Cross Currents Sea Kayaking | Courses on the Chesapeake Bay

2026 Courses and Trips

The following section presents an overview of all the 2026 Cross Currents courses and trips. If you'd like to register for one or more courses/trips - or have questions about any of them - just email us at CrossCurrentsSeaKayaking@gmail.com.

The Florida Sun Coast

March 1 – 7, 2026 (Sun – Sat.)

Location: Tampa/St. Pete area

Instructor/Guide: Rick Wiebush

Cost: $795 + housing (about $65-70/night)

Join us for this southwest Florida trip in early March, when the average air temperatures are 75 degrees (high) and 55 degrees (low). The average water temperature for that time period is 65 degrees. Perfect!

We will be staying in a great rental house and doing a week of day trips. The paddling will be mostly flat water, about 8 – 10 NM each day, and will include a wide range of environments and wildlife.

The trips will include: exploring the cerulean waters and sparkling white sandy beaches near Shell Key with its submariner cormorants; winding our way through a series of mangrove tunnels near St. Petersburg; paddling from Tarpons Springs (Greek sponge divers!) out to the lighthouse on Anclote Key; circumnavigating Caladesi Island and exploring the remote, jungle-like Hillsborough River. Weather permitting, we also want to try the crossing from Ft. DeSoto to Egmont Key.

The Florida First Coast

March 8 - 15, 2026 (Sun. - Sat.)

Location: Jacksonville, FL/St. Mary's GA

Instructors/Guides: Rick Wiebush

Cost: $695 + housing

We’re returning to one of our favorite areas due to the diversity of paddling environments including Georgia and Florida barrier islands, twisty rivers, and the Okefenokee Swamp. All while enjoying air temps in the 70’s. This will be a week of house-based day trips to places like Cumberland and Jekyll Islands, St. Augustine, the Upper and Lower St. Mary’s River and more.

Online Navigation Series

Mar. 18, 25, Apr. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (Wednesdays 7 – 8:30 PM):

Location: your house

Instructors: Rick Wiebush

Cost: $295 for all seven sessions

This navigation series will cover just about everything you need to know (and nothing you don’t need) for safe and effective navigational practices while trip planning and paddling. The series will include seven on-line sessions.

In addition, there will be a separate but directly-related on-water navigation course designed as a follow-up to this course that will facilitate pulling everything together and applying your new (or refreshed) skills in a practical way. (See “Finding Your Way” course listed below.)

We are breaking the online portion down into manageable bites – instead of a day-long marathon - to facilitate a deeper dive into each of the various topics and to help better retain the information.

The sessions will be on consecutive Wednesdays starting on March 18 and ending on April 29. Each session will last approximately 1.5 – 2 hours. The on-water course will be Saturday and Sunday, May 2 - 3 and will last about seven hours each day.

The sessions will be interactive, with exercises, small group activities, and plenty of time for questions. We will be using a formal curriculum. There will be homework for most sessions, and there will be a culminating, trip planning project at the end. Here are the topics, by week:

March 18: understanding charts: symbols, latitude and longitude, measuring distance, understanding scale

March 25: using chart and compass together to plot courses, and to figure out where you are (i.e. triangulation)

April 1: understanding tides; accessing and reading tide tables; tidal causes and variations; rule of 12ths

April 8: understanding current and current tables; accounting for current in crossings; 50/90 rule.

April 15: dealing with wind: types of wind, Beaufort scale, effects of wind on paddlers; strategies for dealing with wind

April 22: trip planning – bringing it all together: factors to take into account; details of the trip planning exercise

April 29: trip planning presentations: selected participants will present their trip plan including rationales for the decisions they made.

Wavepaddler Spring Gathering

April 7-12, 2026 (Tues. – Sun)

Location: Seabrook Island, SC

Instructors: Dale Williams, James Kesterson, Ashley Brown, Jeff Atkins, Bev Cosslett, Mike Hamilton, Rob Garfield

Cost: $1,095

Our friends at Wavepaddler – an NDK/SKUK Expedition Paddling Center – will be celebrating their third annual Spring Gathering. It will be held over five days (April 7 - 12, 2026) at Seabrook Island, one of South Carolina’s beautiful barrier islands. This will be a great opportunity to get back on the water and improve your skills for the upcoming paddling season! This immersive experience will include lodging, meals, coaching, skills development and touring.

