East Coast Canoe & Kayak Festival - 2011

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again. April 15-17, 2011 Time to start thinking about the coming paddling season. The East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival kicks things into high gear in the Southeast. With a great line up of instructors, speakers, and lakeside outfitters, this event is well worth the low price of admission. It's also a great place if you are looking for that elusive $500 canoe or an eclectic piece of kayak junk going for a song. (We love the used boat corral.)

I will be at the event for the weekend teaching a couple of classes, but Savannah Canoe and Kayak will not be manning a booth this year.
These are my class topics and outlines.

Introduction to Kayaking in the Surf Zone: Master Class
This is a fundamentals and confidence building class for all levels, in any kayak, in a shallow water shore break environment. Sooner or later you will, intentionally or unintentionally, find yourself in ‘the surf zone’. In this class we will prepare you physically and mentally for this eventuality. As well as launching, we will practice both pro-active and passive techniques for landing on surf beaches. We will look at how best to capsize, getting to shore, and rescuing a swimmer. Energy and fun level is high.

Sit-On-Top Kayak Surfing: 1 Hour
Ever thought about taking your SOT to the beach to play in the waves?
In this presentation we will have a hands-on look at what makes a SOT ideally suited to this environment, and the best and safest way to go about it. Topics covered include surfing etiquette, rules of the beach, reading waves, and basic skills. We will also practice technique with the aid of a dry land surfing simulator.

Ups and Downs of the Surf Zone: 1 Hour
A closer look at waves and how they relate to the paddler: where they come from, how they are made, how the coastal landscape shapes them, wave prediction, and which ones to avoid. With the use of models and diagrams, we will discuss characteristics of waves, and most importantly, how best to make use of them in our kayaks

Check out the full schedule here.