G'day, Having been a Grandad for a while now wondered if anyone had thoughts or experience, links or references, on when and how to introduce kids to sea kayaking? All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I'd love to hear of people getting kids involved. I know Chicago Jim works with teens, so maybe he has some stories. I have a 5 year old GK whom I plan to get on the harbor on his next visit. I almost got my 12 year old nieces into it, but they just had too many other interest competing with kayaking. I'd love to be responsible for getting someone interested in the sport at a young age. I was 45 before I got into it for real and think of what good times I'd have had if I'd started earlier. I think if kids could see how dynamic sea kayaking can be, they might find it a more interesting choice. We Paddlewisers are getting old, we'd better start thinking of who will continue our legacy!! Mark Sanders www.sandmarks.net On 4/26/2012 4:00 PM, Peter O wrote: > Having been a Grandad for a while now wondered if anyone had thoughts or > experience, links or references, on when and how to introduce kids to sea > kayaking? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Mark Sanders wrote: I'd love to hear of people getting kids involved. I know Chicago Jim works with teens, so maybe he has some stories. I have stories! But not of getting kids started. The ones I volunteer with are all teens. And mostly delinquent, which means big risk takers. Waves? No fear - let's go have fun and who cares if we kill ourselves. I also volunteer at the Western Michigan Coastal Kayak Ass'n symposium, coming up Memeorial Day weekend. They have a huge kids program that has developed some pretty good kayakers. It's a separate track from the rest of the stuff and I don;t do it. But the website is http://wmcka.org. Maybe someone on their contact list would have some good ideas. It's been my experience That kids are easier to teach because their egos are not nearly as fragile as those of most adults. But sea kayaking is a bit boring if whitewater is available. Good luck. Jim from Chicago *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Thu, Apr 26, 2012 at 4:00 PM, Peter O <rebyl_kayak_at_hotmail.com> wrote: > G'day, > > Having been a Grandad for a while now wondered if anyone had thoughts or > experience, links or references, on when and how to introduce kids to sea > kayaking? > My two "honorary" granddaughters we both in kayaks pretty young. Hailey paddled a white water kayak (in circles) the first time at age 3 or 4. She has paddled Pam's F-1 a mile or two alone... and capsized once in the Chris Cunningham SOF I bought from a guy in Richland. That was last summer. She's going to be 11 on April 30th. Brianna has been in the CC SOF too. (Both of them work best with a GP because it's so light.) Our daughter, Kristy, has had her two boys (Ethan and Carter; 5 and 4) in kayaks almost since they were infants. Their dad paddles a Telkwa and they took the rear hatch off as a second cockpit. Kristy stayed close. We have an old Loon (long open cockpit kayak 11 feet long - you know the type) and it makes a great kayak for taking a kid out. You can nestle them between your legs. Paddling can be difficult. We sold something to a couple with two kids one time 2 summers ago and their two kids - a boy and a girl - hung around with me. I put them into Pam's F-1 (whcih we keep here) and they fought over it for an hour. Just put them in a PFD and let 'em go ... but keep a close eye on them with a rescue in mind. Basically, if they aren't afraid of the water... get them into a boat just to play in. They quickly learn how to turn and all that. I always stayed close though. Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>From: Peter O <rebyl_kayak_at_hotmail.com> Having been a Grandad for a while now wondered if anyone had thoughts or experience, links or references, on when and how to introduce kids to sea kayaking? Howdy all! I've taken a long hiatus from kayaking while my girls were young. I was kayaking a lot when they were very little, but after some wise counseling from my wife, my priorities shifted from "boater" to "dad". I haven't been in a sea kayak in 2 years, but do get in a ww boat 3-4 times a year. My ultimate goal has been to get my daughters on the water with me. They're now 8 and 10 and clamoring to go! I kept kayaks completely out of the picture from the time they were very little. We concentrated on swimming--a lot!! At first with floaty swimsuits, then with PFD's in the pool, lakes and rivers with PFD's, then to pool time without PFD's and lakes without PFD's. Once they and I were comfortable