Kevin B (RPS Coach)

12th Annual NSPN New to Sea Kayaking Workshop Need advice on getting started? Looking for others to kayak with? Wondering which type of kayak is right for you? Don't miss our annual New to Sea Kayaking Workshop! Learn what equipment you'll need. Learn about safety. Find out what a beginner's trip is like. Discover places that offer classes and specialized training. Discussions with new and experienced fellow kayakers. Plan future adventures! WORKSHOP (ON LAND) POOL SESSION LAKE SESSION OCEAN DAY TRIP LOCATION Newbury Kayak and Canoe Newbury, MA Haverhill High School Haverhill, MA Chebacco Lake Wenham, MA Pavillion Beach Ipswich, MA DATE 4.29.2018 5.6.2018 5.24.2018 6.10.2018 TIME 9:00-12:00PM 2:00-4:30PM 5:00 - 7:00 PM 10:00-4:00PM Events: Register for one event or all events! Fee: All events are free and open to the public but joining NSPN is highly recommended (annual membership is only $15). Register: Please complete this form. Questions / Comments: Kevin Beckwith at 978.270.8170 or email at NTSKW@NSPN.org / rpskayakcoaching@mac.com Basic Overview: How to choose equipment: kayaks, paddles, clothing and additional equipment. Overview of skills, training and what to expect. Locating and experiencing initial on-water training. Open discussion and questions welcome. NTSKW.pdf

Registration is now open! http://www.salemkayak.com/bnps/

Many of us at NSPN were saddened to hear of Gene Cosloy's passing in November. He was active with NSPN, kept a boisterous spirit, and personally mentored many paddlers over the years. In keeping with Gene's giving nature, his wife Lois has graciously offered an opportunity to purchase Gene's paddling gear, with all proceeds going to Gene’s favorite charities, Granite State Dog Recovery and Habitat for Humanity. The gear will be on display at Shari Gallant's house in Gloucester on Feb 17th from 8:00 am to 8:00 p.m. The plan is for an on-the-spot sale during the day with participants picking up the items directly. A more detailed listing of gear will follow, but there is a Werner paddle, original Lendal, a drysuit, books, kayak wheels, and much more. There will also be a paddle led by Kevin leaving from Niles Beach at 11 am with the eventual plan based on participants preferences. It will utilize Shari’s house as a base so folks can buy gear, give to charity and paddle all in one day! If you are interested in attending, please send a PM to Shari and Kevin for further information.

Rock, Paddle, Surf Kayak Coaching in conjunction with Newbury Kayak will be holding pool sessions this year at the Ipswich Family YMCA. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.salemkayak.com/new-products/?category=Pool+Sessions For those with their own equipment and just want to practice for 2 hours in the pool, the fee is $25 per session. For those seeking professional instruction, the fee is $70, all equipment included or $55 if you use your own equipment. We limit the number of instructional spots to 4 and students can work on whatever they desire, such as strokes, rolling, rescues, etc. Registration will be complete when we verify availability. Fees will be refunded if requested 48 hours prior to the date of the session or if inclement weather forces a YMCA closure. When purchasing, please indicate which dates you would like to attend: 12/17 1/7 1/14 2/4 2/18 3/4 3/11 3/18 3/25 All sessions run from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. We have 30 minutes before and after to move boats, change, etc.

It's on its way..... Intro Video

Two spots just opened! Sign up now!

Pretty much all of them. Any preference?

Coaches for this event will be Bob Levine and Kevin Beckwith!

Absolutely!

Be ready for the unexpected! Sea states can change quickly. Revisit old techniques and learn new ones during this intensive one-day training. Learn to handle situations in dynamic ocean conditions when things are going less than perfect. This class takes your flat water rescues and brings them into rough water. Paddlers can get themselves into tricky predicaments. Boats and gear can become damaged. How do you respond quickly and effectively to these incidents?The first step towards learning how best to deal with these eventualities is to train for them. Rock, Paddle, Surf strongly believes in the mantra that “practice makes permanent” so the more you have correctly practiced the appropriate techniques, the more ingrained they become and more easily accessible when required. The course will cover rough water scenarios, medical emergency scenarios, weather, communications, tricky landings, on water gear / boat repairs, navigation, towing and much more. It has been designed for anyone with some training in rescue techniques although a kayak roll is not needed. It is recommended for all paddlers, whether or not they lead others in the marine environment. Things to note: It will be June. It will be Maine. It will be the ocean. It will be cold water. Dress for immersion as we will be in the water. You must bring a water-sports approved helmet, a tow system, and any gear that you would normally have with you while paddling. Bring your ideas! Cost for the 1 day course: Rock, Paddle, Surf is committed to supporting the maintaining of high standards of professional training for working Maine sea kayak guides and instructors. To this end, Rock, Paddle, Surf offers this course at the discounted price of $35 for members of MASKGI. Non-members $140. To register: Please call 207-939-6045 or email liz@maineislandkayak.com.

