Sea Kayaking Orientation (SKO)

Whether you've grown up with a paddle in hand or have never been in a boat before, this is the place to start for sea kayaks in HOC! Sea kayaks are designed for exploring coastal shores and traversing open water. This lesson will teach you to properly outfit yourself for sea kayaking, the basic paddle strokes, wet exits, and the supported T-Rescue. 

The most essential skill of this lesson is the Wet Exit.

Here is a video showing the Wet Exit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzCJSzP9kAA&list=PLrLrUmPL86mZsfO_4q120nDDZ5HmMXChK 

Here is a video showing the T-rescure: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSRCAdCSj8Q&ab_channel=HightideSeekajak

Why: You will need this lesson, regardless of previous experience, to attend kayak trips with the club. By the end of the lesson, you will earn your sea kayak (SK) orientation which allows you to then take SK1 lessons (slow, moving water).

ELIGIBILITY:  

Participants do not need any prior experience and do not need any prior ratings at all to attend. 

Participants need to be current members of the Hoofer Outing Club. 

WHAT TO BRING: 

• You must wear shoes that have a sole and will not fall off in the water. There are Zebra Mussels in the lake, and their shells are very sharp. 
• Wear clothing that can get wet (we will be practicing wet exits) 
• Bring a glasses strap if you wear glasses 
• Bring a full change of clothing, including dry shoes, and a towel. There are showers inside of the Union building. 
• Sunscreen and a water bottle. It will hopefully be a bright and sunny day (I am manifesting)

WHERE TO MEET: 

Please meet at the outer entrance to the Outdoor UW boathouse on the lower level of Memorial Union. It's a large garage door facing the lake, where the canoes and kayaks are kept. 

Additionally, if you do not have a swim test, we can do that as well after the lesson. This will include a 100 m swim and 5 minutes of treading water. If you need this, please email me separately at pfoch@wisc.edu or esjohnson22@wisc.edu