This Sea Kayaking Basics course is offered once each year by the Seattle Branch. All instruction is offered in single sea kayaks with bulkheads or approved flotation.

Throughout a series of lectures and on-water instruction, the following topics are covered:
1) Equipment used in coastal kayaking.
2) Cold water - and how to dress for it.
3) Knowledge of the sea: weather, waves, tides and currents.
4) Safety at sea: charts, navigation, buoyage, communication and marine rules of the road.
5) Rescues and the importance of teamwork.
6) Paddling and maneuvering skills - the effects of wind, waves and current on boat behavior.
7) Physical conditioning.
8) Protection of the marine environment.

Successful completion of this instruction followed by a qualifying student paddle is required for graduation.

Seattle Sea Kayaking Basics Course Registration:

Please review the course dates carefully and confirm that your schedule will permit you to attend ALL activities. Make-ups are not possible. No refunds will be made after the course starts.

The Seattle Basics Course includes 3 classroom sessions, one pool session, one Deep Water Skills session, and two qualifying student paddle. Each component must be successfully completed before moving to the next, and all requirements are to be completed by August 31, 2012.

3 Classroom Sessions at the Mountaineers Clubhouse in Seattle:

Attendance at all classroom sessions is required.
Class #1: Tuesday, April 10, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Class #2: Tuesday, April 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Class #3: Tuesday, April 24, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Pool Session, held at the Juanita Pool, Kirkland:

Register online for ONE of three available Pool Sessions:
Seattle Pool Session 1: Sunday, April 15, 8:00 am to 11:00 am, OR
Seattle Pool Session 2: Sunday, April 15, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm OR
Seattle Pool Session 3: Sunday, April 15, 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Ability to swim 50-yards without flotation is required. Students must have adequate physical ability to re-enter a kayak after capsize (instruction provided).

Instruction provided on kayaking wet-exits, self and assisted rescue techniques. Kayaks will be provided for this event.

Deep Water Skills Session (Seahurst Park, Burien, south shelter area):

Register online for Seattle Deep Water Skills Sessions: Saturday, April 21, 8:00am to 4:00pm

ACA-certified instruction provided on paddling and maneuvering skills. Student demonstration of cold-water exits and kayak re-entries is required.

Gear will be brought to the launch site for students who need to rent a kayak and/or a dry suit package (see course fees outlined below).

Qualifying Student Paddles:

Two qualifying student paddles must also be successfully completed by August 31. One of these paddles will be arranged by your mentor group leader during classroom work. The second paddle can be chosen online from any Seattle student paddles listed on the Mountaineers website. Qualifying student paddles will be posted on the Mountaineers website beginning in April.

Kayaks and gear will not be provided on-site for student qualifying paddles. While the club will schedule some qualifying paddles at locations where rentals are available, it will be the student's responsibility to arrange for a rental for each trip. Students will also be responsible for transporting boats to and from the launch site if rentals are not available there. Immersion gear, typically a dry suit or a wetsuit with paddle jacket (at the trip leader’s discretion), is also required for Mountaineers paddles.

Seattle Sea Kayaking Basics students must be completed all course requirements through the Seattle branch before participating in any paddles or kayaking courses offered by other Mountaineers branches.

All course requirements must be completed by August 31, 2012.

*** Seattle Sea Kayaking Basics -- Course Fees ***

The total cost of the Sea Kayaking Basics course can range from $250 to $550, depending on whether you already own a single sea kayak and a dry suit. The textbook for this course is optional, but recommended.

Course fee payable upon registration: $250.00

The course fee does not include kayak and dry suit rental for the Deep Water Skills or the qualifying student paddles. See Kayak and Gear Rental fees (below).

Fees for the kayak and dry suit rentals needed for the deep Water Skills Session will be collected during the first class session.

Please review the course fees in detail before registering for this course.

Textbook: estimated $20.

The Complete Sea Kayaker’s Handbook, Shelley Johnson, or
Sea Kayaking Illustrated, A Visual Guide to Better Paddling, John Robinson

Available at the Mountaineers Bookstore or online. Please purchase one before the class starts.

*** Additional Course Fees: Kayak and Gear Rental ***

(Rental fees listed below are based on prices provided by Kayak Academy and will vary depending on vendor.)

If you do not own a single kayak with approved floatation, or a dry suit, you will need to rent gear on 3 occasions. Cost of kayak and dry suit rentals is approximately $100/day ($300 for the course). Dry suits are required for the Deep Water Skills Session and may also be required for the qualifying student paddles. Immersion gear is required for all Mountaineers paddles – for summer freshwater paddles, a wetsuit and paddle jacket may be appropriate – at the trip leaders’ discretion.

Kayak Rental: Estimated $65/day, excluding tax, required for 3 events. Includes PFD, paddle, spray skirt, bilge pump and paddle float.

Dry Suit Rental: Estimated $35 excluding tax, required for 2, possibly 3, events.

Wetsuit Rental: $15/day, excluding tax (may be an option for a summer freshwater paddle).

No refunds of the course fee will be made after 5:00pm, April 10, 2012.

If you have any questions on the syllabus or course requirements, please contact SeattleMountaineers.SKBasics@gmail.com well in advance of the course start date.

Additional information will be provided in a Welcome letter you will receive after you register for this Sea Kayaking Basics course.