Come and join us whether you want to play in calmer waters or test your skills in the surf and bumpy Atlantic! There will be a variety of opportunities to make the most of your adventure.

The venue - Camp St. Christopher - is a unique place to visit since it’s beach front and has a maritime forest with trails. There is a wonderful sense of isolation and peacefulness. Yes, it’s a camp, but the lodge rooms we’ll be using are similar to hotel rooms with two double beds (but no TVs or mini-bars)!

The cost is $1,095, which includes five days of instruction and guiding, a double occupancy room, and breakfast and dinner. For more information or to register, contact Jeff Atkins at wavepaddlerjeff@gmail.com or Ashley Brown wavepaddlerashley@gmail.com

Finding Your Way: Navigation Practicum

May 2 - 3 2026 (Sat. - Sun.)

Location: Kent Island, Chesapeake Bay

Instructor: Paula Hubbard

Cost: $225 ($175 for those who took the online series)

Join us for a fun-filled weekend that will focus on refining and expanding your sea kayak navigation skills. You may have taken a one-day classroom navigation course or the multi-part online series, and now it’s time to apply that learning to the real world of sea kayaking. This set of weekend classes will cover just about everything you need to know for on-water navigation and give you repeated opportunities to practice new skills in real life. Review how to read a nautical chart and, more importantly, practice comparing what you see on the chart to what you are looking at while you’re on the water. The classes - most of which will be on the water - will include understanding aids to navigation, using ranges, how to measure distance, the basics of the “rules of the road”, and how to safely cross busy boat channels. Learn how to use a chart and compass together to plot a course and then follow that course to a specific location. We will also challenge you with games that will test and stretch your navigation skills. One will be a team challenge that will require your team to follow a series of clues, navigating from one place to another to reach the final goal.

Paula is an expert in sea kayak navigation and has helped teach the online series in addition to running one-day classroom navigation course for several years.

Pine Barrens Exploration: Paddling and Camping on the Wading River

May 9 – 10, 2026 (Sat – Sun)

Location: New Jersey Pine Barrens, Chatsworth, NJ

Instructor/Guide: Rick Wiebush Cost: $225

We’ve been doing this trip since 2015 and almost everyone agrees it is one of the best trips of the summer! The Pine Barrens is a wilderness in the midst of one of the most urbanized areas in the country. Covering almost one-quarter of NJ, it has scrub pines, sandy soil, twisting, narrow rivers that flow eventually to the Atlantic, and almost no people! It is a special paddling destination that is suitable for most skill levels (not for beginners though). Our journey through this magical place will be on the Wading River, a tannin-colored waterway that starts out just 20 ft. wide at the put in and gradually widens as it courses toward the junction with the broad Mullica River.

The total trip will be about 25 miles, but we will be assisted by the current the whole way. We will be camping at a secluded pine-studded campground on Friday and Saturday nights. The campground is about halfway through the trip, so we’ll drive to the put in on Saturday morning and paddle back to the campground for Saturday night. Everyone will have their car at the campground both nights. The Sunday leg will be slightly shorter (and we’ll have the tides with us) so expect to get off the water and on your way home around 3-4 PM.

ACA Level 2 Instructor Certification Workshop and Update

May 22 - 25, 2026 (Fri. - Mon.)

Instructor Trainer: Rick Wiebush, Laurie Collins

Location: Rocky Gorge Reservoir, Laurel, MD and Kent Island, Chesapeake Bay

Cost: $595. Two-day update is $300.

This is an Instructor Certification Workshop (ICW) for those wishing to become an ACA L2 Coastal Kayaking Instructor. It can also be used by current L2 instructors to meet the ACA requirement that you participate in an Update once every four years.

ACA Certification is a two-part process: The first part focuses on learning how to teach and manage othersothers, and the second is the formal evaluation of skills. Certification is based upon paddling skills (e.g., strokes, rescues), general knowledge (e.g., tides and currents, navigation), and teaching and group management skills. Taking the course does not guarantee certification.

In the initial portion of the course, the instructor trainer models effective methods for teaching others kayak-related skills. Then the candidates have multiple opportunities over several days to practice and demonstrate their teaching (and other) skills. The course also places a strong emphasis on group management, risk assessment, incident management, and general knowledge such as navigation.

