Smart Start: Level One | Introduction to Sea Kayaking and Capsize Recovery

Discover the wonders of sea kayaking and build your confidence on the water. Get an on-land introduction before venturing out into the waters of Port Gamble Bay for a comprehensive lesson on strokes, techniques, and capsizing recovery. Enhance your future kayaking experience with this class! By enrolling, you'll learn efficient paddling techniques and establish good posture and boat fit habits, reducing fatigue and increasing comfort while on the water. Our course offers a complete introduction to kayaking, including fast and efficient ways to get back into your boat after a capsize. We strive to equip our paddlers with the necessary tools and knowledge to safely and effectively navigate the diverse waters of the Puget Sound and beyond. Your instructor will cover basic kayak safety, paddle strokes, how to fit a kayak and personal flotation device, proper stroke techniques, kayak nomenclature, basic design, body dynamics for efficient strokes, wet exits, capsize recovery (solo and assisted), how to choose a kayak for your needs, getting into and out of a kayak and other important basic skills to give you a strong foundation for a lifetime of paddling. What's Included: Dry Suit and Booties are provided for all registrations!  Kayak Rental  (additional cost) Premium Eddyline Kayak Spray Skirt Bilge Pump & Paddle Float Aquabound Paddle Personal Flotation Device (PFD) *No experience is necessary! Not able to make it this time, but still want to have some fun out on the water? Click here for our Summer Calendar! What's Covered: Kayak nomenclature & basic design Basic safety considerations Forward Stroke Reverse Stroke Sweep Strokes, Forward and Reverse (Turning) Draw Strokes, Static and Sculling (Move the Kayak laterally) Wet Exits Capsize Recovery (Paddle Float Rescue, T-Rescue, Cowboy Rescue and Sling Rescue) Kayak carries  Loading and unloading a kayak Launching and landing What to Bring: Full water bottle(s) Lunch (2 Restaurants in Town) Sunscreen Sun glasses with strap Weather-appropriate clothing for on land Instruction Jacket (Windproof/Waterproof) Warm poly and Fleece layers What to Wear under Drysuit (water is COLD) Poly top and bottom Fleece top and bottom Fleece socks Complete change of clothes (you can keep these in your car) Towel Sense of Adventure! Where to Meet: Olympic Outdoor Center Port Gamble 32379 N Rainier Ave Port Gamble WA 98364 We will meet at our beach launch; from Rainier Ave., take a right at the stop sign, head down the hill and you will see our shipping container straight ahead through the gate. Itinerary Class starts at 9:00am, but please give yourself a little time to park and change. We will wrap up around 4pm. We will start class on the Beach. There we will go over Kayak nomenclature, proper kayak and PFD fit and answer any questions that may arise. From the there we will make our way onto the water and paddle within the protection of the break water to cover basic strokes, the environment and safety. We will break for lunch around noon to refuel. Stop by the Port Gamble General Store for grab and go goodies like Sandwiches and an assortment of fruit and drinks. Or grab an espresso if you are in need of a quick pick me up. The General Store has treats for all your dietary needs! Return to the beach learn and practice wet exits and capsize recovery. This class does involve intentionally capsizing and exiting your kayak - *you will go into the water. Once we all have had a chance to practice the learned recovery techniques we will make our way back to the beach and learn how to properly carry our kayaks and how to safely and effectively load and unload them from a vehicle. What makes Olympic Outdoor Center a good choice? Our staff are professionally Trained. Our Instructors are CPR and First Aid Certified. We keep a low Instructor to student ratio for lots of individual instruction. Olympic Outdoor Center has been fostering paddling enthusiasts for over 35 years! Note: Recreational kayaks (under 12') are not allowed in this class. All kayaks must be fully compartmentalized (bulkheads or flotation front & back). Paddlers who bring their own equipment will also need to bring a Life Jacket, a Bilge Pump and a Paddle Float.