FLOW - Fun and Learning on the Water - Makah Bay

Clinic

FLOW - Fun and Learning on the Water - Makah Bay

A two day clinic on tactics of coastal travel

  • Tue, Jul 28, 2020 — Wed, Jul 29, 2020
  • Seattle Sea Kayaking
  • Sea Kayaking
  • Adults
  • Sea Kayak IV/V
  • Challenging
  • Mileage: 10.0 nm
  • Maximum Wind: 20 kts
  • Maximum Waves: 5 ft
  • Maximum Currents: 3 kts
  • Pace: 3.5

Hobuck at 8:30 am on the first day, breakfast and morning beverage installed.  (This is only practical if you drive out the night before and camp.)  If conditions are right, first order of business may be packing camp into the boats so be ready for that.  There will be pre-trip guidance 

This clinic is part of the Surf Zone and Beyond week at Hobuck Beach.  

Come join us for 2 days of coastal paddling training.  The goal of this training is to increase your comfort paddling on an open coast.  The coastal environment may call on a great variety of skills. It is exposed, subject to wind and waves.  Landings are not always readily available. One may have to search for a protected landing or land through surf on an exposed beach.  The reward of developing these skills is the ability to venture into our wild waters, travel on the open ocean, see close up the beauty of the dynamic marine environment, and the reward of working as a team.  

The coastal environment is so complex that there is no possibility of covering all conditions and skills in two days.  We will use the conditions that are present and try to give you the best diversity of experience. If possible, we will travel down the coast and camp on Shi Shi beach near Point of Arches and explore the arches.  If that is not possible, we will stay in Hobuck to paddle in surf, wind, and waves. We will try to make a learning experience out of whatever conditions we venture into.

This clinic is for paddlers who are able to handle their boat in wind, waves, current surf, and rocks and are ready to expand their scope of awareness to larger considerations of moving through the coastal environment.

Come prepared to work as a group, push your limits, discover what you are capable of, and enjoy the outer coast of Washington.

How to Register

Contact the leaders if you are interested in joining.  Priority will be given to kayak trip leaders.

You should also register for Surf Zone and Beyond

Permits are required for ShiShi and we will coordinate this purchase. You are asked to share this committed cost even if we can’t go.

Skills we will work on

  • Coastal navigation
  • Identifying good landing spots
  • Route selection when paddling among rocks
  • Camp site selection
  • Group cohesion
  • Landing loaded boats through surf
  • Surf landing and launching as a group
  • Bear hangs
    • Specialized equipment

Prerequisites

Activities are based on participants abilities to handle their boats in dynamic condition.  You should already have the ability to:

  • Controlled land and launch through 3ft surf
  • Paddling with control in 3 ft waves
  • Paddling with control in 17.5kt winds
  • Paddling with control in 4kt Deception Pass currents
  • Packing your boat for overnight camping

Having taken at least three of the following clinics may indicate that you have developed these skills:  

  • Introduction to Surf clinic, and progressed through navigating the impact zone
  • Introduction to rock gardening
  • Introduction to Deception Pass currents
  • Wind and waves

Route/Place

Hobuck Beach & Neah Bay



  • Custom Correct North Olympic Coast

    Green Trails Cape Flattery No. 98S

    MapTech Cape Flattery to Whidbey Island No. 103

    Sea Trails Strait of Juan de Fuca & Crescent Lake WA301

    Sea Trails Roadless Coast, Neah Bay to Ruby Beach WA302

    NOAA Cape Flattery No. 18485

    Green Trails Olympic Coast Beaches No. 99S
  • See full route/place details.
Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

(Bold items absolutely required)

  • Boats suitable for rock gardening and surf landing
  • Helmet
  • Bear Canister (can rent from park)
  • Tow line
  • Spare paddle
  • Charts
  • First aid kit
  • Tent, pad, and sleeping bag
  • Food and a means to cook it
  • Diversity of clothing to stay warm and dry in a wet environment.

SUGGEST

  • VHF Radio
  • GPS
Trip Reports