Osprey Outdoors Kayak School - Itinerary Kayak Skills Two-Four

Osprey Outdoors Kayak School General Itinerary

(Concepts may be taught in varying order depending on the group.)

DAY ONE

Introductions and Formalities

Who am I? Who are you! Getting to know you...

Equipment
Boats, paddles, helmets, clothing - distribution, sizing and adjusting... Ahh...this is the fun part. Getting to know your gear! It takes a little time, but it's worth it to be comfortable!

Games! More fun! Because, as my wife says..."It's no fun, not having fun!"

Sponge polo - can you paddle with your hands?

Getting in an upside down boat...Whooaaa! (If you can get in one, you sure can get out of one!)

Paddle strokes:
The most commonly asked question: How do you get this darn thing to go straight?
Answer...Turning strokes - forward sweeps and stern draws.
Propulsion strokes - move that boat somewhere... get some speed...now we're talking forward and reverse strokes.
Next question: My arms are sore! How do I get this boat to move without getting so tired? Answer...torso rotation!
Neat tricks!! Skulls and draws move that boat side ways to get out of the way of that out-of -control kayaker coming straight at me. (They should have taken a lesson!)

Hip snaps+head flop+timing=rolling!
Shake those hips! Now we start to get silly! Can you be like Gumby?
Recovery strokes high and low braces... "The Dink" What the heck is that?
Most popular question asked now is: "What happens if I flip?" Whoooaaa...
Answer: Stop yourself from flipping using the "dink" and lend a friend a hand or bow for that matter... Boat assisted rescues.

LUNCH - deli style... it's great food, but remember, there's rolling after lunch!

Now you can practice all the things we learned in the morning, or hang out on the beach and watch your friends go for their roll!

Rolling...now we get up close and personal. You will understand how to get this boat upright on your own!

There are two basic techniques to rolling your boat. One roll is called the C to C and the other is called the sweep. If you are more like Gumby, the C to C is for you. Why is it called the C to C? Good question! This roll got its name from the position of your body in the beginning of the roll and at the end. Check it out...I'll show you how! If you ate one too many cookies at lunch, you can check out the sweep roll. You can be less of a Gumby and still get that boat to roll up!

DAY TWO
After the coffee...

Warm up - get those muscles lubricated! Learn some stretches!

Paddle stroke review and practice...what did we learn yesterday anyway?

Use the river...I thought this guy said we were going to learn to fly on the river. Well, here are your wings! Ready, set, paddle!

Ferries - Sounds kinda' weird, but it's fun! Use the power of the river to get where you want to be.

Peel outs - now I'm in this place where there is no current, and this guy wants me to leave...and do a what? This is the fun stuff where we experience Newton's Law...for every action...

Eddy turns - how do I get out of this current and into that safe calm spot so I can rest!

Then...more practice rolling that boat! (If you haven't had any already!)

LUNCH - deli style

Look, listen and digest. I'll go over some river running strategies and safety.

Now lets go check out a rapid! We can run it over and over until we've had...too... much FUN!
But, as Commander Cody once said, "One thing I never done is have, too, much fun!"

DAY THREE and FOUR
Now we learn to apply all the practice we've accomplished over the past two days in different sections of the river.

We can have a great time practicing, learning new techniques, and building our confidence and ability to use the power of the river to increase out FUN!

We will learn how to use jet ferries, sharper eddie peel-outs, surf waves, get pop-ups, and learn the concepts behind stern squirts and flat spins on waves. We're having some fun now!

By the end of four days on the river, you will be able to leave with enough skills and practice to become an independent, safe kayaker on class II and III whitewater. The techniques and concepts, if practiced, are applicable to all levels of kayaking - class I to class V. Now you have the ability to fly on the river!

WHERE TO STAY

Camping

You can enjoy the beauty and scenery while camping near the river. Osprey Outdoors will reserve a campground site for you for a small additional charge to the classes. If you would like to reserve a camp site on your own, here is a list of campgrounds: National Forests in Northern California.

Middle Klamath River Forest Service campground:
Tree of Heaven Campground>

For more information call the Happy Camp Forest Service at (530)493-224
Happy Camp Camp Chamber of Commerce.

Forest Service campground on the Sacramento River:
Sims Campground (first come, first serve basis)

Private campground on Lake Siskiyou in Mt. Shasta:
Lake Siskiyou Campground California State Park campground south of Dunsmuir:
Castle Crags State Park Lodging

We recommend the lodging information at the Siskiyou County Visitors' Bureau web site. You can email or phone them fo assistance and recommendations, and of course, you are welcome to email or phone us here at Osprey Outdoors for the same.