?
No. The first three days we practice from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM in the greater Seattle area. It's
on the last two days that we load up the kayaks with camping gear and take an overnight
Training Trip. You can, however, camp on the third evening (Wednesday night) at the park where
we will meet Thursday morning for the overnight trip. The night before the lesson (Sunday) and
the first two nights (Monday and Tuesday) of the lesson you will need accommodations in the
greater Seattle area (We will meet at a state park in Issaquah, which is 20 minutes east of
Seattle). More information on hotels and camping for those nights in, "What
about accommodations?"
Does the lesson fee include the use of a kayak?
No. But you can rent a kayak package from the Academy for only $20/day during lessons. The
lesson fee does, however, include free use of a wet suit and dry suit.
First contact us by phone, or e-mail and let us know which course and dates you are
interested in. If space is available, you will need to make a 50% non-refundable deposit with
the balance due four weeks before the course.
(206) 527-1825
E-Mail
A detailed equipment list for the specific course you are taking will be
sent to you upon registration.
As a minimum, you are responsible for bringing your
own food (on some guided tours you can arrange for us to bring food at an
added cost), water, and outdoor clothing including rain gear, water shoes
or booties, shirts and pants made from synthetic fabrics, and extra layers
of warm clothes to wear on shore at lunch etc. By synthetic fabrics we mean
materials such as polypropylene, Polartec, Capylene, pile fleece, etc.
designed to insulate even when wet. Wearing cotton is not allowed because
it does not insulate when wet! Wool may be worn instead of synthetics, but
it gets heavy when wet and is slow to dry -- so we strongly recommend
synthetic fabrics made for outdoor recreation. We have a selection of
top-of-the-line outdoor clothing and accessory items in our Retail/Mail Order
catalog, and you may arrange to have equipment shipped to you or delivered
at the start of your lesson (which saves you shipping fees, but adds sales tax). Unless you
arrange in advance to rent it from us, on camping trips you need to provide
your own backpacking style: tent, sleeping bag (if it has duck on it and/or is made of cotton
it probably won't fit in a kayak), pad, stove (except for
those flying in for whom we will provide a stove at no charge since stoves
are a no-no on airplanes). Rental kayaks and kayak equipment are available.
You don't need to be a competitive athlete, but learning to kayak is
strenuous. Learning is often more strenuous than paddling on an actual kayaking trip. The
better shape you are in, the more you will get out of your lesson and the
more fun it will be. As a minimum, you should be able to swim a few laps
without any buoyancy aid (even though PFD's will be worn while on the water
in our courses), and most importantly you must be able to lunge out of a
pool without the aid of a ladder; this requirement is critical because it
is very similar to what one does to re-enter their kayak after a capsize;
without this ability any form of kayaking is dangerous, and we will not be
able to allow you to continue with your lesson (we do not offer a refund
for those who fail this exercise...if you are in doubt, go to a swimming
pool or lake with a low dock or raft and test yourself before signing up).
If you are reasonably fit, it is not necessary to do any special exercises
prior to the lesson/trip. However, swimming laps is beneficial. If you lack
the upper body strength to do a push-up, consider doing some pushing type
exercises (i.e., bench presses or simulate push-ups while leaning against
a wall. In kayaking, flexibility is at least as important as strength. If
you have poor flexibility (can't touch your toes without bending your
knees, etc.), consider doing Yoga or other gentle stretching (i.e., toe
touches, slow trunk twisters, and bending to the sides). Stretch slowly,
don't bounce. Start off slowly and build your routine slowly. Don't overdo
any exercise or stretch.
This depends which lessons you are coming for.
Five-day Training Camp accomodations (starts near Issaquah which is about 20 miles east of Seattle).
For the first three days (Mon. - Wen.) of the Five-day Training Camp and the whole weekend of the Paddle Strokes & Rescue Techniques, there are three hotels in Issaquah. All are within walking distance (1/2-1.5 mile) of the park where we meet for the first three days (Lake Sammamish State Park) of the 5-Day Training Camp, however the shortest walk is from the Motel 6: Hilton Gardens (newest and nicest) (425) 837-3600, 1800 NW Gilman Blvd, Holiday Inn (425) 392-6421 (their lowest rate is the package deal that includes breakfast, but you have to ask for this deal, $120/night Breakfast Included) & Motel 6 (425) 392-8405 www.motel6.com (about $60/night, rooms with microwave and fridge are $3 extra). None of these hotels has their own airport shuttle, but you can get from SeaTac airport (the only Seattle area commercial airport) to these hotels via Shuttle Express van service for about $24/person each way, and it costs less to rent a car in Issaquah than at the airport (You need to make a reservation with them at least a day prior to your ride. Shuttle Express: 1-800-487-RIDE or 1-800-487-7433). Enterprise has a rental car office nearby and provides free shuttles from these hotels to thier office. If you don't mind walking a bit, you can put off renting a car until Wednesday evening (and possibly share one then with other students staying at these hotels). Bring a rucksack to carry your clothes and booties if you plan to walk from the hotel to the park. There is a supermarket sized food co-op (PCC) within walking distance (1/4 mile) of these hotels, and variety of restaurants near the co-op as well as a deli in the co-op. Campgrounds (commercial) are farther away: the nearest is: Vasa Park Resort (425) 746-3260 (on L. Sammamish, but only has 16 tent sites and 5 RV sites so make a reservation early), another RV park (with tent camping) about 5 miles away is Issaquah Highlands Camping Club (10610 Renton-Issaquah Rd. SE, Issaquah, WA 98027 drive out and sign-up to become a member ... no phone for reservations -- S of I90 off exit 15 on SR900), farther away is Snoqualmie River Campground at (425) 222-5545 in Fall City (about a 30 minute drive east of Issaquah).
