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Sea Kayak Leadership Development - San Juan Islands Archipelago Circumnavigation

Clinic

Sea Kayak Leadership Development - San Juan Islands Archipelago Circumnavigation

A week long camping trip devoted to developing leadership skills in the San Juans. Paddle is for leaders, and leaders in training, who wish to improve their leadership skills on multi-day trips and those involving tidal planning.

Contacts

Michael Everett
Michael Everett
Primary Leader
  • Sea Kayak IV/V
  • Challenging
  • Mileage: 70.0 nm
  • Maximum Wind: 20 kts
  • Maximum Waves: 4 ft
  • Maximum Currents: 5 kts
  • Pace: Moderate to brisk

Launching from Washington Park, Saturday July 15.  Time TBD

Our goal, to make you a better leader.  Have you ever led a group through a tiderace, with green water hitting your sprayskirt? Ever play frogger with tankers because of poor planning?  How about when the wheels really fall off the wagon and everyone looks to you to pull the pieces together?  From a kayak leadership standpoint, this clinic incorporates what you have learned in Kayak Navigation, Eddies and Currents, Wind and Waves, Incident Management, Strokes and Maneuvers, and Kayak Camping in a multi-day kayaking adventure while paddling in the beautiful San Juans Islands.  This is foremost a CLINIC, and not an TOUR.  Each participant will be responsible for planning a week-long trip through the San Juans.  The instructors will meet with each participant (via  zoom)  prior to the trip and discuss their plan and give them  their assignment.  We will Launch from Washington Park in Anacortes, and return about a week later.  Along the way each participant will be responsible for leading the group at least one full day.  You will be responsible for planning the days' paddle, organizing and conducting any group briefings, and partake in nightly debriefing between the instructors and fellow students.  The instructors will add scenarios along the way.  Three general rules; nobody gets hurt, everybody has fun, everybody learns something.  Everything else is fair game!  We hope to provide challenges and get everyone past some of their comfort levels.  You will gain experience in vhf radio use, practical group management, and trip planning using tidal streams (currents) to your advantage.  A second session later in the year may be offered if this clinic fills.

  Participants must have taken a:

     1. Kayak navigation clinic.

      2. Eddies and currents clinic.

      3. Kayak oriented incident management clinic.

      4. Kayak camping clinic or kayak camped before this clinic starts.

      5. Kayaking in wind and waves clinic.

No alcohol or other recreational drugs allowed.

Clinic is open to mountaineers members only.

Route/Place

San Juan Islands from Anacortes


  • Rosario Strait & Bellingham WA001
    Sea Trails Lopez, Blakely, Decatur & Shaw Islands WA002
    NOAA Bellingham to Everett No. 18423
    NOAA Strait of Juan de Fuca to Strait of Georgia No. 18421
  • See full route/place details.
Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

Sea Kayaking Equipment + 10 Essentials.

Kayak camping equipment, including food and water for 9 days of travel.

Handheld marine vhf radio is required.

Highly recommend a spare paddle.

Helmets are required.

Drysuit is required.

Encourage participants to carpool and share tents, if feasible, as some venues may have limited sites available.

There will be parking fees and campsite fees in addition to the fee to take the clinic.

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