Over Schedules Saturday.

Posted on 06/28 Backdate to event date.

I signed up to lead an open paddle, and do a kayak quickstart class at Sebago's Brooklyn clubhouse.  In my mine, both item on the agenda for the day should be easy enough.  I forget I have not lead a trip since early last summer, and have not teach kayaking class since last Summer, and never did quickstart before.   But how hard can it be right.   Wrong on both count.  

I forget how chaotic it is at an public open paddle.  The last open paddle I lead was the beginning of last summer, and on that one there were only one or two off the street public guests.   I forget how much confusion there is when trying to get more then 15 never been on the water people on the water.   I did not have control of the situation from the get go.   Dot and Walter was there so I have to compete with their leadership of the group.   I get so confuse that I forget to get everyone set up in the boat, adjust foot braces, get them fitted in their kayaks etc.   So most of the people are new no one complain until we started to launch.   After a couple of minutes of confusion we get everything sorted out and one our way.    The usually larcenies of new paddlers complains on the paddle but no one capsized.   I have everyone gather up and rested a couple of time on the paddle.   It is frustrating for those who learn faster and want to go further but  I want everyone together.   I teach the more able paddlers refine strokes techniques while we wait for the slower paddlers to catch up and rest.  Elly my assistant for the trip was very helpful in keeping the slow paddlers from falling too far behind.  

I turned us back a bit earlier then I could have just to give everyone enough time to leisurely paddle back to the dock before 12PM.   We end up getting back a bit before noon.  The kayaks were all washed and return to their storage racks, and other equipment hang out to dry before in short order.    Now I have 2 hours to wait the Quickstart class I am teaching at 2PM.

After eating my lunch of take out Jamaican Ox tail stew I take the time to talk to Walter.  Walter is our Sea Kayak Chair and the wizard of Kayak Quickstart class.  He and Tony must have teach dozen of Quickstart classes last summer.   We discuss what the class material, material to cover and the timing of each part of the class.   I have a general idea of what I want to cover and how much time is need for each but finding a nature progression from one subject or skills to another.   Since this is a Quickstart class, a 3 hours class according to the ACA course description, it is hard to cut back on material to fit in the time.   I can teach each of the stroke for an hours but I get least 7 odd skills to introduce.  One of that hour is take up by on land lecture. 

I hate on land lecture.  I am the worst at speaking to a group of people. Luckily for me there were only 3 students so I can forgo a formal lecture instead go for discussion format.   EG  is my assistant for the class. She was great at give me hint as to the subject to be cover, fill in the material I forget to discuss, and lead in new subjects.   I started off with kayaks and paddles term and terminology with flash card. I have to learn how to properly us flash card as a teaching aid. We were slightly late in getting onto the water but not by much.  Walter and Dotty with two Sebago members that want to be certify to use club's boats and equipment accompany us out on the water but split up to do their things while we stay on the other side of the bridge and go over the basic stroke.

It was very windy when we get on the water.  I have to be mindful of where we were paying blow as I demonstrate and as the students practice the skills.   We went over the forward sweep strokes and practice it for a bit before going under the bridge and out into the bay.   The water is a bit choppy but manageable.  I would rate the condition a level 3 class condition, 1/2 to 1 foot wave, 15-20 mph wind.  Perfect kayaking condition but not so much for teaching preview of basic kayaking stroke.   Our three students were not intimidated by the condition thought.  They head into the waves like a pro.

The biggest problem with teaching in Jamaica Bay is trying to speak over the plane flying overhead.  I keep on having to stop speaking and wait till the airplane over head pass by.  

A couple of more skills were demonstrated and practice on.  The class end up being 5 hours instead of the schedule 3 hours but I have blast teaching it, and my three students seem to enjoy learning and playing on the water. I did a rescue demonstration, EG was rescuer and i was the rescuee in a t/x rescue.  We paddled back with Walter and his little group.  Tony have a small BBQ of burger and hot dogs for us when we get back.   I end up only getting hot dog since I was busy making sure everything is square away.   I did not leave the club till 6 PM.   It as a 8AM to 6PM day at the club.  I have not put this kind of time in at the Brooklyn clubhouse in awhile. I should find time to do it more often. 

 

2012 Season Openner at Sebago Canoe Club.

To be honest, I completely forget about that last Saturday was Sebago season opener.    I only find realized it when Pat and Ginger of the Aux. Coast Guard email to remind me that they are stopping by to do safety inspection of Sebago club's kayaks.   The last time I was at the club was on January, so I have not idea of the state of the kayaks.

This year I actually guess right which one of the ladies is Ginger and which on is Pat.   I reversed my assumption.    This year Ginger and Pat get the procedure down the a science.  I just have to open the club container where the kayaks are store and show them which outdoor racks hold club's boats and they do the rest.   They filled out all the paperwork and sticks the inspection stickers on each boats without my help.  Some of the kayaks in the container were orients the wrong way so I have to have these pulled out so they can see where the old stickers were.  Luckily for me I get two tall helpers, Stevie and Dereck, who were waiting for me to compete the inspect and come out paddling with them.   I signed the paperwork for the inspections and the water by 11AM.  There was few other members the club even at that late a time.  Beside, Stevie, Dereck and myself, we have two other paddlers with us.   We decided to heard for Mill Basin and see all the expense houses on the shores.

After a long absence from any type of real paddle I was apprehensive the night before that I may not be in shape for a long paddle.  I have not done any distance paddling since November of last year.   Turn out I worry for nothing. By the time I was under the bridge and in Jamaica Bay I get into my strokes.   I was in the lead most of the trip without really thinking about it.  I forget after a long absence who much I love the motion of paddling.   

The winds which was blowing strongly in the morning calm down a bit by the time we start our paddles and was not  a facts on the paddle.   We turn around and returned to the club by 1 O'clock. 

I planned to skip the club general meeting at 4 PM but somehow end up still around when 4 O' Clock roll around so I stick around, if for nothing else but to vote Kari in as Senior member.   Great addition to our Senior membership.

The season opener is usually a bit party. This year everything some to be a bit of an afterthought (say the guy that forget all about it till the day before).   Our entire leadership, except for John Wright were away.  The normal group that usually show up did not show up this year.   We do not have Sea Kayak meeting because our chair is in South Carolina with the Commodore.   The Season Opener officially started at 10:30 in the morning but the General Meeting is at 4PM.  Everyone decided to come as close to 4 PM as possible so we don't have a large group of paddlers going out.  There were group of 2 or 3 paddles come out as we returned to the dock at 1:30 PM.  Other members did not show up till 4 PM for the general meeting.  

Editor Note:  My last draft post was the 2011 Season Opener.   That mean I have not post any to this blog in almost a year.