Kayaking

Introduction

Kayaks are like the bicycles of the water. With a little bit of logistical effort you have a vessel that can take you to farther away places. If you can find a good place to make landfall you can make your group feel like you have traveled to magical distant lands where unknown treasures can be found.

From as far back as 4,000 years ago indigenous people from arctic regions of North America, Siberia, and Greenland have used kayaks for hunting various creatures in open water for everything from small fish to humpback whales. The word kayak comes from the Greenland Eskimo word ‘qayak’. The oldest kayaks were built using drift wood frames and animal skins from seals and sea lions. Many other animal parts have been used to create kayaks including whale bones for frames and inflated seal bladders were added inside the bow and stern for buoyancy. The sleek design of a kayak allows it to go into shallow water, disembark on many types of shores, and remain stable in high seas.

When students arrive you should start with your why for the day. For example, “today we are going to hunt for precious stones on an island unreachable by land and we are embarking on this quest from Molalla State Park.” Much better than, “today we are Kayaking at Molalla. Kayaks are a means to the end, it will be easier to get through all of the necessary safety and logistics with them if they have a fun objective in mind.

Learning Outcomes & Objectives

Participants can safely maneuver a kayak on the water Participants understand the purpose of and use safety equipment appropriately. This includes PFDs, bilge pumps, and spray skirts Participants feel comfortable on the water and feel like they are empowered to travel in marine environments Participants can adapt to environmental conditions (rain, wind, waves, tides) Participants have awareness of marine traffic Participants can use paddle signals to communicate on the water

The modern idea of kayaks is inspired by traditional boats used for hunting. There are different types of kayaks designed for different purposes. We have flat water kayaks that are designed to be comfortable for day use and have some cargo capacity. River kayaks are shorter and more nimble for navigating tight spaces. Touring kayaks can be streamlined for long distance efficiency and have more storage space. Kayaks are quite different than canoes. Kayaks ride lower to the water so they can travel long distances quickly with stability. Compared to canoes they have less visibility, less gear storage, and typically only hold 1-3 passengers.

Kayaking can be done with students age 10 and up but pay close attention to wiggly folks of all ages. Kayaking is best done in smaller groups (don’t supergroup) so that you can stay close or at least communicate together and provide support for those that need it. Be aware that kayaking can easily turn into a herding cats situation so set your boundaries clearly based on your group.

Selecting a place to paddle is critical for this to be a successful activity. Check the weather report in advance and have multiple options available that take into account the questions below. Understanding the launch area can make a big difference in timing for moving gear and getting in and out of kayaks.

Questions to ask:

• What is the weather? Winds, rain, currents, current water levels.
• What is the history of the site? How can we connect students to the story of the social, political, economic, and environmental factors at this body of water?
• What is the below water topography? Is there a shallow shoreline along your launch site where you can easily bail if someone does fall into the water?
• What is the above water topography? Where are sheltered areas from weather on and off the water, points of interest?
• What is the distance from camp and HQ etc.?
• Can you drive down to the water?
• Is there any place that you can paddle to and get out to shore to make them feel like they’ve reached a remote location?
• How many boats can launch at the same time?
• Will there be a lot of other users of your launch site or the body of water at the particular time and date of your program?

Gear:

• Full water jug
• Vessels (appropriate # / sizes)
• Paddles (appropriate # / sizes)
• PFD’s (appropriate # / sizes)
• Spray skirts (weather and age dependent)
• Bilge Pumps
• Sponges
• Tow rope (1 per instructor)
• Throw ropes (2 per instructor, can be used for games)
• Stocked Medical Kit
• Sunscreen
• Charged/Working Walkie Talkies
• Gas tank above ½
• Location maps
• Relevant site permits
• Wildlife guides

Getting Started once you arrive on site:

1. Final bathroom and water check before you put all the gear on!
2. Unload the kayaks to an out of the way loading area, place the paddles nearby and tuck away the straps in the van
3. Make sure any personal gear is locked in the van or loaded into dry bags
4. Put on spray skirts and PFD’s, adjust the fit if necessary
5. Give the whole group the Mission Critical Information
6. Load and launch the group! Stay safe and hydrated out there!
7. Give paddling tips, tell stories, and play games!
8. Upon return, unload the kayaks and put spray skirts, paddles, and PFD’s back in the van
9. Load the trailer with boats, triple check all the straps, and head back for pickup!
10. When you arrive on site, have the students help hang or clean gear!

