Learn to kayak, ‘the most awesome thing to do’

For the past five years, Bangor’s United Technologies Center has been offering a Paddle Smart Safety Symposium for kayakers in May. Karen Francoeur, the Master Maine Guide who teaches the courses, brings her passion and enthusiasm for the outdoors to the kayaking sessions.

“People come to kayaking and realize it’s the most awesome thing to do,” she said. “You’re in the water, going at your own pace, with nature.”

This year, those courses include training to be a registered Maine Guide, learning to navigate, beginner rescue skills, beginner flat-water kayaking, intermediate rescue skills, intermediate open-water kayaking and rolling clinics. The prices range from $15 for an intermediate review session to $390 for the 45-hour Maine Guide training that takes place at UTC, the Old Town High School pool and at Pushaw Lake.

Courses are staggered through the spring, beginning the first week of March and finishing at the end of June. Francoeur schedules the sessions so her students get out on the water as much as possible.

Francoeur prefers to teach kayaking techniques outside, rather than in a pool during the colder months. The sessions that don’t require time in a kayak, such as the navigation course, come earlier in the season. The intermediate course begins the first week of May and the beginner rescue and basic skills classes follow a few weeks later.

The beginner classes teach people everything from what type of clothing to wear and getting your kayak onto your car to basic techniques and how to safely kayak with friends.

The intermediate classes are more about advanced boat maneuvering skills and transitioning from lakes to the ocean. The navigation classes teach people about reading charts, using a compass, dead reckoning when caught in the fog, the tides and learning to navigate by the stars.

“You really need to know how to navigate,” said Francoeur, “and it’s one more really fun thing.”

The focus of all the courses is safety, and teaching students to be aware of the risks out on the water so they are better able to handle surprises.

“I could write a book about people’s capsizing experiences and what they’ve done,” said Francoeur, emphasizing that “it’s about knowing what to know. People aren’t aware of what their boats can do.”

Kayaks without bulkheads to seal air into the bow and stern can swamp, which is very dangerous in a state where the biggest safety risk is cold water immersion, Francoeur said. Another common mistake people make is to head out for a paddle in the morning when the water is calm, and not have the skills to deal with the wind and waves that pick up as the day goes on.

“Confidence is what people struggle with. People have natural fears when it comes to boats,” Francoeur said. But helping people get over those fears, both in her off-season courses in Bangor and during the summer with her business Coasting Kayak Adventures, is what thrills her.

“I have so much fun watching people grow.” Learning kayaking skills gives people more freedom in their boats. “I feel like I get to open doors for people to experience what I love,” she said.

Six to 12 people can enroll in the kayaking classes. Those seeking more information may visit www.castinekayak.com or call 866-3506.