Sea Kayaking 101 - Beginning Sea Kayak Safety Skills

If you're a beginning sea kayaker or recreational kayaker, this lesson if for you. If you've been sea kayaking for a while but never taken a formal kayak lesson and/or you feel the need to start over with the basics, this course will prepare for the next level. If you're a veteran kayaker and you're not afraid to practice capsizes, we recommend skipping this course and going directly into our school's Sea Kayaking Part 1 (SK 111) or Five Day Training Camp (SK 115) lessons.

Get started on the right foot (or paddle blade in this case) by beginning to learn how to paddle a touring kayak without developing bad habits or taking unnecessary risks. You will learn to put on a dry suit (the use of which included at no charge) so you can stay warm and comfortable while learning things that could save your life as a beginning sea kayaker or rec kayaker. No time wasted indoors or in pools -- thanks to the drysuits we and head wear we provide, you can start right out in fresh water without getting cold. This is an experiential course that will prepare you for both recreational kayaking on sheltered lakes and give budding sea kayakers the best possible start with training that goes hand-in-hand with the rest of our kayak school's state-of-the-art kayak programs. This six-hour, one-day introductory course is offered mainly on weekends.

In this course you will learn the basics. Everything from how to get in and out of a kayak both on shore and in the water after a capsize, how to brace with a paddle to prevent capsizing. What to do when boat wakes hit you, how to turn, how to steer a straight course, and when to use rudders or skegs are all covered. We'll get you started on the path to learning efficient forward stroke technique. We teach both feathered and unfeathered paddling technique, and let you choose which you prefer. We will show you how to adjust your kayak's seat and foot braces for comfort and performance, how to choose a paddle that is a good size and style to learn with, and what clothes and accessories you need to get started.

After completing this course, students generally feel comfortable recreational paddling on small lakes and/or progressing onto our Adventurous Journeys and our more comprehensive "Paddle Strokes & Rescue Techniques" course or "Five-Day Training Camp".

Location: Tibbett's Beach, Lake Sammamish State Park (see map below)
Duration: 6 hours
Class Size: 10 maximum with 5 to 1 students/instructor ratio maximum
Fee: $160 (includes use of our dry suits, booties, and scull caps) -- $100 of this tuition may be used as credit toward the Kayak Academy's "Part I, Paddle Stokes & Rescue Technique" (SK111) lesson or "Five-Day Training Camp" (SK115).

Kayak Rental: $25.00 plus tax, delivered to the lesson. (Includes kayak, spray-skirt, PFD, bilge pump, paddle float, and paddle)

Call us at (206) 527-1825 or E-mail us at info@kayakacademy.com to make a reservation.

Prerequisites: Anyone who can swim well enough to be comfortable putting their head under water and able to swim the crawl stroke or breast stroke without a buoyancy aid can take this class, and yes we wear PFD's (life jackets) while on the water -- but you still need basic swimming skills. Minimum age--sixteen (no minimum for private lessons).

Map to Tibbitts Beach (click on blue tag to get driving directions)

View Tibbett's Beach in a larger map