Fitting Personal Floatation Devices & Spray skirts

Spray skirt: The purpose of our spray skirts is to keep water and sun from getting inside which prevent cold and sun injuries. For the inuit people a wet exit meant death so keeping the water tight seal was mission critical, while our skirts are not designed to stay watertight for Esimo Rolls they still provide comfort on really rainy or sunny days.

Wearing your skirt: Spray skirts are worn on top of any clothing layers and before PFD. The part where the skirt flares out should line up with the bottom of the PFD, often this means that the bungee cord on top will be above the chest- much higher than most think! If it is too low water can pool in the skirt which can make it harder to stay dry.

PFD: Make sure that each student gets the right size. Tighten straps and pull up on the shoulder straps to make sure that the vest will stay on in the event that they fall in the water.

Paddle Instruction

Give only mission critical information on the shore and try to structure information in steps out on the water so that students retain information.

Mission Critical:
Taking Care of Gear: It is important for the environment and our community to take care of gear. If we damage these plastic boats and paddles they have to be replaced and lots of energy goes into making them. Carry boats over concrete / rocks rather than dragging them, ask a buddy to help you push off from shore rather than pushing with your paddle because they can break. Do your best to keep mud out of the kayak and on your PFD (this also helps limit the spread of invasive species!), you are responsible for cleaning things up afterwards. Stay in your kayak: kayaks like ours are built for stability even on rough water, please stay seated upright and if you want to pick up anything in the water make sure that it is within a few inches of your boat so that you don’t need to reach out very far to pick it up. If you lean very far to the side, you may end up going for a swim. Ask the participants if anyone is going to try to hit anyone (No!), ask if someone is going to hit someone else with their boat (Yes!). It’s okay to bump into other boats at low speeds especially not head on, if you are going to hit someone give them a heads up as you try to turn and/or slow yourself. If someone is about to hit you can use your hands to nudge their boat away, DO NOT hit other people or boats with your paddle.
In warm weather there may be times when students can get out of their boats but they should start by focusing on staying in.

What happens if you fall out?: stay calm, hold onto the handle at the bow or stern of your boat and your paddle. DO NOT try to crawl onto your boat, it will fill with water and will be very difficult to get the water out and you back in. With the help of a friend, instructor or the shore we’ll get you back in the boat. Try to get as much water out of the kayak before you get the person back in. Instructors will make a decision in the moment to either go to shore or do a T-rescue.

With a spray skirt: before loading have the students find their “loop of life” practice punching away and pulling up. Remind them that anytime they put their spray skirt on their cockpit the loop must be on the OUTSIDE.

Communicating on the water: have students address challenges / opportunities for communicating on the water (at times easier or harder to hear others depending on the weather, getting spread apart. Demonstrate each and then test the group by calling them out and having them show. See paddle signs below. Pods: Whales travel in a pod. So do kayakers. If you think your group will have trouble staying together, appoint a point, sweep, and wings to keep everyone together. Point boat in the front, sweep in the back and two wings with all of the rest of the boats somewhere in the diamond created by those four boats. For younger groups you can have them collect sticks to make a model on the ground or have everyone stand in formation.

Stop Go that way I’m okay / Are you okay?