To participate in the course, you must have received the ACA L2 personal skills award. If you have not had that personal skills assessment, there are two options: 1) you can be assessed for L2 personal skills on the Friday of the ICW or 2) if you previously have demonstrated L2 personal skills to me at some point, we can arrange with ACA to have that formally documented. You would then be eligible to take the ICW. The personal skills requirement is in place because an ICW is about learning how to teach effectively, not learning the skills yourself! To give you some idea of what’s required, the following link provides the instructor criteria for Level 2. Level 2: Essentials of Kayak Touring Instructor Criteria

Introduction to Kayaking

June 6, 2026 (Sat.) This course is repeated on August 9

Instructors: Shelly Wiechelt

Location: Rocky Gorge Reservoir, Laurel, MD

Cost: $125

This course is designed for people who have just started out (or are about to). The whole point of it is to get you feeling comfortable and confident in your boat and to become aware of the safety issues associated with kayaking. And to have fun doing it!

We will intersperse discussions, skills practice, and short trips throughout the day. Rocky Gorge is both a very protected and very scenic waterway. We’ll cover boat control skills including forward, reverse, sweep and draw strokes. There will be games and drills to help master the various movements. We’ll introduce you to the basic rescues and give you plenty of time to practice them. For those with a spray skirt, we can cover the procedures for a wet exit (getting out of the boat while upside down).

This course will be repeated on Sat. July 18.

Note: you need to have your own boat for this course. We may be able to make one or two rental boats available at $45 for the day.

Intensive Intermediate Skills Workshop

June 6 - 7 2026 (Sat - Sun)

Location: Rocky Gorge Reservoir, Laurel, MD and Kent Island, MD

Instructors: Francesca McLin

Cost: $225

This is a two-day intensive skills development course that will focus on learning or refining a whole range of core skills including strokes and maneuvers, edging, bracing and rescues. It is designed for rising intermediate paddlers. We hope to get you on the road to paddling with grace and style.

The course will include refinement of all the basic strokes (forward, reverse, sweeps, draws, stern rudder) and rescues (e.g. T-rescue, paddle float) as well as a range of intermediate strokes (e.g., bow rudder, low brace turn) and rescues. We will place a major emphasis on edging to facilitate turns (or going straight!), bracing, and using the wind to your advantage. The course is geared toward developing ACA Level 2 (and some Level 3) personal skills proficiencies.

This course will be repeated July 18 - 19

Paddle Smarter, Not Harder: Women’s Skills Workshop

Dates: June 27 - 28, 2026 (Sat - Sun)

Location: Sassafrass River, Chestertown, MD

Instructor: Paula Hubbard, Marilyn Cooper, Laurie Collins

Cost: $225 (+ housing, if needed)

This course is all about helping grow the women who have recently started in our sport and for those who may have been paddling for a while but have never had outstanding formal instruction. The women who did this course last year absolutely loved it! The class emphasizes the ways in which women can use proper technique, better balance, and a supportive learning environment to develop and enhance skill development. Learn how small women can keep up with the big boys, or even leave them in the dust. Explore ways of using your body to facilitate assisted and self-rescues, and see how a lower center of gravity can be a huge advantage in some aspects of paddling. This is all about paddling smarter, not harder.

The classes on both days will be on flat, calm water on the Sassafrass River.

On Saturday, the focus will be on strokes. It will start with a review of the basics, and emphasize effective use of the body to get the maximum performance with minimum effort. Don’t worry about being the slowest paddler in a group, we will spend a lot of time on the forward stroke making keeping up easier. Then we will work on boat control with grace and finesse. This will include standard sweep strokes, draw strokes, and blending strokes for efficient, elegant, and precise maneuvers. We will finish with support strokes, bracing and sculling. These strokes can increase your confidence in rougher water by giving you more stability. While it sounds very serious, be prepared for fun, games and lots of laughs, no pressure.

Sunday will be all about Recovery, Reentry and Rescues. The focus is on different ways to perform self and assisted rescues. The class will start with a review of the basics, then we will work on different aspects of a rescue starting with boat maneuvering, using your body to effectively perform an assisted rescue, climbing back into a kayak using a variety of techniques, plus a few more scenarios. There will be more fun, more games and more laughs.

There will be housing options. If people want to, we can rent a charming house in historic Chestertown. If you feel more comfortable getting a motel or renting your own Airbnb, that’s fine too. We will have some way of socializing on Saturday night. We can do a potluck in the back yard of the house, or at a local park, or go to a restaurant and sit outside.

