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Sound Kayakers Club

Sustainable Living Practices

2012 Schedule - Updated February 18, 2012 - Follow links to course descriptions and book recommendations below the calendar.

How to Register: E-mail us with the course title & date, your name, home address & cell or home phone number. If this link doesn't work, send to kayak-adventure symbol for "at" earthlink.net, or text/call our iPhone at 203-247-1390. To rent a kayak, please include your height & weight. If you don't see a date that works, let us know your availability and/or ask to get on our trip notification e-mail list.

JANUARY 2012
1 - Sound Kayakers' Eighth Annual New Year's Day Paddle, 1-4 pm, Sasco Hill Beach, CT.
24 - Winter Tuesday tour, 10 am - 12 pm, $40, Saugatuck River, Westport.

FEBRUARY
25 - Book Talk with Joe Glickman, Author of Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent, 6-8 pm. By reservation only.
26 - Sound Kayakers' Coastal Tour, 12:30 -3:30 pm. Launch: Greenwich Pt Park.

MARCH
23 - Winter Tuesday tour, 9-11:30 am, $40.
31 - Sound Kayakers' Coastal Tour, 10 am -2 pm. Launch: Westport Compo Beach.

APRIL
21 - Introduction to Cold Water Kayaking, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
22 - Sound Kayakers' Coastal Tour, 10 am - 2 pm. Launch Mamaroneck, NY.

MAY
13 - ACA Essentials of Kayak Touring (Level 2)/Cross Sound Prep, 9 am - 5 pm, $150.
17 - Sound Kayakers' Thursday Tour, 9 am - 12 pm. Launch: Darien, CT.
18 - ACA Quickstart Kayak - KFAC certification, 8 am -12 pm, $90.
19 - ACA Essentials of Kayak Touring (Level 2)/Cross Sound Prep, 8 am - 4 pm, $150.
20 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 8 am - 2 pm, $115 (5 places, 4 left).

JUNE
tbd - Forward Stroke Class with Guest Coach Joe Shaw , 12 - 6 pm, $150.
9 - ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3, 9 am -5 pm, $150.
16 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 8 am - 2 pm, $115.
17 - ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3, 9 am -5 pm, $150.
19 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
21 - Sound Kayakers' Thursday Tour, 10 am - 2 pm. Launch: Westport, CT ramp.
22 - ACA Quickstart Kayak - KFAC certification, 1 - 5 pm, $90.
23 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 10 am - 4 pm, $115.
24 - Sound Kayakers' Trip Stonington to Fisher's Is., meet 10 am. Level 3-4. Free to members.

JULY
6 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
8-13 - Camping LI Sound
14 - Sound Kayakers' at The Blackburn Challenge, Gloucester, MA, 6 am - 3 pm.
20 - ACA Introduction to Kayak - for Women, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
21 - Sound Kayakers' Beginners Kayak Trip, 9 am - 12 pm, free to members.
21 - Ready to Roll class, 1-3 pm, $80.
22 - ACA Essentials of Kayak Touring (Level 2), 9 am - 5 pm, $150.
24 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
25 - Ready to Roll class, 3:30-5:30 pm, $80.
26 - Sound Kayakers' Thimble Islands Tour, 9 am - 4 pm. Free to members.
28 - Cross-Sound Kayak, 8 am - 4 pm, fee $60. Pre-reqs: prior trip or complete ACA level 2.

AUGUST
18 - ACA Coastal Kayak Level 3, 9 am -5 pm, $150.
19 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 12 - 6 pm, $115.
28 - Sound Kayakers' Beginners Kayak Trip - birding!, 7:30 -10:30 am, members free.
30 - Ready to Roll class, 10 am - 12 pm, $80
31 - Sound Kayakers' Blue Moon Paddle & Picnic, 6 - 9:30 pm.

SEPTEMBER.
1 - ACA Essentials of Kayak Touring (Level 2), 9 am - 5 pm, $150.
tbd - Sound Kayakers' at Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race, 8 am - 2 pm.
15 - Sound Kayakers' Int'l Coastal Cleanup Day Trip, 10 am - 3 pm. Launch: tbd.
16 - ACA Introduction to Kayak, 9 am - 3 pm, $115.
20 - Sound Kayakers' Thursday Tour, 10 am - 3 pm. Launch: tbd.
22 - ACA Essentials of Kayak Touring (Level 2), 10 am - 6 pm, $135.
23 - Sound Kayakers' Level 2+ Paddle, 10 am - 4 pm, Guilford Hbr/Falkner Island. Free to members.

