Hoosier Canoe & Kayak Club

COVID-19 Procedures - After July 1, 2020, the HCKC will resume some paddling, training, and social events consistent with governmental directives and CDC social distancing guidelines.  In order to minimize the risk of spreading the Coronavirus,  the Sea Kayak Fleet has adopted the set of guideline for "shuttleless" training and paddling events  in the attached document - Sea Kayak Corona Virus Guidelines.    Before attending an event, participants will be requested to complete a Waiver/COVID Screening Form and e-mail it to the trip sponsor - doing this "on-line" will limit required contact during the event.  

The HCKC Sea Kayak Fleet organizes kayaking trips and training for touring and sea kayaks.   We often do overnight or extended trips on Indiana lakes as well as the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean.   However, we also try to have at least one day trip to a nearby lake  every month.  

In 2020, we will be going to North Carolina, the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, the Chesapeake, and three trips in  Lake Michigan.   Click here to view the complete HCKC Sea Kayak Calendar.    If you haven't led a trip before, email or call one of the Sea Kayak co-chairs and we would be glad to work with you on your first trip.  We published a Sea Kayak Trip Sponsor's Guide to help you learn the ropes.

Anyone with a touring kayak or sea kayak is welcome to join us. 

Contact Information:  For more information, contact the HCKC Sea Kayak Co-Chairs Linda Decker & Jim Eckerty.

Sea/Touring Kayak Trip Requirements:

• On all trips, paddlers must wear their life jackets at all times while paddling
• Before joining a trip, paddlers must know how to wet exit from their kayaks while wearing their sprayskirt.
• For most trips, we pick locations where paddlers must wear spray skirts, must have fore and aft flotation (either sealed hatches or flotation bags), and must have  perimeter deck lines.   These may be required of paddlers iby the trip sponsor in the Trip Announcement, prelimiary e-mail, or at pre-launch meeting.
• For "bigger water" trips (e.g., Great Lakes, Monroe, or the Atlantic), we may require that you have a sea kayak (>15 feet) and that you have participated in an open water rescue clinic before coming.   
• For advanced trips, we may require participants to be comfortable paddling in anticipated lake (wind/wave) conditions specified by the trip sponsor and to have completed training to paddle the expected speed/distance planned for this event.

Eagle Creek Tuesday Evening Paddles:  In 2020, we met for training paddles at Eagle Creek on Tuesday afternoons and evenings from the middle of May through the end of September.  Watch the May 2020 newsletter for details.

E-Mail List for Sea Kayaking News and Spontaneous Trips:  In addition to scheduled events, we have spontaneous events on some week ends.  We use the Bulletin Board and a Google E-mail list (IND_TOURING_KAYAKS) to let people know about upcoming events.  We also use this list to remind people of upcoming sea kayak events and to discuss touring questions.   Contact Linda Decker to be added to the E-Mail list.  

Training: In 2020, we had the following classes.    

• Intro to Paddling Class - this is a 4- to 6-hour class for new paddlers that covers paddling equipment, safety issues, and how to do your basic kayak strokes (forward, reverse, sideways, stop) correctly.  This provides a good foundation for new paddlers.   
• Open Water Rescue Clinic - Everyone paddling lakes is encouraged to join us in this clinic every year.   This is a chance to learn or practice solo and assisted reentries that you need on open water (when you can't easily drag your boat to the bank).  This is necessary for experienced paddlers as well as newer ones since these skills have to be sharp when you get in a situation where they are needed.   The Open Water Rescue Clinic will be held on June 20, 2020.
• Intermediate Paddling Classes - We will have ACA Level 3 Kayak Skills Classes - these classes are intended for paddlers with at least one-year experience since taking an Introductory class.  Focus areas will be announced for classes - these will hone your turning skills, your forward stroke, bracing skills, and teach you maneuvers that you will need for handling big water conditions.
• Rolling - Rolling is the safest and fastest form of Open Water Rescue.   Learning to roll is highly individual and I would encourage you to go to the pool to learn to roll.   It took me 3 weeks before I executed my first roll - some people are slower and some are faster.   Check the Pool Training Page for information.