Circumnavigation of Manhattan and Statue of Liberty

June 27 – 28, 2026 (Sat – Sun)

Location: Saturday: Queens, NYC; Sun: Jersey City, NJ

Guides: Rick Wiebush, Rob Garfield Cost: $225

This is a bucket- list trip that’s so good, many people do it every year. It’s 27 nautical miles, but feels much shorter because we time things so that we are always going with the current. Since that current can reach three knots in some places, we’ll get a big boost.

Most of our local paddling environments feel mostly horizontal – not just the broad expanses of the Chesapeake Bay or Atlantic Ocean, but also the flatness of the land, and our far-as-the-eye-can-see salt marshes. But Manhattan is a paddle that offers some impressive vertical dimensions: from the multitude of elaborate bridges stretching across the East and Harlem Rivers, to the soaring George Washington Bridge, and the stunning, huddled skyscrapers stretching upward from downtown streets. This is a very different kind of paddle in part because you’re always looking up!

It’s a varied trip in that we sometimes will be on flat, scenic water while at other times we’ll have to negotiate the swells and clapotis created by ferry wakes at the southern tip of Manhattan. What makes this trip special – and safe - is that we do it with 8-10 people, rather than the 200 + paddlers that some of groups organize.

Note: this is not a trip for beginners. For endurance, you should work your way up to paddling at least 15 nm for a couple of weeks prior to the trip. You should also have strong basic skills including a good forward stroke, effective stopping and reverse strokes, and a lot of experience with bracing and assisted rescues. Prospective participants will be screened to determine their appropriateness for this trip.

To top off our NYC weekend, we’ll do a shorter, but really fun paddle out to, and around, the Statue of Liberty on the Sunday

Introduction to Kayaking

July 18., 2026 (Sat.)

Instructor: Richard Essex

Location: Rocky Gorge Reservoir, Laurel, MD

Cost: $125

This is the second of two Intro courses for 2026 (the first is June 6). It is designed for people who have just started out (or are about to). The whole point of it is to get you feeling comfortable and confident in your boat and to become aware of the safety issues associated with kayaking. And to have fun doing it!

Note: you need to have your own boat for this course. We may be able to make one or two rental boats available.

Intensive Intermediate Skills Workshop

Dates: July. 18 - 19, 2026 (Sat -Sun)

Location: Rocky Gorge Reservoir, Laurel, MD

Instructors: Samm Magsino

Cost: $225

This is a repeat of the two-day intensive skills development course (see June 6 - 7) that will focus on learning or refining a whole range of core skills including strokes and maneuvers, edging, bracing and rescues. It is designed for rising intermediate paddlers. We hope to get you on the road to paddling with grace and style.

The course will include refinement of all the basic strokes (forward, reverse, sweeps, draws, stern rudder) and rescues (e.g. T-rescue, paddle float) as well as a range of intermediate strokes (e.g., bow rudder, low brace turn) and rescues. We will place a major emphasis on edging to facilitate turns (or going straight!), bracing, and using the wind to your advantage. There will be a LOT of drills, games, getting wet, and fun!

Introduction to Rocks and Ledges

July 31 - Aug. 2, 2026 (Fri. - Sun.)

Instructors: Rick Wiebush, Rob Garfield

Location: Newport, RI

Cost: $350 (+ housing)

Join us on this very exciting and challenging course during which we will learn all the basic strategies for dealing with swell as it meets dramatic rocky shorelines and islands. It is just too much fun!

This is a three-day course. The first day (Fri) will focus on practicing the strokes and maneuvers that are used most frequently when playing in rocks and ledges. These include forward and reverse “sprints”, sculling draws and draws on the move, advanced stern rudders, bow rudders and low brace turns. We’ll also review the safest strategies for dealing with the unexpected capsize near swell and rocks. To see how these strokes and maneuvers work around rocks – and to develop confidence - we’ll practice in small play spots for most of the day.

Over the next two days, we’ll try some runs through narrow slots in the rocks, ride swell up to get as close to the rock face as possible and try some pour-overs. You'll learn how to use risk assessment to select appropriate play spots. We'll start with small features to develop water-reading skills and work our way up to bigger features. In all play spots, what you do will be “challenge by choice” i.e. if you don’t feel comfortable trying something, that is totally fine. You can just watch or maybe try a smaller feature. This is about expanding your skills and challenging yourself; not about being stupid or unsafe. This is not a testosterone challenge!

