Kayaking skills classes

I'd really like to gain some additional skills for kayaking but I would like it to be geared toward my SOT instead of a SIS. Does anybody have any suggestions?

As I look at the various official courses offered in the Bay Area for surf skills, paddling technique, and coastal safety, every single one of the courses devotes a significant amount of time to open water re-entry, wet exits, Eskimo rolls and other SIS specific skills. That's great, but I honestly have no desire to ever paddle a SIS. Even when I'm not fishing I prefer a SOT because I like to jump off my boat and swim around and I'm not really interested in touring. With that in mind, I have a hard time shelling out $95 - $125 for a class that will spend 1/3 or 1/2 of the time covering issues I don't have with my boat. 

I would like to learn how to assist with a rescue for a SIS some day in the future, but for now I just want to learn the basics of how not to get creamed in the surf and some advanced bracing/paddling techniques to make me a better kayaker. Does anybody have any ideas?

How did most of you learn your ocean skills? Have most of the people who report doing surf launches and paddling into the big blue taken official surf skills classes? Or, are these skills I can learn from taking my boat out without fishing gear and practicing?

I'm probably opening a can of worms here, but I'd like any opinions folks have. 

When and if you find out any information, PLEASE, pass it on. I'm new to the sport (Only about 6 months) and also wonder how do we learn everything, besides going out crashing ourselves, and having to fork over a few hundred dollars to take a class that dosen't pertain to us S.O.T'ers. I would be willing to travel a ways with my yak to take a class 

Contact Scallen on the member board

Yep, contact Scallen.  Also Rory, you might ask Hawk/Swellrider up North.

Contact Scallen on the member board

After meeting Allen at the ISE in San Mateo this year I was thinking this might be an option. Thanks for confirming that idea! 

Jay,

It sounds like aleady beyond this level, but I just took the Kayaking Skills and Safety class last weekend at Outback Adventures and found it all useful even though I'll mainly be on a SOT. I did the course in a SIS but there was one woman who did it in her SOT (she just bought it to fish China Camp - I'm sure she'll be on this site soon.)

A lot the basic skills apply to SOTs as well. The course was well worth it for me and fun. In fact, the chick (does anyone mind if I use that term here? ) with the SOT was a good sport & did some of the capsize & self-rescue practice in a SIS just for fun, more or less.

Anyway, I didn't feel like I was learning a lot extraneous stuff that I would never need. I'm sure you can get some SOT specific instruction from here, but if not, I recommend going ahead with one of the other courses you've seen.

-aa

Hobie, thanks for the info. I will be checking out his web page and getting a hold of him soon. So just to let you know Hawk, I will be either dropping you a line or calling you. 

Fellas my company is engaged in every aspect of paddle sports. If you want to learn to eskimo roll a sea-kayak we can teach you, If you want to learn paddle down rivers in a tandem canoe, we can teach you. If you want to learn everythig possible about sit-on top kayaking, we can certainly teach you. Everyone approaches the path of the paddle differently with a want for different emphasis on different skillsets. I coach the individual not the group. There is no set curriculum other than what you want to know filled in with whole lotta safety crap. If you bring your boat to Humboats and want to fish the sea we will likely go to Trinidad and throw you in the surf waves for several hours till your a God or drowned and move over to the other side of the head and fish for Lings the rest of the day. Theres more to it than that, but basically that. Lakes, rivers, you get the picture. Spread the love but it aint free. PM me for dates and details but don't bug me this weekend I'm all about clear lake monster bass

I have seen this need developing and we will be offering basic SOT kayaking classes this spring and fall and will have description on our new site which will be out in a week.  Shoot me PM if you are interested.

FYI- For anyone still interested in this class it is May 10 and 11.  Two days of instruction and group fishing. 

See more here... http://www.greatwhitekayakcompany.com/yakfishuniversity.html

If SCAllen doesn't offer a boat handling class in Santa Cruz, then I recommend Dave Johnston at the kayak rental place on the Santa Cruz wharf. I have hired him for private lessons in the past. He'll teach you anything you want to know: self rescue, assisted rescue, surf landings and launches, etc.  He has experience in all types of boats, but he also is a world class kayak surfer.

FYI- For anyone still interested in this class it is May 10 and 11.  Two days of instruction and group fishing. 

See more here... http://www.greatwhitekayakcompany.com/yakfishuniversity.html

Signed up and just paid, I am so stoked.  Woo Hoo!    

Thanks Sean for putting this together.  It's something I've needed to address and am excited to learn.

Michael

Look forward to having ya!

Back to the top...anyone else?