Course

Description
Imagine yourself sliding gracefully down the face of a glassy green wave with the sun shining down and the spray flying up all around you; big smile on your face. Sounds pretty good, right?

The EMS Kayaking School can help you have this marvelous experience by teaching you the skills and techniques which make surfing kayaks possible.

Your instructors, skilled kayak surfers as well as talented teachers, will demonstrate good surfing practices including reading waves, surf etiquette, breaking out through the surf zone, catching waves, proper boat trim and weighting, edging and steering strokes, bracing, and dealing with capsizes in surf.

The sit on top kayaks used are equipped with thigh straps which makes them highly responsive while very easy to exit in the event of capsize.

Prerequisites

Some paddling experience is helpful, the day can be strenuous.

Includes

Students are permitted to bring their own gear. Equipment must be equivalent to gear provided, appropriate for class, in good working order and approved by instructor. Please call 800-310-4504 with any questions.

1) Kayak

2) Paddle

3) PFD (type III, Coast Guard approved)

4) Booties

5) Spray skirt

6) Wetsuit/ drysuit if needed

Does Not Include

Students will be expected to arrive dressed appropriately for the weather. Pack a lunch and snacks for the day. Water bottles should be filled before arrival.

1) Lodging

2) Meals

3) Transportation

4) Personal gear and clothing

 

Location

Narrow River Launch, Narragansett, RI

From the North (Providence, RI)
Take 95 south to route 4 south to route 1 south and take the route 138 east exit toward Newport. Exit before the Jamestown Bridge onto route 1A south in Narragansett. The launch will be on the right, before the bridge.

From the South
Use the Narragansett exits (toward Narragansett Beach) and drive north on route 1A. The launch will be on your left just after the bridge.

**Parking is available for about 20 cars along the dirt access road parallel to route 1A (down the road and in front of the power station). There are no santary facilities but a wooded area provides discrete privacy. This site is used for easy access to the mouth of the Narrows, a good site for surf kayaking or exploring the marsh to the north.

Gear List

Required Gear and Clothing

Please come dressed for the weather and prepared with the appropriate gear and clothing for your kayak program. Below is a list of gear and clothing recommended by the Eastern Mountain Sports Kayak School. If you have any questions please call 800-310-4504.

 

Long or Short Sleeve Top Dress appropriately for the days weather. Any non-cotton material is appropriate. *Spray jackets and wetsuits are available from the Kayak School for spring and fall paddling. Drysuits are used for cold weather paddling.

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Shorts or Pants Dress appropriately for the days weather. Any non-cotton material is appropriate. *Wetsuits are available from the Kayak School for spring and fall paddling. Drysuits are used for cold weather paddling.

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Water Shoes Paddle booties can be provided by the Kayak School upon request. No open toed shoes please.

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Food and Water Lunch and snacks (sandwich, chips, bars, etc.) and 1 liter or more of water.

Optional Items

Sunglasses
Sunscreen

Hat

Bug Spray

Camera

Dry Bag

Dry change of clothes and towel

EMS Kayak School Provides

 

Sit on Top Kayak

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PFD Type III, Coast Guard approved.

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Paddle

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Booties

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Spray Jacket Optional.

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Spray Skirt

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Farmer John Wetsuit Optional.

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Drysuit For cold weather paddling only. Goes over all your clothes to keep you dry.

 

FAQ's

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i bring my own gear
Yes, if it is appropriate. Kayaks for instruction or for tours need to have a minimum of safety features as well as be an appropriate style and size kayak for the class/tour. Call and check with the school or instructor.

What happens of the weather is bad?
We still operate all of our programs in rainy conditions. Kayaking is after all a water sport. We will delay or cancel programs in dangerous weather conditions like thunderstorms or gale force winds. If this happens during your class, we will either credit you at a pro rate, or reschedule you to finish the missed portion at your convenience.

What is your cancellation policy?
Cancellations or schedule changes 8 DAYS OR MORE PRIOR to the event start date will be fully refunded or credited with no penalty. Reservation changes of any kind WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE EVENT START DATE WILL NOT BE REFUNDED and you WILL NOT be permitted to carry over deposits to future events. Please mark this date on your calendar after making your reservation!

What time should I plan to arrive for class?
You should get to class at least 15 minutes early. Classes start and end on time.

Do we take breaks?
In our 7 hour instructional classes we always take a lunch. Often times it is a working lunch in which students and instructors share information and experiences. Students need to provide their own bag lunch. Each student should have at least one liter of water so that they can stay hydrated. Breaks are taken when needed, students need only to ask their instructors during class.

 

How many students in each class?
Kayak 103: Surfing runs with a 1:6 instructor to student ratio.

 

What certifications do your instructors have?
All instructors hold current and up to date American Canoe Association (ACA) Certifications. Their level of certification always meets or exceed the level of class they are teaching. All instructors are also CPR and First Aid trained.

 

How is Eastern Mountain Sports different from other outfitters?
While there are other good outfitters, they are in the minority. We spend a great deal of time on staff training and all our instructors are nationally certified. All of our guides and instructors were experienced paddlers before they became instructors, and that is a claim few other outfitters can back up. We perform risk assessments for every site we work at, with emergency procedure plans prepared in advance, and regularly train in conjunction with rescue agencies like the US Coast Guard and local harbormasters. We have instructors who regularly teach at nationally regarded paddles sports events across the US.