On weekend overnight Leadership Training & Trip Experience courses
and the Thursday night of our Five-day Training Camps you'll load your
camping gear in the kayak and paddle to an island where we will all camp
out, so no hotel is needed that night. On the Wednesday night of our
Five-day Training Camps you may car-camp at the park where we meet on
Thursday morning (the park has hot showers for $0.25), or stay in Anacortes --
the new Anaco Bay Inn 1-877-299-3320, or Old Brook Inn which is on the way to Anacortes
and small but very nice 1-800-503-4768 www.oldbrookinn.com) or the
Sunset Beach B&B 1-800-359-3448 www.whidbey.com/sunsetbeach which is next to the
park where we meet for the overnight trip (parking at this B&B is not good for
big vehicles though, vans, pickups with camper tops, etc.) or stay
in Seattle/Issaquah area and drive up on Thursday morning (about a two hour drive).
For the three-day River Kayak Cross Training course, at the end of the
first & second days there is a nearby commercial campground, contact Snoqualmie
River Campground at (206) 222-5545 in Fall City, WA to make a reservation. For
the night before the three-day River Kayaking course it is best to stay in
Seattle.
HOSTELS and CAMPING
There aren't any convenient campgrounds in Seattle; the nearest RV parks are: Vasa Park Resort (425) 746-3260 (in Issaquah) only 16 tent sites and 5 RV sites so make a reservation and a KOA in Kent, 1-800-562-1892.
There is a highly rated hostel downtown Seattle, Seattle International Youth Hostel,
84 Union St. Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 206/622-5443 ($21 - 26)
Transportation to and from the lesson is your responsibility. If you are renting a kayak from us, we will transport the kayak for you for the duration of your lesson(s). So if you rent a kayak from us you don't need to worry about having a car with a kayak rack. Most students who fly in prefer to rent a car, or share one with another student ... let us know if you are interested in sharing car expenses, and we will give your phone number and/or email address to other students so they can contact you to work out arrangements. For the first three days of the Five-Day Training Camp it is reasonably easy to get along without a car (see comments above in the "What About Accomodations" section, and skip the rest of the following comments).
For the weekend Paddle Strokes and Rescue Techniques course, it is possible to get
around without a car, if you are determined enough. There are several options to get from
SeaTac (the Seattle international airport) to your hotel, the best option may depend on which
location your lesson is at and where you are staying.
1) If you are staying at a friend or relative's house or one of the Seattle area economy hotels
we list here or at a hotel in Issaquah (for the first three days of the 5-day Trainin Camp),
the best way to get to and from the airport is an airport shuttle van service called
Shuttle Express. They charge about $24/person each way, but it is only a little slower than
driving yourself or taking a taxi (which is much more expensive), and they will drop you off
and pick you up at any area house, hotel, etc. You need to make a reservation with them at
least a day prior to your ride. Shuttle Express: 1-800-487-RIDE or 1-800-487-7433.
2) If you are staying at a hotel or Youth Hostel in the downtown part of Seattle, there are
several even cheaper alternatives to the above mentioned Shuttle Express vans or taxi:
a) Some big hotels have their own free airport shuttle vans for people staying at their hotel,
ask your hotel and set up a ride reservation with them (none of the hotels we list
here offer free shuttles).
b) Seattle's public buses are called "Metro". Metro bus routes #174 and #194 (These Metro buses
leave SeaTac airport from the extreme south end of the airport baggage claim area) will take
you to and from the airport and downtown Seattle bus terminals for about $2. From there you can
transfer to other Metro busses to get around the greater Seattle area (Youth Hostel, economy
hotels, etc.) ... there are Metro
buses between downtown Seattle and Issaquah, but they end about 1.5 miles from any hotels in
Issaquah, so Shuttle Express is a better way to go there. You don't need a reservation to ride
the Metro busses, but use the Metro Website listed below for directions and print the details -
the Website has a great trip planner that works out all the schedules and bus route numbers).
c)If your not going to Issaquah, there is also a Gray Line bus from the airport to downtown
Seattle for about $9 each way (Airport Express by Gray Line of Seattle). This bus only picks
up and drops off at big name hotels in the downtown Seattle area only (not the Youth Hostel
or any of the economy hotels we list here). If you are staying at one of the big hotels in
downtown Seattle but your hotel doesn't provide a free airport shuttle service, this would
only be a few dollars more than taking the Metro bus and it would be much simpler assuming it
does go directly to your hotel. The Gray Line Airport Express bus leaves from the north end of
the airport baggage claim area. Make a reservation with them at: Airport Express by Gray Line
of Seattle, 1-800-426-7505 or 206 626-6088 or www.graylineofseattle.com
For the 5-Day Training Camp, once you get to the Issaquah Holiday Inn or Motel 6, you can get by on foot for the first three days, and after that you can rent a car in Issaquah (Enterprise will pick you up at the hotel and take you to their car rental office in Issaquah) or share a ride with other students.
Can I rent a kayak from you for my lesson?
Yes, and we will even bring the kayak to and from the lesson for you.
Maps to lesson sites for:
Paddle Strokes & Rescue Techniques -- Lake Sammamish State Park (2000 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027)
Leadership Training & Trip Experience -- Washington Park
Review Day -- Golden Gardens
Tidal Rapids Training -- Deception Pass
click on the map near the top center (Rosario Beach) area for a better map location
Ocean Surf Kayaking Course -- Pacific Beach State Park
5-Day Training Camp, Days One - Three -- Lake Sammamish State Park (2000 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah, WA 98027)
5-Day Training Camp, Days Four & Five -- Washington Park
© George Gronseth 2003, all rights reserved.