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Meetings are held the last Tuesday of the month
(except June, July, August, and December)
7:00 p.m. at the Seattle R.E.I. flagship store.

Next Meeting ...

June 30, 2009 - Our Annual Picnic

The Social Event of the season.  We gather between 5:30 and 6:30 P.M. and the pizza arrives at 7:00 P.M.  (Hint: don’t be too late or it will be all gone).  Come to Magnuson Park on Lake Washington and look for shelter #1. Some of us will be coming early to hold the table.

September 30, 2008 - Better Movement for More Efficient Paddling
Kayakers always want to improve their stroke, for speed or efficiency. Did you know, the secret may be in your hips? Peggy Protz specializes in helping people with their movement in various sports. She has taught a number of seminars for kayakers. We'll get a chance to try some simple exercises while sitting in our chairs. Different than traditional stretching, these body-mind exercises are designed to increase awareness of how you use your body. Best of all, what you learn can be applied once you are in your boat and out on the water.

October 28, 2008 - Kayaking Prince William Sound
The spectacular scenery of Alaska's Prince William Sound was a key draw for Gerry Bashein, Diane Reeves and four other paddlers when they kayaked there for 10 days last May, camping four nights and staying the other five in public cabins. You'll see the stunning setting and learn how to reserve cabins when Bashein and Reeves present a talk and photo show on this memorable trip

November 25, 2008 - Kayaking Among Barkley Sound's Island Gems
The jewel-like islands of the Broken Group in British Columbia's Barkley Sound became the exquisite setting for a week-long paddle last July by a group of Seattle-area kayaking friends. They'll present a digital slide show of striking scenes from these islands, where you can steer your boat into sea caves, try your hand at paddling in the open Pacific or stay in the more protected waters of the inner islands, tucked into an indentation along Vancouver Island's west side and a favorite kayaking destination.

January 27, 2009 - Alone by Kayak from Seattle to Glacier Bay: The adventure's second half

On June 18, 2005, a lone kayaker set out to paddle the length of the Inside Passage, 1,500 nautical miles from Seattle to Glacier Bay, Alaska. Three and a half months later, as the first snows fell in Southeast Alaska, Bill Bailey arrived in Glacier Bay

Bailey’s kayak had been punctured three times and had nearly broken in half. Great storms had descended on his kayak, winds so violent they ripped paddle from hands and glasses from face and blinded him with spray. He was sucked into boiling tidal rips, stranded twice on islands, rescued by the coast guard once, suffered a back injury that left one leg paralyzed for two days, became possibly the only man ever treed by a sea lion, and in general had, as he describes it, “a wholly good time.”

Bailey, a Seattle Sea Kayak Club member, recounted the first half of his adventure at an earlier club meeting. Come see and hear the exciting second half of his two-part presentation.

Ann Kruse and Curt Mobley, along with 6 friends and 2 guides, spent 8 days last September kayaking in the Dodecanese Islands, a small group of islands in Greece just off the coast of Turkey. Were they up for the challenge? Could they handle the tough tasks of kayaking in 80-degree turquoise water, sleeping in guest houses in fishing villages, and feasting each night in a taverna on the local beach? Find out the answers at our Feb. 24 meeting, when Ann and Curt will show us their photos and share stories from this delightful trip.

Wind is the wild card that can change an "easy" paddle into a difficult one. Learn techniques to help you paddle in winds coming at you from all quadrants. Who better to tell us these secrets than George Gronseth, well-respected and longtime local instructor, the founder of Issaquah-based Kayak Academy. George also writes safety articles for Sea Kayaker Magazine, and is co-author of the book Sea Kayaker Deep Trouble.

George is one of our favorite speakers, having previously covered topics such as gear, hazards, and judgment. He's great at answering questions, and telling stories, on just about any kayaking subject. So come prepared for a lively discussion session, too!

Among the fascinations of Northwest kayaking are the myriad beach creatures that paddlers can observe along our shorelines -- everything from brilliantly colored sea anemones to hermit crabs, sun stars, moon snails, oysters, mussels, sea cucumbers and countless others.

At our April SSKC meeting, we’ll get a close look at many of these animals -- and at how our lives intersect with theirs.

Sharing his knowledge of our hugely varied shore life will be Alan Rammer, marine community outreach and environmental education specialist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Rammer will bring a collection of preserved shore and tide-pool animals of many kinds for all to see and touch. He’ll highlight their fascinating habits, discuss environmental threats affecting them and point out ways we can all help protect them.

A past president of the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators Association, Rammer has honed his marine-life expertise through 32 years with the Fish and Wildlife Department. He has also expanded that knowledge through travels to the Galapagos Islands, Costa Rica, Australia, China and other far-flung places.

Don't have your own boat? Taking friends out who are boatless? Interested in reducing your carbon footprint and paddling locally?

Everyone can benefit from the tips we'll get from Barb Sherill. And she knows her subject. She's been teaching kayaking and running various rental shops since the 90's, and now she is known to many as the "better half" over at George Gronseth's local Kayak Academy.

Her presentation will include ideas for paddling in the greater Seattle/Puget Sound area. We'll hear about scenic one-hour trips and day trips, and even a little bit about using a folding kayak without needing a vehicle.

The Social Event of the season.  We gather between 5:30 and 6:30 P.M. and the pizza arrives at 7:00 P.M.  (Hint: don’t be too late or it will be all gone).  Come to Magnuson Park on Lake Washington and look for shelter #1. Some of us will be coming early to hold the table.

Jan. 29, 2008 – Tebenkof Bay Wilderness

Speaker for the Fleet Randy Brook leads a small but intrepid band of paddlers into a little-known but delightful Southeast Alaska bay filled with whales, sea otters, eagles and other birds, and no other people. Watch how experienced paddlers have learned to live the easy life, where  the biggest challenge is having the fresh baked scones still hot when the wild smoked salmon omelet is ready. 

Feb. 26, 2008 - Canadian Gulf Islands
For a kayak trip that’s international yet close to home, British Columbia’s Gulf Islands offer a lovely and easy-to-reach destination, as seven SSKC members found last summer. Member Carole Trout presented a digital slide show of a paddling trip in these beautiful islands just north of the Canadian border.

Mar. 25, 2008 - George Gronseth - Judgment Calls
George Gronseth shares his kayaking expertise, turning his attention to judgment calls made in situations demanding a full quota of good sense.

April 29, 2008 - Leave No Trace etiquette
Marlla Mhoon will teach us about the Leave No Trace principles, important whether we're day tripping or camping out.

May 27, 2008 - The Beachwalk Project - "6000 miles, 5 major coastlines. All for clean water."
Come learn about the Beachwalk Project, as Bob Weinman of Hood River, Oregon, Bob's wife Evelyn, and Stein Kretsinger from the East Coast talk about their endeavor to promote the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Join us to hear their in-person stories, about kayaking by kite, getting "power-washed" in the surf, and more.

June 24, 2008 - Our Annual Picnic
The Social Event of the season.  We gather between 5:00 and 6:00 P.M. and the pizza arrives at 6:30 P.M.  (Hint: don’t be too late or it will be all gone).  Come to Magnuson Park on Lake Washington and look for shelter #1. Some of us will be coming early to hold the table.

July - August, 2008 – Gone Paddling!!!
See you in September