Quick Details
Intro Level 1 and Level 2 • You choose which dates work best for you.
This is the course to take if you are new to sea kayaking — or if you started sea kayaking without gaining a solid foundation of skills and knowledge.
You’ll learn all the basics with a small group of other paddlers in the protected waters near our East End Beach site in Portland. Your instructor will get your group started onshore with a discussion of equipment and the risks and hazards kayakers face on the Maine coast. Then you’ll get fitted into kayaks and head onto Casco Bay to learn proper paddling technique for the essential strokes of the sport. Your instructor will do their best to customize the class to fit with each students’ goals, experience level and interests. At some point during the class you’ll have a chance to perform a wet exit, which is the simple technique used to get out of your kayak after a capsize. You are likely to get wet, so we recommend wearing a wetsuit. If you do not have your own, we will provide one for you.
The Part II class is offered every other weekend and we recommend taking the two courses during the same summer, ideally followed by the Rescue Clinic.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
WHAT’S PROVIDED
This course builds on the skills taught in Intro to Sea Kayaking Part I and teaches you about crucial resources and equipment that sea kayakers rely on while paddling the Maine coast.
This course is only open to students who have completed the Part I course OR have taken a introductory kayaking lesson elsewhere. A major goal of this session will be to improve your overall control of your boat and efficiency of your strokes so that you’re better prepared when you encounter challenging conditions like strong winds or swift currents. This course will also dive deeper into the knowledge of the marine environment that essential for planning a trip on the Maine coast and minimizing risks. Your group will use a portion of the class to make a crossing on open waters to a nearby island, taking into account tides, currents and boat traffic. You’ll leave completely ready for the next course in our progression: The Kayak Rescue Clinic, which will teach you how to reenter your kayak after a capsize.