Instructor: Mike Aronoff, IT
Prerequisites
: None
Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary to safely paddle sea/coastal kayaks and execute trips on rivers and coastal environments. This course will include instruction in, but not limited to, boat handling, terminology, kayak design, trip planning, marine hazards and safety, rules of the Nautical Road, weather and tides and environmental ethics.
Requirements: Physical exertion on this course is considered moderate to strenuous. Students (in pairs or independently) will be responsible for carrying kayaks weighing up to 65 lbs.
Goa
l: To provide a safe and fun introduction to the sport of coastal kayaking.
Objective
s: Participants will learn how to:
1. Properly fit & adjust their kayak for effective control and comfort
2. Safely portage their kayak to the water
3. Attach their sprayskirt
4. Properly & safely enter and exit their kayak from shore
5. Safely & effectively wet-exit their kayak
6. Demonstrate proper use & control of the paddle
7. Perform basic strokes and maneuvers. (Stroke list attached).
8. Perform a T- and Paddle Float Self-Rescue
9. Be oriented with essential safety equipment
10. Understand the importance & influence of weather and tides on the coastal kayaker
11. Identify marine hazards & safety concerns and explain strategies for dealing w/them
12. Demonstrate an understanding of Rules of the Nautical Road
13. Understand personal limitations and skill level
Place:
Teaching conditions will be classroom, a protected freshwater lake and a river environment where
waves do not exceed 1 foot, winds do not exceed 10 knots, and groups are kept within ½ mile from
shore.
Course Content:
Introductions & Expectations
Enrollment/registration/liability
Welcome & introductions
Student & instructor expectations
Environment-underwater learning
Physical-flexibility, fatigue
Emotional-fears
Cognitive-information overload
Course itinerary
Dryland Presentations
Equipment orientation
Personal clothing & gear
PFD’s, wetsuits & sprayskirts
Safety equipment (i.e. pump, paddle float, sling)
Kayak nomenclature & terminology
Basic boat design (hull shape, length,
beam, rocker vs. keel, initial vs. secondary stability)
Boat fit & adjustment
Boat/body weld
Individuals get sized to boats
Sprayskirt attachment & use
Wet-exit explanation & dryland practice
Paddle orientation
Parts & design
Sizing, indexing, relaxed grip
Feathered vs. non-feathered, paddle control
Concept of torso rotation.
Launching & Landing/Wet-Exit Practice
Carrying kayak to and from water
Proper entry & exit of boat from shore or dock
Boat control/stability exercises (supported
boogie-woogie, j-leans using partner’s bow for support)
Demonstrate & practice wet-exits (one-on-one
supervision by instructor)
Allow students to get oriented/familiar with their kayak
Introduction to Basic Strokes & Maneuvers
Sweep strokes (forward & reverse, spins)
Forward touring stroke
Reverse stroke & stopping
Draw stroke (draw-to-the-hip w/ in-water recovery)
Lunch Break/Discussion
Signaling & safety devices discussion/show & tell
Introduction to Basic Rescues
Demonstrate & practice T-Rescue (w/ & w/0 stirrup)
Demonstrate & practice Paddle Float Self-Rescue (w/ & w/o stirrup)
Group Safety Talk
Paddling as a group
Group signals
What to do in the event of an emergency
Actual tours: 1-2 hours and all day (w/continued application & development of skills)
Continue to develop good forward stroke technique
Discuss & practice course correction techniques for windy conditions
Observation & explanation of on-water hazards
Observation & explanation of tides & currents (if applicable)
Observation & explanation of weather, wind & wave dynamics
Listen to NOAA weather radio
Discuss current wind speed & direction concerns
Discuss knowing personal and group limits.
Additional Stroke & Skill Development
Low & high braces (w/ hip snap development/lower body boat control)
Low brace support underway for looking behind you
Rafting up for support demonstration & practice
Reinforce the idea of paddling with a partner/group
Conclusion/Course Wrap-up
Load boats showing proper tie-down techniques
Provide individual feedback if possible
Group debrief of how course went
Explain what is next in their learning progression
Course evaluation
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their ability to:
1. Properly adjust foot braces and attach spray skirt
2. Safely enter & exit their kayak from shore
3. Perform a wet-exit with comfort & control
4. Maintain good posture and balance in their kayak
5. Perform the basic strokes, maneuvers & rescues with efficiency
6. Identify common coastal/marine hazards
7. Understand their physical abilities & limitations
8. Know when it is safe & appropriate to paddle
Grading Scale
A = 100-91
B = 90-82
C = 81-73
D = 72-64
F = 63 and below
References:
1995 Kent Ford,
Outdoor Pursuits Series Whitewater &Sea Kayaking
1998 Shelley Johnson,
Woman’s Guide to Sea Kayaking
1992 David Seidman,
The Essential Sea Kayake, 2nd edition 2001r
Equipment:
Properly sized & outfitted sea kayaks with front and rear flotation and related paddling & safety
equipment (i.e. paddles, PFD’s, sprayskirts, paddle floats, bilge pumps, slings, & wetsuits if necessary)
Tentative Course Schedule
One classroom session- 3 hours
Three Full on-water days