Rock Gardening Sea Kayak Clinic - Freshwater Bay

Have you been paddling in SK II/III conditions for awhile and want to improve your skills?  Consider learning how to paddle in a Rock Garden environment.

What is Rock Gardening? The simplest definition of rock gardening is kayaking in and around rocks in the ocean. Variations range from tooling around rock gardens and sea caves in calm conditions to traversing technical passage ways, riding pour-overs and slots passages.

 Required Equipment (in addition to the usual):  dry suit, helmet, gloves with fingers, vhf radio.  Shorter (ie, 14' or so) plastic kayaks are ideal because of their maneuverability and durability, but not required.

What we will be doing:

• Discuss safety rules
• Discuss environmental awareness
• Identifying the zones of a rock garden
• Identifying features (slots and pour-overs) and discussing caves
• The proper timing and technique for navigating in a rock garden
• Practicing paddle strokes needed to traverse a feature
• Performing self, assisted and team rescues in a rock garden 
• Learn how to select and safely land/launch from a variety of rocky shore environments

Students that are enrolled in the Intermediate Kayak Course:  remember to bring your logbook and to notify your leaders that you want to be evaluated BEFORE we get on the water.

There are NO REFUNDS for cancellations made for any reason after September 28 at 5:00 pm.  However, we could cancel this clinic if the swell or wind is determined to be too big to safely hold our clinic.  In that case, you would receive a full refund.

Please note that even in mild swell, some people will be prone to seasickness.  If that could be you, we recommend that you take seasickness medication prior to this clinic and let your leaders know if you start feeling queasy. 

MEET at 9:00 am at Freshwater Bay boat launch, 144 Striped Peak Rd, Port Angeles, WA