Getting
The Paddlesports Education You Need:
How To Find Sit-on-top Kayak Lessons
by
Tom Holtey
Please Note:
Sit-on-top kayak lessons are now being offered in New Hampshire by
TopKayaker.net with ACA Certified instructor Tom Holtey. This program
will be available for beginner paddlers in New England in the summer months.
Fresh and salt water locations. Both sit-on-top and sit-in-side lessons
are offered and can be taught together. Click
for Details
There
are few kayak lessons offered for sit-on-top paddlers, especially in the
northern states. Sit-on-top kayakers need education just as much as closed
cockpit paddlers and canoeist. To perfect paddlesports techniques, strokes
and skills require the guidance of a teacher and a lot of practice. Books
and conversation can be very helpful but kayaking lessons are invaluable.
Look for an introductory lesson program that focuses on paddling strokes and skills, not Eskimo rolling and wet exiting. The ACA's "Quick Start Your Kayak" course would be appropriate to start with. Any kayak shop that offers kayak courses with certified instructors should be able to help you get started on the path to skilled kayaking.
Usually,
the problem is:
You want to paddle an open top kayak but the course is for sit-in kayaks.
The
solution is:
Ask the instructor if you can use a sit-on-top for the lesson.
If so, bring your own sit-on-top kayak or make arrangements to have one provided for you.
The
strokes and water wisdom are the same for sit-in and sit-on kayakers.
The only difference is the way you get in and out of the kayak, and the
use some of the accessories.
Using
a sit-on-top in such a course will still allow you to learn all the basic
paddle stokes and other skills necessary to start your kayaking career.
If you are to be provided with a sit-on-top kayak for your lesson by your teacher make sure that the hull shape, length and intended use for the boat are the same as the kayaks the other students will be using. A short sit-on kayak will not be compatible with long sit-in kayaks.
If you end up on a sit-on-top surf kayak and the other students are learning in sit-in-side touring kayaks the quality of your experience will suffer.
You
may not have the option of using a sit-on-top kayak for your lesson. This
may be a problem for some of you that have chosen open-cockpit kayaks
for reasons of physical limitations or fears of sit-in-side kayaks. If
this is so ask if there is a kayak that has a very large cockpit opening
that will allow you to get in and out easily and not make you feel uncomfortable
about squeezing into it. (Photo: courtesy of Ocean Kayak)
A comfortable sit-in kayak will do fine in a controlled lesson. There will be an instructor to help you if there is any tip-over trouble.
Check to make sure that any kayak you are requesting, sit-in or sit-on, will be appropriate for your weight and the lesson conditions. To be sure of comfort "test sit" the fit of any kayak you will use prior to the start of course. Remember that you are there to learn strokes and skills. The type of kayak that you use does not matter that much, but the comfort and appropriateness of the kayak does. When the lesson is finished you will be free to use the kayak of your choice.
If you insist on using an sit-on-top kayak for your lesson and one can not be found in your area, don't give up! Plan a vacation in a southern or tropical state (See our directory) and find a paddling center that can meet your needs. If you are in New England see us about a lesson in New Hampshire.
LANDING AND LAUNCHING:
Landing
and launching a sit-on-top kayak may or may not be covered in your lesson.
If you are lucky the instructor of your course will be able to teach you.
If not you will have to teach yourself.
Some sit-on kayaks come with a brief instructional section in the owner's manual.
Practice the deep water reentry technique from water close to shore. Do no go far off shore until you have the ability to get into you boat from deep water consistently.
Use these Links for more information:
Instructional books on sit-on-top kayaking: Tom's TopKayaker Shop
ACCESSORIES:
Many
of accessories for the sit-on-top kayaks are quite different from sit-in-side
kayaks.
Backrests, knee straps and a paddle leashes are the pieces of gear that different. They are easy to figure out as you go along.
Use this link to learn more about sit-on-top accessories: Backrests, Knee Straps and Paddle Leashes
ON
YOUR OWN:
While it may be somewhat difficult to get good sit-on-top kayak education now, the tend is changing and more shops are offering a wider selection of lessons, as well as offering a wider selection of sit-on-top kayaks. Good advice for the numbers joining the sport of kayaking as "Top Kayakers" growing. Join up with other "Top Kayakers" in your are to compare notes and share your water wisdom. Our Forum is a great place to find other sit-on-top paddlers.