Great! We have 15 registered participants.

The workshop today went very well, with 20 motivated individuals learning a little bit about sea kayaking. I am in need of volunteers, boats, pfds, bilge pumps, spray skirts and paddles for the associated pool session this coming Sunday in Haverhill. If you are available, please let me know and include details about what you will be able to bring with you. At the moment, we have 13 registered participants for the pool.

I'm going to post my responses to those who have sent me PM's in case others have similar questions. "This training is appropriate for everyone and will likely include folks with a wide range of experience and abilities. As for dates, it will depend on the weather as certain conditions are needed to make the outings "moderate". Folks can attend one outing or all of them."

I am looking for a group of 10-12 paddlers of various skill levels from which I can create groups of at least 4 to attend free moderate water training sessions that I am putting together. These will not follow CAM but will instead be lead trips with the central focus of coaching in moderate water. You need not be able to roll but must have a sea kayak complete with bulkheads and deck lines. If you're interested, please send me a PM. I would prefer that you be a paid up member of NSPN. If you have any questions, please feel free to post here or send me a PM. Moderate water may include any of the following: Moderate Inland Water (relevant to Open Canoe, Touring, and Sea): Large areas of open water; up to 500 metres off shore and in wind strengths that do not exceed Beaufort force 4. Canals, ungraded sections of rivers, and moving water that has a discernible green flow. The shooting of weirs, playing on weirs and running rapids are excluded from this definition. Moderate Tidal Water/Sea (relevant to Sea): A stretch of coastline with available landings every one to two miles or one hour paddling, including areas where it is not easy to land. Crossings not exceeding two nautical miles. Up to 2 knots of tide (but not involving tide races or overfalls). Winds not exceeding Beaufort force 4. Launching and landing through surf (up to 1 metre, trough to crest height). Moderate Surf (relevant to Surf): Area: Sections of sandy beaches free from significant hazard (e.g. rocks and strong rips) and with easy access. Character: Gentle, sloping and spilling waves, preferably peeling. Not pitching or dumping. Height: Wave height should be no more than double overhead i.e. the height of the surfer when seated in a kayak in the trough of the wave (head high for a stand up surfer).

This is a great chance to get practice in rough water, surf and rescues.

The NSPN New to Sea Kayaking workshop happens on April 30th at Newbury Kayak we need help. We have two presenters but would like two more, particularly those who are fairly new to the sport. We also need other available to help with the logistics on the day, bring gear and boats, talk with potential new members, etc. If you can help, please post here or send me an email.

I'll be there

I am the new State Director of the ACA Massachusetts Executive Council and am looking for volunteers to fill the remaining posts. From the ACA website: "The mission of the State Director Program is to increase the effectiveness of the ACA at the state level by: Facilitating communication between paddlers and the ACA National Office Fostering community responsibility in protecting and preserving paddling environments Assisting others with acquiring the necessary skills to safely enjoy local waterways Promoting paddlesport competition at the local and state level" You can read more about it here: http://www.americancanoe.org/?page=State_Directors To serve: You must be a current ACA member Complete the form at: https://aca.site-ym.com/page/ExecCouncilNom. I'm looking to fill the following positions: Deputy State Director Treasurer/Secretary Stewardship Director Education Director Youth Coordinator Public Policy Liaison Competition Director If you are interested, please let me know State_Director_Governance-11.pdf

MLK day = paddle and play! Anyone else have the day off and want to paddle? Location / activity will depend on group interest. Post preferences on this thread.

Don't miss out on this great pool location!

Hi Sherry, I sent you an email. Cheers, Kevin

Rock, Paddle, Surf Kayak Coaching will be holding pool sessions this year at the Sterling Center (Beverly YMCA). The site is convenient to Rt.128. For more information, please visit http://www.salemkayak.com/new-products/pool-session