Gather! Pod up Help! Universal SOS

Doing it right: These can be taught in the moment or given as tips on the water. Come up with your own memorable and funny metaphors for physical cues that make sense to you so that the students will remember. Sitting in a kayak / footpegs: Butt all the way back in the seat so that they are sitting up straight, knees and toes facing out with toes on the footpegs- sit like a frog! Adjust these for smaller students and teach bigger kids on the shore by sitting in kayaks before you get on the water if they are not on rocky terrain. Pegs can be adjusted by pinching the clip and sliding fore or aft, be careful not to slide them off the back or front of the tracks as they can be a nuisance to put back on. If you are slouched you will not be able to use your core muscles and will paddle slower. Holding a paddle: hands wider than shoulder width apart, loose grip with your hands (like cradling a baby bird) so that you don’t get any blisters, leave (a beach ball sized) space between your tummy and the paddle. Maintain this frame with your arms so you use your whole body and not just t-rex arms to paddle. Long part of the blade should be at the top, short part on the bottom with the scoop facing you. Paddling: Forward: blade in at your toes, twist your whole torso to bring the blade to your hips. Do it all on the other side. Use your abs to twist! Pro tips: the most powerful part of the stroke is by your hips, so make sure you’re taking nice long strokes. You can cue this by having them pretend to look at a watch on each wrist each stroke, this should also help them engage their core. Can also cue this by pretending that there is a bar connecting the middle of the paddle with their belly button. Backward: blade in at your hips, push to your toes, keep the paddle facing the same direction as when they go forward. Stopping: quick back paddle on both sides, if you do it just on one side then you just turn. Turning: While moving forward you can turn in many ways like paddling more on the opposite side that you want to turn or bracing your paddle on the side you want to turn to by placing the paddle in the water by your stern- you can adjust the angle of the paddle for the sharpness of your turn. Turning without momentum is done by making big ‘C’ or ‘D’ shaped strokes, reaching out far away from the kayak. These turning strokes can go all the way from the bow to stern or stern to bow depending on how sharply you want to turn. Forward on the left to go right, forward on the right to go left. To turn all the way around, forward stroke on one side and back paddle on the other. Pro tip: if you have speed you can turn with a gentle tilt of the hips, not advised for little kids.

Gear care trailer loading/unloading: Trailer loading and unloading is half of our camp. We use PFD’s and straps to keep us alive, please keep these off the ground as much as possible. When they come off the trailer the PFD’s should go on our bodies and the straps should go in the van. Regardless of the toughness of the boats, boats should be put on the ground kindly, they should never be dragged and they should be treated as a limb rather than a replaceable object. This is a great example and lesson for kids, lead this by prime example. Never leave gear exposed on the trailer when we get boats on the water, put excess gear in the van.

When putting boats back on the trailer, we need to be 100% positive that they are on correctly and tight. When you drive and you see a boat strap that seems loose, pull over and check. It's not worth the “maybe...” that the boats could come off mid drive.

Loading and Launching and Unloading: Key principles: NEVER stand in a kayak - if you are on land it is bad for the boat, on the water you are SUPER tippy Teach everyone to help each other to make this process quicker, everyone should help each other stabilize for getting in and out Adjust footpegs while launching as it can be more difficult to do on the water Designate a gathering location to raft up while everyone gets on the water The smaller the person the easier it is to help them load without them tipping so pay attention to taller or heavier participants If you are wearing spray skirts have helpers stretch the back around the cockpit and once the back is secure the kayaker can grab the skirt by their hips and slide their hands around the edge of the cockpit to secure it, ending with the center and making sure that they can easily reach their loop of life Be efficient, more time on the water and good for other folks sharing your site

From a floating dock: The kayaker should sit on the dock next to the cockpit, swing their legs in, grab onto both sides of the cockpit and slide their butt over and find their footpegs. You or another buddy can hold the bow edge of the cockpit to stabilize their boat, press down on the side close to the dock. Helpers can help them attach their spray skirt from the dock. To unload, both hands on the dock and try to get as much of your belly and torso on the dock as possible and then scoot to sit up. Pull your boat out, move it out of the way and help the next person unload.

