Kayaking Course List And Short Descriptions
The following are short descriptions of our kayak courses. Click the course number links in blue for specifics on what's included, prerequisites, and tuition fees and a schedule of dates that kayak course is offered.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for a list of special training courses that don't fit neatly into a standard category or progression (Kids Kayak Camps, Greenland Week Qajaq Training, Weekly Exercise Kayaking, etc.). Skip to Special Courses
SK 101 Beginning Sea Kayak Safety Skills
Get off to a great start! Learn basic kayak safety skills and paddling strokes. No prior experienced required; if you can swim, you can take this course. More
SK 103 First Journey & Forward Stroke Development - On The Lake
Take your first trip in a single person touring kayak on the lake with us. Get some miles under your keel in sheltered conditions with no tides, currents or ships to worry about. We'll coach you on your forward stroke and techniques for steering straight. For both beginning sea kayakers and recreational kayakers, SK 103 is a perfect trip to build your confidence and paddling skill after taking our SK 101. SK 101 (or equivalent with approval) is a prerequisite. More
SK 111 Paddling Strokes & Rescue Techniques
Learn sea kayaking's physical skills: strokes, rolls, and rescues. Open to fit beginners, but no kayaker is too experienced to benefit from this training. The more skill you bring into this class, the higher the level we'll take you to. This is the most thorough sea kayak paddling skills course in the world. More
SK 113 Open Water Training Camp ...in the San Juan Islands
Paddle through waves, cross eddy lines, and get hands-on experience at kayaking leadership and navigation, reading water, weather observations, predicting tides and currents, and kayak trip planning. If you own a sea kayak, you need this course. More
SK 115 Five-Day Kayak Training Camp
Our most comprehensive sea kayaking course. Start with an expanded three-day version of our Paddle Strokes and Rescue Techniques course on Lake Sammamish (E. of Seattle), and cap it off with a two-day overnight camping Open Water Training Camp course in the San Juan Islands. More
SK 117 Greenland Rolling Intro
Start learning the traditional rolling and bracing techniques with a Greenland "stick" paddle. More
SK 118 Beginning Level Eskimo Roll Training
This beginning rolling lesson is for both river and sea kayakers. If your other kayak lessons didn't include rolling, or you used to be able to roll but lost it, this is the roll training for you.
SK 120 & RK 120 River Kayaking Intro (for Sea and River Kayakers) Part 1
This introductory river kayaking course is a non-threatening, fun way to get a taste of the joys of kayaking on rivers. A two-day course for sea and river kayakers who have already started rolling. More
SK 200 Forward Stroke Development
Improve the efficiency (and speed) of your forward strokes. More
SK 201 Master Your Skills
Refine the strokes you've learned in our SK 111 or SK 115 or other classes and then go beyond that with some skills you may be missing. More
SK 202 Advanced Rescues
Go beyond the basic assisted and self rescues, and learn a variety of rescues to fit different situations and the strengths and weaknesses of the person(s) you are rescuing. More
SK 203 Intermediate Rolling
Take your roll from 50% to 100% success. More
SK 204 Ocean Surf Kayaking
Ride waves, carve turns, and learn to surf in a kayak. The best bracing practice there is, and an outrageously fun time! More
SK 206 & RK 206 River Kayak Training Part 2
Surf standing waves, ferry across currents too fast to paddle against, and feel the thrill of acceleration as you peel out through strong eddylines. This two-day course is the next step after our SK 120/RK 120 River Kayaking Intro. More
SK 212 Tidal Rapids Training ...in Deception Pass
Learn to play with instead of fearing tide rips and rough water! One full day in the amazing tidal rapids at Deception Pass. More
SK 217 Advanced/Intermediate Greenland Rolling
Learn from Dubside, one of the MASTERS of Greenland rolling. This 4 hour course takes your Greenland skills to the next level. More
SK 300 Combat Rolling
Get your roll working when it really counts - when it's not just practice. More
SK 301 Alaskan Kayaking Adventure - Sitka, AK
Explore the Pacific coast of SE Alaska in one-person sea kayaks – you’ll see a beautiful Alaskan coastline teeming with wildlife and the historic Russian outpost town of Sitka! An amazing intermediate level sea kayak adventure. Spend eight days paddling and wilderness camping with the Kayak Academy crew. Prerequisites: SK 113 or 115 or higher level courses (or equivalent with approval) plus prior rough water experience. More
SK 302 High Wind Training
Wind happens, are you prepared? Test your skills in the high winds and steep waves that make the Gorge on the Columbia River a world famous destination for expert sail boarders. This is a challenging two-day course. You must be an experienced paddler with a good roll and training under your belt to qualify. More
SK 303 Advanced Tidal Rapids Training (Deception Pass on a big flood!)
If you had fun in your first Tidal Rapids Training, step it up to a big flood current where the big boys (and girls) play in the overfall at the “Room of Doom”. More
SK 317 Competitive Greenland Rolling Instruction
If you are thinking about competing, this class taught by Dubside (a master of the Greenland arts), will prepare you for competitions and add a more points to your score. More
SK 401 Exposed Coast Expedition Training - Sitka, Alaska
The ultimate advanced sea kayak adventure ... ten days in SE Alaska. Spend eight days paddling and wilderness camping with George and Barb Gronseth on the exposed open coast of the Pacific Ocean in Alaska. Discover what it's like to leave the sheltered waters (and crowds) behind and paddle out into the open ocean. Along the way you'll learn to plan and lead your own future wilderness kayak expeditions. All this while spending over a week exploring a beautiful Alaskan wilderness coastline teeming with wildlife and the historic Russian outpost town of Sitka! More
Special Kayak Training Courses
The following are short descriptions of special kayak courses that don't neatly fit into standard categories or progressions. Click the course name links in blue for more detailed information on each kayak course. Each course's detailed web page includes a schedule of upcoming dates for that class and specifics on what's included, prerequisites, and tuition fees.
Wed. Evening Exercise Paddle and Skills Practice
An informal weekly exercise and practice session for Kayak Academy alumni. More
Kids Kayak Camp (5 half-days, M-F)
Give your child a week of fun and excitement outdoors. Our Kids Kayak Camp is a lively day camp based at our kayak & SUP rental concession at Tibbetts Beach (AKA "Swim Beach") in Lake Sammamish State Park, Issaquah, WA. Games and play are used while learning kayak paddling strokes and safety skills. Some highlights of the week include building and racing cardboard kayaks, exploring Issaquah creek, and taking a day-long kayak trip on the final day. Sorry parents, these lesson are for kids, ages 9 - 14. More
Greenland Week Kayak Festival & Greenland Qajaq Competition
Join us for our annual Greenland Week Kayak Festival at Lake Sammamish State Park near Issaquah, WA. We have clinics, semi-private lessons, trips, the most complete Greenland style qajaq competition outside of Greenland, and lots of free activities. Maligiaq, the 8x Greenland Qajaq Champion, will be joining us again this year along with Dubside, George Gronseth, Helen Wilson and many other instructors and Greenland enthusiasts. More