If you want to do this course you should be a solid intermediate-level sea kayaker with good boat control and bracing skills. A roll would be helpful but isn’t required. You do not need previous experience in rock gardens, although you are welcome to join us if you have had some exposure to this aspect of paddling. You definitely need a helmet.

Risk Assessment and Incident Management

Date: Aug. 8, 2026 (Sat.)

Location: Chestertown, MD (Sassafras River)

Instructor: Paula Hubbard, Marilyn Cooper

Cost: $125

This course will introduce paddlers to the concept and practice of risk assessment for sea kayakers. It will also train participants in how to deal with situations in which – in spite of the assessed risks – things have gone very wrong.

The risk assessment portion of the course will present and discuss the factors that need to be taken into account by all paddlers at all times before getting on the water and what issues require constant monitoring once on the water, to avoid chaos and possible tragedy. Wind, weather, waves, current, the group’s skill level, available equipment, and other considerations will all be reviewed. In addition, Paula will present the formal risk assessment models used by the Tsunami Rangers (discussed in the November 2019 issue of Coastbusters) and by Body, Boat, Blade (discussed in the January 2020 issue of Coastbusters).

Sometimes, in spite of careful planning and risk assessment, bad stuff happens. The situations that arise – and responding appropriately to them – will form the main part of this course. During a journey on the water, various and multiple manufactured “incidents” will confront the group and will need to be dealt with by them. These may include relatively mild incidents like the paddler who wants to go off on her own, or a blown/lost hatch cover. They will also likely include more serious incidents like a capsized paddler who is unable to get back in his boat, a lost paddler, or a situation in which everyone in the group has capsized.

This course is on flat water, but it will challenge you both physically and mentally. It will also deepen your understanding of how to prevent “incidents” and how to respond safely and creatively to them when they do happen.

Paddle Smarter II: Becoming an Asset

Aug. 15 – 16, 2026 (Sat – Sun)

Instructors: Marilyn Cooper, Paula Hubbard, Laurie Collins

Location Chestertown and Kent Island, MD

Cost: $225

The objective of this new Paddle Smarter program is to build on Part I by refining and expanding participants” skill set, especially on bouncier water. The goal is to give women the tools to become an asset (and maybe a leader) for any group with which they are paddling.

The first day will be back at Turner Creek near Chestertown, focusing on review and refinement of skills, with some play in the boat wakes. The second day will be at Kent Island with its more dynamic water. This venue will increase both risk and opportunities for growth.

One purpose will be to understand and become comfortable with moving water. So on Sunday, time will be spent just feeling how the boat moves and responds in more dynamic conditions and figuring out what changes are needed to adapt to these different paddling circumstances. We will take the strokes and maneuvers we already have learned and

apply them “on the move”, then reflect on what did and didn’t work and make subsequent adaptations. How can we best make the boat do what we want it to do, i.e., boat control.

Secondly, we will work on adapting the rescues we’ve practiced to the new conditions created by wind, current and small waves. What do we need to be aware of in terms of getting to a capsized paddler, positioning them during the rescue, and safely and effectively emptying their boat and getting them back in it? In addition, we’ll experiment with doing self-rescues in bouncier water and challenging our balancing skills!

The third area of focus will be on towing. What are the various circumstances under which someone may need to be towed? What equipment is needed? What are the various types of tows that can be used for different circumstances? For practice, everyone will have an opportunity to be both the one doing the towing and the person being towed.

Surf Camps!

Weds - Thurs, (Sept. 23-24, 2026)

Instructors: Dale Williams, James Kesterson, Jeff Atkins, Ashley Brown

Location: Cape Charles, VA

Cost: $295 (+ housing)

These two-day, pre-symposium surf camps are geared to paddlers who want some intensive instruction to improve their surfing skills. There will be two tracks: advanced and intermediate. The venues will include Metompkin Inlet and/or Smith Inlet. There is an additional fee of $295 for this training and registration is separate from the symposium registration. Group housing will be available. If you are interested, please contact Rick Wiebush (rwiebush@gmail.com; 410.788.1241).

