Beverly Pool Session: Intro to Sea Kayaking Pool session

Participants - Are you ready to try a roll? Do you want to perfect

your re-entry technique? Are you afraid that time spent without

practicing a high-brace will leave you capsized? Or do you just miss

being in you boat?

Spotters (at no charge) - Do you want an opportunity to help your

fellow paddlers improve their skills? Do you have skills you want to

teach your fellow paddlers?

This will be a structured pool session with the exact itinerary left

up to the facilitators.

Things that can be practiced in a pool include skills, techniques and

strokes that do not need an expanse of water, such as:

* Wet exits

* Rescues, assisted and unassisted.

* Equipment testing, exploration, shakedown, usage or just getting

comfortable, for example, using a paddle float for rescues.

* Strokes not needing an expanse of water, such as draw and pry.

* Rolling, bracing, balance bracing, sculling, etc.

Equipment for pool sessions participants includes: (If you need

equipment, tell the registrar!)

* Your boat, sea kayak or short boat.

* PFD -- required for anyone in a boat in a pool session.

* Spray skirt -- necessary for the vast majority of skills to be

practiced

* Paddle float – optional, for rescue practice, rolling practice,

etc.

* Pump – useful for swamped boats

Equipment for pool session spotters and participants includes:

* Goggles, face mask, nose plugs, ear plugs -- highly recommended for

practice that involves immersion, public pools are chlorinated and

irritate the eyes and nose, do you get swimmer's ear?

* Wet suit (spotters especially) -- many find they require additional

warmth during extended time in the pool

PLEASE NOTE: NSPN requires that payment for the pool sessions must be

made in advance of the pool session. Respond via e-mail with

requested date(s) and if space is available you will receive an e-

mail with an address to send your check. Your place is reserved when

the e-mail is received, please allow at least one week prior to the

requested date to allow for receipt of the check. Checks should be

written out to "North Shore Paddlers Network". Pool sessions are non-

refundable, the club pays the same amount regardless of how many

participants show up. All inquiries require: Your name, phone number,

NSPN membership number, expiration date, emergency contact and phone

number in the email.

Registrar: David Lewis -- djlewis at triadic dot com

Price: $20 members; $40 non-members

Directions:

Beverly YMCA - Sterling Center

254 Essex Street

Beverly, MA 01915

978.927.6855

From Route 128 take Exit 22 to Beverly (Route 22 - Essex St). From

either ramp bear right, if exiting 128 southbound you will pass under

128. The Y is on the west (right as you travel away from 128) side of

Essex St approximately 0.6 miles from 128, if you reach Ice House

Lane you've gone too far.

From Salem and points south of Beverly who know how to get to the

Beverly-Salem bridge and would prefer this route continue straight

through the lights on the Beverly Side of the bridge. You will be on

Rantoul street, continue on Rantoul through several sets of lights to

a "T" intersection with a Burger King on the Southwest corner. Turn

left and take the first right after crossing the commuter rail

tracks. You are now on Colon St, continue on Colon street until it

merges with Rte 22 - Essex street. The Y is on the west (left as you

travel north on Essex St) side of Essex St roughly 1/4 mile from the

merge, if you reach Cole Street you've gone too far.

At the extreme left hand side of the parking lot (as you face the Y

building) there is a driveway. Drive up this driveway to see a door

up the bank that leads into the pool. You will need to carry your

boat up to the door and may need to return to your car to move your

car to the parking lot. This is at the discretion of the Y, they have

allowed us to park on the driveway outside the door in the past.

Arrive early to be in the water at 5:45 p.m. There will be a sign-in

as is done with official trips. Shower before entering the water -

this is state law. At the end of the session move quickly to get

cleaned up and out of the YMCA so we can maintain a good relationship

with this facility in future years. The locker rooms include keyed

locks with keys that can be fastened via a large numbered (what

locker was that again?) "safety pin" and lockers that take standard

combination/keyed locks but availability of either is not guaranteed.

An option for valuables is your hatch (or a dry bag for Diamante

owners).