Sea Kayak Program Guide Page

Welcome to Sea Kayak Guide Page!

Please check out the updated trip schedule to see where you can help out: Sea Kayak Trip Schedule

Contact the Sea Kayak Program Manager via email or phone (415-474-7662 ext. 13) to sign up for trips and get out on the water!

Information on Conditions

This National Weather Service site has excellent hourly conditions reports. Windy is great for general Bay Area wind predictions and NOAA for tides and currents at the gate of the bay.

If you have a Mac, we recommend a free download of Ayes Tides for Mac for location-specific tides and currents predictions. If you have an iPhone or iPad, we recommend a download of Aye Tides, the equivalent program for your mobile device.

Sea Kayak Guide Manual

The Guide Manual covers all the essential information you need to be a Guide on an ETC Sea Kayak Trip. From policies to rescues, Guide roles to specific trip and equipment logistics, it’s all in here! PDF versions of each chapter are available here for online viewing or download at your convenience.

• Chapter 1: ETC Organization Information
• Chapter 2: Roles of Guides and Trip Leaders
• Chapter 3: Sea Kayak Program Trips
• Chapter 4: Policies and Procedures (revised 2023)
• Chapter 5: Equipment
• Chapter 6: Sea Kayak Skills
• Chapter 7: Adaptive Sea Kayaking

Sea Kayak Program Education and Activities Manual

The Education and Activities Manual is packed full of resources you can use to provide educational and fun trips for your groups. This manual provides an overview of natural and human history, and includes instructions for many games and activities that can enhance your trip. This manual is designed to provide background information that complements the portable, laminated educational materials found at our field locations.

Download the Education and Activities Manual Here!

Kayak Skills Videos

Brush up on your kayaking skills by attending an ETC Skills Refresher (see: SK Program Schedule for dates) and by taking a look at the following videos and resources. The following videos provide great visualizations of key strokes and rescues that you should be comfortable with.

Paddle Strokes and Paddle Grip

Towing

T-Rescue

Edging and Bracing

Paddle Float Self-Rescue

Assisted Rescues (Focus on the “side sit re-entry” method)

Heel Hook (Used in an assisted rescue)

Scramble Re-Entry

ETC Boat, Paddle, and Safety Talks (in English)

ETC Boat, Paddle, and Safety Talks (in Spanish)