Just Some Quick (?) News

Newsletter, March 2005
http://www.kayakinstructionexcellence.com

Quick News
http://www.kayakinstructionexcellence.com/KIX/Newsletters/

The big news is I have finally made a schedule! Instructor clinics for coastal kayaking and whitewater for the end of April and beginning of May. If you are interested in teaching or just developing your skills, these American Canoe Association courses are a lot of fun! Scheduled in Port Townsend, La Push, and the Snoqualamie/Skykomish/Wenatchee Rivers.

If you make it to the Maritime Museum on the Seattle waterfront you can have me as your virtual guide. Just sit in a kayak, grab a paddle and push a button...I'll paddle up on the console and say "hi, my name is Andree and I'll be your guide today"! (Goofy, but hey!)

I drove to the Half Moon Bay for an ACA curriculum review committee meeting. We paddled around Angel Island and experienced a tide rip with wind at some yellow bluffs. It was actually one of the most beautiful moments I can remember as sea gulls were surfing the wind to zoom in and gather little sardinas on the eddy line. They were flying in and we were paddling out. The vision stays with me still. We also paddled out through the breakwater to experience the California sea coast by kayak - big round swells, reefs, sunshine. I drove up and down the Sonoma and Big Sur coasts taking a much needed vacation!

After all, kayaking is a way to get out and about and see the sites we wouldn't see normally...I think that is how we all got started...

So...we did accomplish a lot - mainly the group voted in a new assessment program which corresponds to the ACA hierarchy of classes. This was passed by the SEIC and the board of directors. We will have levels one through five that can be obtained independently or in various classes. The class levels are introduction to kayaking, essentials of kayaking, basic sea kayaking, open water coastal kayaking and advanced open water coastal kayaking. To certify as an open water instructor a candidate must be seen in two of the open water conditions. If two are not present, the candidate can be seen a different time, making a certification provisionary. The conditions do not have to be at the same time - a wind one day, a tide rip or surf another day.

Gordon Black attended our meeting to explain how the Essentials courses (present in rivers and flatwater paddling) fit into the hierarchy.

While at the meeting I became the "northwest dif" or divisional facilitator - if you are an ACA instructor in the NW, please send me your details...I have created a bulletin board and online database so we can all stay in touch and know what each of us is doing.

I drove up and down the Sonoma Coast, stopped at the Monteray Bay Aguarium, and stayed over with Marna Powell in Orik California! Overall it was a very fun road trip!   I plan to offer a couple of the new American Canoe Association Essentials courses during the summer - they come with nice books created by...Gordon! (with help from his friends).

We have had no snow and are looking at a drought year in Washington - need to get on the rivers early! Good year to go to the coast!

I added some new Quicktime movies to the directory: http://www.kayakinstructionexcellence.com/Movies/
and made a little movie of the Subaru Primal Quest: http://www.kayakinstructionexcellence.com/Movies/PrimalQuestLG.mov

For people who knew my dog Sucia, she passed on to where all dogs go eventually...I seem to have a new dog in tow, Ci Ci, that I hope to keep! She was bred and trained for show and seems perfect to me! (Another rotty...she is only 75 lbs and reminds me a graceful gazelle).

Spring is here - play outdoors - garden in between kayaking! Lots of migratory birds on the move!

Schedule of Classes

Instructor Courses:

April 22 - 24 Instructor Development Workshop Coastal Kayaking,
Port Townsend
April 29 - May 1 Instructor Certification Exam, La Push, Washington
May 5 - Forward Stroke Clinic with video analysis,
, Seattle
May 6 - 8 Instructor Development Workshop, Whitewater
May 14 - 15 Instructor Certification Exam and Update, Whitewater

Other courses and events:

March 18 - 20 Introduction to River Kayaking
March 26 - Intermediate Sea Kayaking, Port Townsend
March 27 - Whitewater Update, Snoqualamie/Skykomish River
April 1 - Introduction to Paddling, Friday evening
April 2 - Basic Sea Kayaking, Seattle, Saturday 10:00 - 4:00
April 3 - Strokes and Maneuvers, Seattle, Sunday 9:00 - 12:00
April 3 - Learning Mainstream Rescues, Seattle, Sunday 1:00 - 4:00
April 8 - 9 Camp and Learn Tides and Currents, Deception Pass
April 10 - Strokes and Maneuvers, Bellingham, Sunday 9:00 - 12:00
April 10 - Learning Mainstream Rescues, Bellingham, Sunday 1:00 - 4:00
April 15 - 17 Port Angeles Sea Kayak Symposium
May 20 - 21 Introduction to River Paddling
May 26 - Strokes and Maneuvers, Evening
May 27 - Introduction to Paddling, Bellingham, Evening
May 28 - Basic Sea Kayaking, Bellingham 10:00 - 4:00
May 29 - Ski to Sea Race, Bellingham
June 2 - Drop-in lessons, Seattle
June 4 - 5 Coastal Kayak Navigation and Touring, one to two days, overnight
June 10 - 12 Wenatchee River Festival
June 12 - Washington Kayak Club trip, Wenatchee River
October - Next Round of Instructor Courses
Late November - December - Heading back to Hong Kong to work with Outward
Bound (nice!)

Club Members:
25% off an existing class KIX course**
Organize a group lesson of four people for $50.00 each (normally $85)
Take one private lesson for $125.00 (normally $185)

*All courses use approved outlines of the American Canoe Association
*New! Many of these kayaking lessons will be opportunities to be assessed
into the new ACA Levels program.
**Instructor programs excluded

My Stuff for sale:

Nigel Foster Silouette
Current Designs Sirocco
One Salamander Tow Belt

The On-line Store