Advanced Surfing Track

This course will be run by Dale Williams (ACA L5 ITE) and James Kesterson (ACA L5). It is for people who have a lot of surf experience, a reliable roll in conditions, strong self-rescue skills, a strong forward stroke and plenty of stamina. You need a helmet. In addition to refining several aspects of surfing technique, both days will include an extensive (e.g., 1.5 hour) debrief session to reflect on what you’ve accomplished, where you want to go next, and any “incidents” that may have occurred. These debriefs will take place at one of the group houses after people have had a chance to shower and change. This course is limited to eight participants.

Intermediate Surfing Track

This course will be led by Jeff Atkins (ACA L5 ITE). and Ashley Brown (ACA L5 and L4 ITE) It is geared toward people who have paddled in surf multiple times, have taken at least one formal surf class, but have surfed primarily in a shore break. You should feel comfortable in 2 - 3 ft surf. A roll is a definite plus but not required. However, you should be adept at one or more self - rescues and totally competent with assisted rescues. The skills will include understanding the surf zone, identifying safe areas, the set-up and take-off, timing, power strokes, holding position on the wave, surf zone etiquette, and launching and landing, among others. There will be lots of drills to increase your confidence in a dynamic environment. You need a helmet. This course is limited to eight participants.

15th Annual Kiptopeke Sea Kayaking Symposium

Sept 25 – 27, 2026 (Fri – Sun)

Location: Cape Charles, VA

Instructors: Dale Williams, Jeff Atkins, Ashley Brown, James Kesterson, Chris Rezac, Rick Wiebush, Paula Hubbard, Kathryn Lapolla, Mike

Hamilton, Rob Garfield, Laurie Collins

Cost: $575 (includes three days of classes + three nights lodging +Sat. dinner)

$425 (if you are arranging your own housing or camping)

The Kiptopeke Symposium routinely is a fabulous event - people love it! There are several reasons for all the positive reviews including:

the range of courses, with everything from novice to advanced level courses; and the number of courses, with about 10 to choose from each day

the quality of the coaches, who are the best in the mid-Atlantic area and include some who are considered to be the best in the country

the mix of participants, who come from 10 -12 different states, some as far away as Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida and Canada!

the fact that the vast majority of participants stay together in the beautiful state park lodges, which helps create a wonderful sense of community

the venue itself, next to the Virginia barrier islands, and with immediate access to the calmer waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the rougher conditions that can be had in the Atlantic Ocean.

The full description of the 2026 courses and the registration form will be available around May 15. See the "Symposium" tab above.

We will be offering the most popular courses from past years, plus some new ones. The range of courses will provide great opportunities for paddlers of all skill levels. The courses include:

Beginning and Advanced Rolling
Greenland Skills
Intermediate skills
Life on the Edge and Open Water Skills
Intro to Surf; Advanced Surfing
Intro to Rougher Water
Basic and Advanced Rescues
Towing
Circumnavigation of Fisherman's Island
Barrier Island touring trips
and more!

Also, don’t forget to check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PA6ls-AsWl0

Housing

Most people will be staying in one of the five Kiptopeke State Park lodges that we’ve rented for this year. The lodges all have six bedrooms and three baths with a full kitchen and plenty of room to spread out and relax. The cost for a two-person lodge room is just $160 for all three nights (Thurs., Fri., Sat.)

There are several other housing options available for those who don’t want to be with a group. Kiptopeke State Park has a really nice campground and there are several motels in the area.

Virginia’s Northern Neck: Chesapeake Wine Trail and Brewery

October 16-18, 2026 (Fri – Sun)

Location: Kilmarnock, VA

Guides: Rick Wiebush, Laurie Collins

Cost: $295 (+ housing)

Note: this trip is already full. Waitlist available.

Join us for a long Fall weekend enjoying the northern neck of Virginia and the quaint, historic area around Reedville. This is a trip we did four years ago and are finally going back. Why? Because it is a fabulous paddling destination. This will be a house-based trip and a wonderful way to spend the weekend as we approach the end of the “regular” paddling season! We’ll arrive Thursday night and depart mid-afternoon on Sunday.

What I like is that in addition to the paddling trips each day (including parts of the John Smith Historic Water Trail), a lot of "culture" will be mixed in. "Culture" is defined as: 1) five vineyards that are part of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail and 2) a local brewery!

After circumnavigating Fleet's Island (10.5 NM) on Friday, we'll head to the Kilmarnock Brewhaus to try one or more of their 15 locally-brewed beers AND locally-caught crabs and oysters AND live music!