From a kayak launch: (a ramp with handrails and wheels so that a kayaker can launch themself) Even though kayak launches are designed to be used alone it is still helpful to have someone support by holding the boat so it doesn’t slide (like while the kayaker makes any last minute foot peg adjustments) and can be handy for push off- especially for little ones Helper can sit on the back to attach spray skirt before launching To unload get as much speed as you can to get up the ramp, use the handrails to pull yourself up. Step out, get your boat out of the way and help the next person.

From a boat ramp / shoreline: Carry the boat to waters edge and place the bow in the water until the cockpit is at least partially over the water, the kayaker should enter bum first and then put their feet in Helper can sit on the back to attach spray skirt before launching and give them a good push to send them on their way. To unload, if on mud or sand come in perpendicular to the shore as quickly as possible. If on concrete, float your boat parallel to the edge so that you don’t scrape the bottom. Step out on the shallow edge.

Water Safety hazards and mitigation

(Do this with students!): Water related injuries- like drowning- stay calm and stay upright Cold- water and air- the water is probably cold, don’t go in it on cool days and get dry quickly if it isn’t warm out Stranger danger- parking lots, bathrooms, it is easy to get focused on the task at hand and not pay attention to the public Sketchy trash- common in and on the edges of water, especially fishing gear. Don’t touch it if it seems potentially hazardous. Shoes- going barefoot is a call on the teachers. If the water is murky, muddy, a fisherman spot, shore full of sticks etc., decide to have kids keep their shoes on while on land. If the shore is sandy, smooth and see through, it is okay to allow them to take their shoes off. At some sites there are stumps under the water you don’t want to hit or get caught on PFDs: Kids never ever go without a PFD in the water past their knees. Ever. This protects them BUT mostly protects you. Take this seriously. Boat traffic: You are the baby ducks in the pond. Stay out of the way of other vessels, sticking close to the shoreline tends to be more interesting and safer. If you are making a crossing go as a tight pod rather than a string of single file boats that completely block the path of others. Wakes and waves: Go perpendicular to waves and wakes. This can be super fun. Getting knocked over by a parallel wave is not. Pay attention.

T-Rescue

The point of this method is to place the flipped kayak over yours (making sure the cockpit isn't over yours) and rocking it up and down so all the water can pour out over the sides. When it is pretty empty, flip it back up right over your boat and take it off your kayak placing it parallel to yours holding the cockpit next to yours. Tuck paddles into the bungees and strings on your kayak on the far side so that they don’t get in the way. Holding the other boat allows the person in the water to get back in by going to the back and popping up like you would on a surfboard, then straddling up the kayak and scooting to the cockpit. Boom! Rescue done.

Etiquette at Sites

The definition of etiquette is this; the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group. Trackers has a good relationship with all of these sites. We have spent time making these relationships good by being respectful, communicative, cleaning up after ourselves and others. Through etiquette, we connect more than we could with a place if we didn’t use it. It is important to teach this to your kids too to read a space or a situation and know how to interact with it. We love these locations and we care for them, take care of these sites and they will take care of you.

Kayak Games and Activities

Getting to a destination is often our main objective of kayaking but at Trackers it is so much more! These activities can improve technique, keep things interesting, engage groups of varied skill and fitness, and be flexible in different conditions. They can be woven into a story-like needing to earn clues for the destination by creating letters with the group.

Sit spot: find a calm area with some lovely nature where you won’t drift away and you can see everyone. Listen, look, feel.

360° Spin: Teach ‘D’ strokes, demonstrate and have the students practice before engaging in a friendly competition. Can also be done as a team: first and second face each other so their shoulders are square, when both teams are ready the first person spins until their shoulders are square again, they must spin 1 and a half times until they are square with the third person and so on.

I touched the butt! (this is a Finding Nemo reference) Tag in kayaks. Set boundaries, remind them about not ramming into each other.

Grab a Whale by its Tail: High tipping hazard, better for competent groups or warm days. Tuck something that floats (can be a throw rope bag) under the bungees underneath the bungees at the stern of one or more kayaks. Give the whale a head start and then let everyone loose to try to capture. Whoever gets it is it next. Set clear boundaries, if the whale is driven outside the person closest is it next. Remind them about not ramming into each other.

