Foundation Skills

If you have never been in a single sea kayak, are apprehensive of wet exits, or have concerns about sufficient upper body strength to perform rescues, this is a good place to start. This class will focus on the basic kayak skills: forward paddling, stopping, moving sideways, and turning skills. The class will be customized to your wants and needs.  This class will also inform you about appropriate kayaking equipment from kayaks, paddles, safety equipment and clothing.  This part of the course will help you make educated decisions about future kayaking related purchases.

This is the starting place for new paddlers or for people who have some experience but need more foundation to their existing skills. You will learn current kayaking techniques in capsize recoveries, body, boat and blade awareness, strokes for steering, going straight, sideways, staying upright, and (possibly) rolling. This course will give you a solid foundation to get you started and that will carry over as you advance as a kayaker.

Rolling a kayak is a foundation skill. Once you have your roll, your other kayak skills tend to increase exponentially, as does your confidence! The skilled coaches at BBB will help you attain a solid, effective roll quickly. We work one-on-one with you to develop your roll from a body-centered perspective.  Avoid learning "bad habits" from self teaching or working with untrained peers.  We have been teaching successful rolling skills for nearly 20 years!