See Detailed Information on Rates & Terms at this link. Note: prices above do NOT include kayak rentals.

SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION
Beginners: Our learn to kayak program starts with ACA Introduction to Kayak, a six hour course. We usually have 3-4 students/class. Follow this with regular, short practice sessions close to shore off a beach where there are plenty of people. After that, youll be ready to handle paddling within swimming distance of shore on days with winds no more than 10 knots at times with little current (within 1.5 hrs of high or low tide). Choose our beginner or two-hour tours for practice. Joining our Sound Kayakers club is a great way to meet trained kayakers to paddle with.

Intermediate & Advanced Paddlers: Continue to Level 2 instruction with Essentials of Kayak Touring for in-depth navigation, tidal current and trip planning skills. Continue to Level 3 Basic Coastal Kayak Strokes & Rescues for stroke refinement and advanced rescue & recovery skills. Our Level 2-3 classes give you the skills to paddle up to a mile from shore on days with winds up to 15-20 knots, and with current up to one-1.5 knots. Choose our Coastal Tours or Island/Offshore/Expedition tours for more challenge.

ACA Introduction to Kayak - Level 1
Our six hour American Canoe Association Intro course is designed to give a sit-inside kayaker the information and skills to paddle safely along the coast of Long Island Sound. Half of the class will be on-water and half will be land-based. Sea kayaking is a sport with significant risk. Previous experience on the sea is helpful, but not required (swimming, sailing, power boating, snorkeling, etc). You should know how to swim, and be comfortable in and on the water. With a maximum of five students, there is plenty of individual attention. We understand and help you overcome the instinctive fear of capsizing and being underwater. Our class includes use of a sprayskirt, wet exit instruction in waist-deep water, re-entry practice in shallow water, and optionally in deeper water (you decide what you're ready for). We launch five minutes from our home base onto an estuary (river mouth), where we are relatively sheltered from wind and waves.
Recommended Book: The Complete Sea Kayakers Handbook, Second Edition

Essentials of Kayak Touring (EKT) - Level 2
is the ideal follow-up to Level 1 ACA instruction. On land we show you how to read nautical charts, how to use them to make a trip plan, and to keep track of time, distance and speed while on water, using compass and chart. We discuss how to make and file a float plan, and how to communicate with on-shore support. You will learn how to find and interpret tidal current information and use it for trip planning. On the water we coach you to paddle in a straight line (without a rudder), and to develop an efficient forward stroke. We explain nautical "rules of the road," and demonstrate how to share the water with powered vessels. We practice 180 degree turns, and maneuvers to avoid collision. We teach low braces to recover from a near-capsize, and make sure your re-entry methods get you back in your kayak quickly in deep water. We'll show you how to pack your kayak for an extended tour, how to keep your kayak skeg trouble-free, and how to prevent typical on-water emergencies. Sound Kayakers club members with Level 2 skills paddle free on all our summer coastal trips.
Recommended Book: Simple Kayak Navigation: Practical Piloting for the Passionate Paddler

Coastal Kayak Basic Strokes & Rescues (CKBSR) - Level 3
Once you're comfortable on protected water along the coast, learn to handle your kayak in a variety of sea conditions up to a mile from shore (within a half mile of islands). You'll learn how to launch and land in waves. We'll teach how to paddle effectively in a group, taking advantage of drafting and rafting up when needed. We'll work on forward stroke to increase power and efficiency so you can make good headway against tidal currents, and get to shelter/shore fast if the weather changes. To handle power boat chop, going downwind and paddling in a crosswind, we'll teach edging, ruddering (bow & stern pries and draws), and how to modify sweeps & draws to incorporate bracing. You'll learn how to use the wind to effectively turn your kayak with minimal effort. In our rescues segment you'll learn how to assist other paddlers who've capsized, using several techniques. We'll teach you why and how to tow, and you'll learn or fine-tune solo back-up re-entry methods. To increase your safety offshore, we'll suggest gear that increases visibility and endurance; we'll play games to enhance balance; and rehearse one or more incident scenarios.
Recommended Book: Sea Kayak Rescue, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Modern Reentry and Recovery Techniques (How to Paddle Series)