Boating Adventures/Misadventures with Bob Foote

9am – 4 pm

Location: Gloucester Harbor

Boating Adventures & Misadventures – Strategies & Techniques to Deal with Kayaking’s Foreseen and Unforeseen:

Water is dynamic. In a blink of an eye, it can change from being a placid, inviting, and relaxing environment to one that is unfamiliar, unpredictable, and threatening. Bob Foote knows this first hand. For over twenty-five years he has been leading canoe and kayak trips to some of the more remote and not-so-remote regions of South America, Central America and North America. He’s had to deal with everything from minor injuries and capsize recoveries to flash floods and large waves breaking apart his boat.

In this class Bob will go over some of these real life paddling-related scenarios. Student’s will work together to come up with strategies and techniques to avoid or handle such situations. Through drills and role-playing, students will also spend time on the water developing the necessary rescue skills and awareness that is needed when out kayaking (whether it be on a lake, river, or on the ocean). This class will be a mixture of dry-land and on-water (some lecture, but mostly on water scenarios and drills).

Don’t wait for the unexpected capsize to happen before you learn the necessary skills to take care of yourself and others. Learn from a person who has been there and done or avoided that. This class will raise your awareness and get you ready for the season to come. Come prepared to be off, on, and in the water.

(Along with his paddling and trip leading expertise, for many years Bob Foote was a nurse practitioner in a remote area of Northern California and was responsible for the training of the emergency response teams for that rural region).

Profile of Bob Foote:

In the year 2000, Paddler Magazine named Bob Foote one of the “Paddler’s of the Century” in recognition of his expertise and contributions to paddling. A highly sought-after instructor, he is considered one of the most versatile boaters and paddling instructors in the country today.

An Instructor Trainer in coastal kayaking, whitewater canoeing and flatwater canoeing for the American Canoe Association and a BCU 4 Star, Bob is the whole package - someone who can not only do, but also teach. Whether it’s in coastal kayaking, whitewater canoeing or freestyle paddling, beginner to advance, he has the ability to demonstrate and break down the most complex skills and information into parts and steps that are easy for students to understand and follow.

Bob has several first open canoe descents to his credit, including being one of the first to open boat down the Grand Canyon. Although he is more recognized for his canoeing feats, he has a broad depth of knowledge and experience and is at home on the ocean, as well as the river. Bob, along with his partner Karen Knight, travels around North America, Europe and Central America leading trips, and teaching sea kayaking and canoeing. In addition, he designs paddles and boats for Dagger, Navarro and Bell and writes articles for various publications. For more information on Bob Foote refer to his website at www.bobfoote.com (http://bobfoote.com/bob/articles/BobArticle4.jpg).

Fee: $100/day for NSPN Members.

Participants need to be comfortable with wet exits in an ocean environment & be able to perform basic strokes to maneuver the boat.

To Register: Send an email to the class facilitator, Paula, at [email protected]. Include your ACA #, boat description, emergency contact name and phone number.

Paula will tell you where to mail your check and will keep the registration list and a waiting list. Paula will only hold your slot when she receives your check made out to NSPN. If you cannot attend you will receive a refund only if your slot can be filled from the waiting list. If the class is oversubscribed Paula will ask if you want to be placed on the waiting list.

All NSPN-sponsored commercial events are run on a “pass-through-the-cost-basis.” NSPN may include a very small markup over actual costs to cover incidental expenses and support club activities that benefit the membership as a whole. These classes are still priced well below what commercial outfitters charge for comparable activities. The club does not subsidize activities that benefit only the participants in classes with limited enrollment. Therefore, in the highly unlikely event that the class is canceled due to extreme weather, there will be no refunds. Lightning will obviously keep us off the water, but much can be learned from these talented teachers on shore.