with them being on/in/under the water, I knew they'd be ready to be in kayaks. I waited.... Early last summer, we were camping with another couple who had brought their recreational kayaks. Our girls asked if they could try them out, and they spent a couple great hours out exploring the small lake. I looked out at one point to see my then 9 year-old Morgan standing up in her kayak. So proud, so proud. Then 7 year-old Mackenzie walked up to me, and said, "Daddy, you used to kayak a lot. Do you still remember how?" "Daddy, do you think we could get our own kayaks?" GAME ON!!! :) Since we live near several incredible Class I-III rivers, we found a couple of used kids-sized whitewater kayaks, which they can also use to explore the shorelines of our local lakes. They received them for Christmas. A buddy of mine and I rented out semi-weekly sessions at a local physical therapy pool. He has a son and a daughter the same ages as our girls. His kids had started roll practice late last summer, and by their first and second sessions, had their rolls down. As a reward for 'owning' their rolls, they got to pick out new whitewater helmets. Our girls really wanted "their helmets!!" Everything clicked last month, when 10 year-old Morgan said, "Dad, can I still get my helmet if I roll without my paddle?" "Sure, sweetie." So, she cranked off 6 handrolls in 8 attempts. She'll need to learn to hang onto her paddle eventually, but a roll is a roll! I couldn't very well tell her that she was expected to get a base hit and that a home run didn't qualify! 8 year-old Mackenzie has a beautiful sweep roll. I feel that "sea" kayaking and true "whitewater" kayaking require experience and good judgement. For the time being, we'll stick to mellow rivers and if we do hit large lakes or the ocean, we'll stick to calm estuaries and shoreline exploration as their physical skills and judgement develop. Frankly, long crossings and "interesting" conditions aren't likely to interest kids anyway! 1. Get them comfortable in the water 2. Start slowly, go at their pace 3. Let their interests set the schedule: quit when they're tired/bored Shawn *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I bought a couple of kid sized boats - the perception acadia scout. We only 'destination' paddled them a couple of times, including one very nice paddle while on vacation in Maine. For a trip out and around Rockport harbor. The younger boy very much enjoyed riding boat wakes.... Most of the time we take them to a salt water bay on cape cod, similar to a lake. The kids play in them. They've spent lots of time paddling them full of water. Neither boy has shown much interest in paddling, but they have the skills to get somewhere if they do have someone who wants to go for a paddle. One of the friends of my older son joined us for vacation 2 years ago. He now loves to paddle. Last summer I taught him to roll and he now has my old surf ski. He's got a nice stroke and is comfortable in modest swell. For christmas he asked for neoprene.... Kirk On Fri, Apr 27, 2012, at 09:30 AM, Peter O wrote: > G'day, > > Having been a Grandad for a while now wondered if anyone had thoughts or > experience, links or references, on when and how to introduce kids to sea > kayaking? > > All the best, PeterO -- Kirk Olsen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Sat, Apr 28, 2012 at 6:28 AM, Kirk Olsen <kork4_at_cluemail.com> wrote: > > > Neither boy has shown much interest in paddling, but they have the > skills to get somewhere if they do have someone who wants to go for a > paddle. > > One of the friends of my older son joined us for vacation 2 years ago. > He now loves to paddle. Last summer I taught him to roll and he now has > my old surf ski. He's got a nice stroke and is comfortable in modest > swell. For christmas he asked for neoprene.... > > Just illustrates the simple fact that all we can do is introduce them to kayaking (or mountain bikes or tennis or whatever...) and let them choose the thing that interests them. The introduction is the only thing we have any control over. As the kids I took paddling grow up they'll try lots of things and maybe they'll return to paddling and remember our trip to "Crawdad Island" where we found the empty skeleton of a huge crawdad on what was nothing more than a couple of rocks with dirt and a little tree growing on top. Or the 15 minutes spent chasing a mallard hen around a small lagoon where they learned to turn the kayak quickly. It all may just fade like so many childhood memories. But I remember! Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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