Tides and Currents–Introduction

If you plan to kayak on the sea, then you need to know how to deal with the effects of the daily tides and currents. The San Juan Islands provide the perfect classroom for people who wish to enrich their paddling experience safely explore the coastal environment. If you have never paddled on swift moving water before, this is the course for you. You will be introduced to the moving water environment in Deception Pass at a very LOW FLOW. You will take the flatwater kayaking skills that you have worked on and apply them to moving water. Your coaches will introduce new concepts that will enable you to effectively enter and exit tidal streams and cope with other features that moving water creates. Self-rescue techniques and assisted-rescue techniques will be introduced throughout the day. After taking this course you will have a foundation to build on your rough water skills which will make your kayaking more enjoyable when you are out on your own.

Our “Deception Pass Clinic” and “Navigations & Tidal Planning” courses are natural progressions, and more in-depth versions of this course. You do not need to take this course before those courses.

Highlights:

• Develop a base understanding of how tides operate
• How are currents created
• What information you need for a day on the sea
• Effective paddle strokes for moving water
• Rescue techniques in moving water
• Risk management in a dynamic environment