MBK 7/11 Fishing and Safety Class

Launched at 615 AM and headed out to the red buoy for sand dabs. Was joined by Lawrence and his brother and Ed.  Was a little windy with some 5' swells. Sand dab bite was WFO. Caught a bunch of good sized ones also. Called Alex on VHF and told him about the dab bite but he had bigger flatties to deal with. Headed in for some rockies and bagged a few and kept a nice brown for dinner. Then headed in for the safety and surf class at 9AM.

The safety and surf class was great. Aaron, Holokai and Scott put together a great curriculum designed just for NCKA. I especially liked the surf tips and the 2 person rescue. I got to buddy up with Eugene and got the "big guy" perspective on self rescue. This class was everything you need to get into salt water kayak fishing and for only $60. Many thanks to MBK and Aaron for  organizing and supporting our sport. Pics to follow.

Scott

Ditto Scott's remarks. 

Initially, though I knew I needed it, I held off signing up because I thought maybe only novitiates would attend.  But when Scott signed on I figured I would be in good company (though I really thought Scott didn't need any more training to tame the surf at Sur).  It was fun to meet up with Eugene as well.  Scott and Eugene were both at MBK the first time I ever hooked up with NCKA, with Alex (Alien) leading the charge.

I really enjoyed the clear instruction and one-on-one attention.  Holakai and Scott were very helpful, friendly instructors and Aaron was great as organizer and instructor.  They took their time and went overtime, to our advantage, patiently fielding everyone's questions along the way.

I especially gained from learning skills to better control my kayak in the surf zone.  I had previously taken a another class before but didn't really understand from that how to control my kayak with each incoming wave once I'd entered the surf zone.  I thought once you commit in the surf zone you just go for it.  But now I see that if I can control forward momentum, I could literally walk myself up to the shore line one wave at a time.  I better understand now, how crucial it is to have a strong, efficient backstroke.  I really don't use this stroke enough, especially under conditions where maximal force and acceleration is needed.  So I don't have the strength there that I have in my forward stroke.  But now I see that the powerful backstroke is key to control in the surf zone.

Learning the basic skill for bracing when you have to surf a wave was very useful.  I mainly tumbled during these exercises, but was able to slip along some reasonably sized waves without flipping over.  I can see that I really do need to just spend some time playing in the waves deliberately dumping and self rescuing and practicing the launching and landing skills I learned so that the usual trepidation is minimized and I have the confidence to attack the waves and come out on top.  I have dumped and easily self rescued in the ocean before, but there still is a certain aversion to this.  I can see that if I just do it over and over again, it will no longer evoke the anxiety it has in the past (as long as I don't lose another rod and reel).

I really want to thank Aaron for organizing the event.  Since Aaron is a experienced kayak angler himself, he knows how to design the class to address the issues most pertinent to  anglers.  I would heartily encourage others who want to increase their confidence level when launching and landing in the surf zone to consider taking future classes Aaron may hold.

Hope your group photo came out well Aaron.

Muchos Gracias for the report fellas. Hopefully there will be more of these classes in the future.

I would also like to thank Aaron ,Holokia and Scott for a great class . I learned alot and will put it to use this coming wknd and through out the summer .To all of you guys that did the class it was nice to meet all of you and hope to fish with you in the future .Thanks again to all . Tight lines and bent rods for life , David/Tigerfish

Thanks for the report guys. Wanted to join but had a a family commitment, maybe next time.

Thanks to all for an awesome class! 





I've had an epic weekend.First instructing the class and then heading down to Sur for rockling action Sunday I've had the pleasure of paddling, side-surfing, recovering and fishing with some first rate NCKA members.

I too enjoyed the class. Very helpful for an ocean newbie like me. I brought my camera and snapped a few shots to entice you to take the next class. I took fewer shots in the afternoon, since I was getting tired, and I was concentrating on staying upright in that surf! The class was well worth it.
 
Andy

This was a really well-designed course. Aaron, Scott, and Holokai clearly put a lot of thought into organizing the course, and managed to give each of us a lot of individual attention. In fact, the class ended up going until 5pm--instead of 3pm, as originally planned--because they wanted to make sure we all had adequate practice time. Thanks, guys, for going the extra mile to put together a truly awesome class! 

The class covered a lot of material from higher-efficiency paddling techniques to self and assisted rescues, as well as bracing and side-surfing techniques.  Personally, I took the class to acquire the confidence and skills to tackle challenging surf launches, and I left with both--not to mention, a lot of new friends!  I look forward to seeing you all on the water again! Cheers, Matthew

P.S. Aaron, I think I'll be taking the Surf Zone II course in the future. Kayak surfing is a blast! 