The plan for Saturday is to paddle to and through the Dameron Marsh Natural Area Preserve which is coastal ecosystem that contains significant salt marsh and marsh bird communities, as well as sandy beaches and upland forest habitats. Post-paddle we can stop at the nearby Jacy Vineyards

One option for Sunday is the shorter (five mile) Cockerell Creek Water Trail with a stop at the waters edge ice cream shop and the Reedville Fisherman's Museum (shorter Sunday so we can get on the road).

The Georgia Barrier Islands

Oct. 25 – 31 (Sun – Sat)

Location: Savannah and Tybee Island, GA

Instructors/Guides: Kathryn Lapolla, Rick Wiebush

Cost: $795 (+ housing)

One word to describe the Georgia Barrier Islands: Spectacular! A couple of words to describe Kathryn Lapolla: she lives there and knows the area inside and out!

This week-long, rental house-based, trip will involve a wide range of venues and water conditions, ranging from surf and strong current to water so calm, everything is perfectly reflected in it. Places like Tybee Island and Jack’s Cut, Wassaw Island and “The Boneyard”, the Savannah River with Fort Scriven and an abandoned light house, and the incredible Ebenezer Creek with it’s flooded, 100-year-old magnificent trees.

There will be training options on most of the trips. We would like to use a “teach and trek” model on some of the days so that we are combining skill development with touring. On a couple of days there will be the option to surf for those who want to. Of course, on other days it will be pure touring, especially as we head out to some of the more remote barrier islands, riding the strong ebbing current out and the equally strong flood back to the put in. Those currents make longer mileage trips a piece of cake. Throughout all of this we will have the benefit of Kathryn’s wide-ranging and in-depth knowledge of all the trees, plants, history, and wildlife. She adds a whole other dimension to the paddling.

There are two options that we will work out with the participants. One is to take a day off to explore Savannah and some of the historical/cultural sited in the area (like the Gullah Geechee communities). The other is to set up an optional dayof sea kayak surfing instruction with the master, Dale Williams.

This trip is not to be missed. The people who did it over the past three years still talk about it!

Pacific Baja: Rocks and Ledges

Nov. 7 - 15, 2026 (Sat– Sun.)

Location: San Diego, CA and La Bufadora, Baja, MX

Instructors/Guides: Jen Kleck, Victor Leon, Jeff Atkins, Rick Wiebush

Cost: $1,595 ( includes housing and most meals)

Everyone that has done this with us has called it one of the best paddling trips they’ve ever done! And the 2025 trip was absolutely EPIC!

Paddle pour-overs, chutes, ledges, caves. Push yourself. Hold back if something makes you nervous. Take in the incredible vistas. Relax in the evenings in Victor Leon’s house overlooking the Pacific. Enjoy great local meals.

Join Jen Kleck, Rick and Jeff for a week-long trip that will feature several days of rock gardening and exposure to Baja culture! This trip is for those who have had some rock gardening experience and/or the equivalent of 3* skills.

In addition to the fabulous paddling, the Baja trip has now been extended one additional day to give us some time to experience the (non-paddling) culture of Baja. We will sample street food, check out the local fish markets, visit a vineyard and do wine tasting and/or go to a local brewery.

After traveling by van from San Diego to our base at a house in La Burfadora, we will spend a couple of days playing amidst the rocks and waves of the Pacific coast. The shoreline here is absolutely gorgeous, with mountains rising up from the sea, and massive stone pillars and caves dotting the coast. It is also a paddler’s playground with all kinds of features that are easily accessible and safe. As is always the case with our rock gardening courses, this will be challenge by choice – if you don’t feel comfortable doing something, it’s totally fine to not do it. But you will be thrilled by the challenges you do take on.

Here is the basic agenda for the week:

Saturday Nov 7: fly San Diego; stay hotel

Sunday: AM drive to Ensenada (3 hrs.); food shop; get set up in the house; short afternoon paddle to play at a gigantic blowhole. Stay in Victor’s house which is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific.

Monday through Friday: coastal exploration; play in rocks and ledges; paddle pour overs and chutes, find and explore caves; stay at house; local restaurants for dinner some nights.

Saturday: Explore Ensenada markets and street vendors. Late afternoon return to San Diego; stay hotel

Sunday, Nov 15: Fly home.