Aquatic Hockey Stops aka Parallel Parking aka Raft Up: Being able to turn 90 degrees and land where you want is a great skill, especially for unloading at some locations or for picking things up in the water. This is also good for passing the time while boats are loading or to gather groups that spread apart easily. Demonstrate by paddling hard to get momentum and then bracing on one side and kicking out your paddle to turn yourself 90°. Challenge the next student to try to place their body as close to you as possible, they won't need to start turning until their bow is quite close to your boat. If there is no specific destination to stop it can be helpful to give a specific number of strong strokes before turning so that they have enough momentum. You can also have them practice pulling up alongside a dock if one is handy or use something floaty like a ball to have them retrieve. Once they are competent you can call “Raft up!” at any time and challenge them to do so quickly. Bonus points for all facing the same direction, alternating the direction of each boat, etc.

Alphabet game: Depending on the number of boats you have you can either work as a whole team or as two groups to try to form letters and numbers with your boats. If you’re having trouble picturing this, think about the numbers on the clock on an oven and consider each line a boat. Select numbers and letters according to the size of your group.

Whirlpool: Have you encountered the kraken or other aquatic foe out there? Try to trap them in a whirlpool by having your group all travel in a circle together. Not working effectively? Try reversing the direction.

Pirates Booty: Only for the trusted kayaking crews. Designate one kayak (maybe yours) as the treasure boat. Have everyone pair up and have one person from each pair blindfold themselves. The sighted member of the pair cannot touch their partner, only direct them verbally, and you can decide whether or not they are allowed to move too. Set clear boundaries, remind them about not ramming into each other and tell them that if anyone says “HOLD!” that means that they should try to stop themselves in place and take off their blindfold.Place the treasure strategically and let the treasure hunt begin. Level 1: stationary treasure. Level 2: mobile treasure. Level 3: cannot use words to communicate (give time for the partners plot animal sounds/whistles/etc. for left/right/etc.).

Yak Yak the Game: This is classic hide and seek but with a kayak. Pick a kayak that is the closest color to the water. (for example not yellow or orange, but maybe green or blue). The hider gets 2 mins to go hide themselves in areas in the water that is covered by plants(while they hide, one instructor is in the water watching to know where they are for safety reasons), then once they find a hiding spot, they hide out in the kayak and lean low in the boat. Once the 2 mins is up, the hunter gets in there kayak and gets 3 minutes to find the one hiding. Once the time is up the game is over and you can switch kids to play the next round. This is a quick game and can challenge stealth and awareness.

Kayak Archery: Pick a spot to make a target, somewhere well staged so you can receive arrows easily and aren't endangering people or animals. The shooter in the kayak will get a waterproof quiver with foam arrows inside. Set up a course depending on the site and have them shoot at targets from at least 10 feet away. This is a self explanatory game so have fun with it! Make it up as you go. Just make sure it's fair and kids wanting to participate can.

Snorkeling with Kayaks: This is ALL about well staging and teamwork. In the first image to the left it demonstrates how three canoes are creating a triangle formation with a person in the middle about to snorkel. If you choose to use masks in an open area where you cannot touch the bottom it is absolutely required that others are there with kayaks creating a ring(could be 3, could be all 15) so safety measures are met. If a kid wants to snorkel on his or her own in an area where you can easily touch the bottom and is calm enough to see that is fine if they take their kayak with them on a short rope(Paddle included). This teaches them a companionship with their vessel of transportation. (They are being watched at all times by the instructor who is ready to assist when needed.)

Expedition Scenarios: For older groups not so into games, set up an epic expedition scenario to teach about risk management, wilderness medicine and decision making. Begin with a preface like, “you are on the 5th day of a 10 day trip in the backcountry of….And you are headed... And one of your group just got stung by bees and reacted…” Once they decide on a course of action, begin your kayaking adventure, along the way give other updates about changing conditions. These could be about people or critters that you encounter along the way, medical issues, weather changes, gear problems, etc.