This was indeed an EXCELLENT class - well organized and full of critical, practical information.     Both the on-the-water and off-the-water instruction was first rate.   This class gave us everything a kayaker needs to have fun and be safe out on Big Blue.    The class was an absolute must for many of the salt newbies like me, but also seemed helpful to many of the experienced guys too.   Besides a great learning experience, the class was pure fun.  I enjoyed every minute of it and was thrilled by the surfing aspects of it. 

Aaron, Holokai and Scott really went all out and put in many extra miles for us with their methodical teaching and patient instruction. 

Great pictures to memorialize the day.  Thanks!

Really enjoyed meeting everyone in the class and look forward to fishing with you sometime, or even going out to practice some surfing. 

Thanks for the report Scott. I really wished that I hadn't missed this class. We
were still buying gifts for the love ones back home in the Philippines that's why
I missed it. I hope that there will be another class in the near future so I can be
part of it.

Jedmo

MBK was awesome.  Had a full day on the water.  Thanks to Scott(GB2) for the hookup on the fishing! got some tasty dabs for dinner.

Big thanks to MBK and crew!  Aaron, Holokai, and Scott(Austrailian surf guru) were like the three wise men of MBK... these guys were not only professional, but pretty bad ass in/on the water.    It was my first time there, but definitely a world class outfit in my experience. Very highly recommended! It was nice meeting all you NCKA'ers and it was a privelege to have been in the class with you all. 

pics...lots. 
mods:please modify as appropriate if needed

Is it possible to have another class up in the HMB area? It sounds like a great class and great time.

Since this was the first class of its kind at MBK it was definitely a learning experience for me too.

In the future, this class will have to run until five (as this one did) to allow for practice time and time transitioning/paddling between exercises.

Scott (MBK surf guru) did an amazing lesson on waves and the surf zone that rivals any kayak surfing DVD currently on the market.I was very impressed and learned a few tips myself, about reading the water and teaching surf zone.

The NCKA crew all brought a ton of experience to the class as well and posed some excellent questions/suggestions that will help with the development of how we teach rescues. For example, we considered the difficulty of doing recoveries with rods/crates stored vertically in the kayak.We realized that in the case of assisted recoveries/rescues that the kayak would have to be flipped back over with the deck away from the rescue boat to avoid being blocked by the gear.We also discussed how heavy stringers might impede a recovery.As a result, we adapted rigging/rescue strategies to avoid entanglement/counter weight during the recovery.

These critical discussions and the safe venue to test new ideas and modify currently sanctioned techniques for kayak fishing are very beneficial to the development of the sport and the ways in which it is taught.

It was very rewarding to hear you guys asking the right questions about safety/survival and adding essential safety/rigging gear to your arsenals after the class.Top sellers were new PFD, wetsuits and rigging for thigh braces.

For those wanting more surfing/surf zone practice our surf zone II class is geared toward riding waves and is also really fun.More practice in the surf will help you develop valuable muscle memory.  

Future Fishing and Safety classes are in the works.

Aaron, Scott, Holakai, thanks for going OT and making all of us safer more competent kayakers.  I would recommend this class to anyone who is not 100% confident in all aspects of paddling.

My back stroke is now about a zillion times more powerful and that made all the difference in the surf zone.  Amazing what the right technique can do.    This should allow me survive some bad judgement on swell selection 

I took this class mostly for the surf part, but found other important points.  I have practiced recovery into the kayak a bunch of times with no issues and yet it took me three tries with this class.  I thought about why, and found several issues.  first, since my last practice I added a rudder and toe pilots.  some of the additional hardware was catching my PFD when I tried to get on board.  Second was that my gut has gotten larger.   I fixed the first problem by making sure the rudder cables are lowered below the side with some guides.  The second will be a bit harder

The two person rescue is a great tool and I am confident I can get anyone conscious back in their boat.  For me, that is gold

Aaron, Scott, Holakai you guys rock!!!   I learned soooooo much at this class I don't know where to begin!  It was a *perfect* blend of skills that everyone should know and practice with some regularity!  Nothing that I hadn't read online or in books, but somehow its a lot clearer when its instructed! 

I myself think that I'll at least once a year want to do a refresher course to keep it fresh, and practice whenever possible.  Of course the self rescue was really great to practice in a class format and with demonstration!  But all the bracing, surf practice, wave discussions, paddling technique, etc. was where things really came together and made a lot more sense to me! 

It was also great to take out my new sexy red X-Factor for its first outing (how fitting!)  I'm sooooooooooo happy with this new ride!  It's way faster on the water than I thought (thinking it would be like my Hobie) but its comfort and stability is better than any yak I have tried yet!  Gotta order a real seat for that bad boy and then start the PIMPING!  I cant wait for Albion now  OH YEAH!!!

I also learned a lot about what probably happened to me at SC, but I'll be posting that as the final chapter to the swim story (which I have lagged on, been busy ).

Didn't whip out the camera much (unlike usual) but here is a quick shot of my new ride before I popped her cherry =)