Activity Snapshot
Activity description
Take a 5-day course to become autonomous in sea kayaking and discover the most beautiful sites of the Calanques National Park in Marseille!
Raskas Kayak's qualified instructors are waiting for you for a 5-day course in the Calanques National Park during which they will share with you their passion for sea kayaking! As an approved member of the FFCK (French Federation of Canoeing and Kayaking), Raskas Kayak can allow you to validate your green paddle with this course. So get ready for this new challenge and for a week full of learning!
What is the highlight of this course? You will be introduced to sea kayaking while visiting the entire Calanques National Park, as well as other exceptional areas of the region. After this week of training, you will be ready to participate in itinerant trips or to buy your own kayak! You will be able to explore even more new places in the future!
The organisation of the course is designed to adapt to your level. The first sessions will start slowly, with adapted itineraries that will become more complex with time. The routes will become more and more interesting and the trajectories more and more refined.
Last but not least, you will have the chance to train in a beautiful environment. The Calanques National Park will soon hold no secrets for you. Numerous itineraries are planned over the 5 days of this sea kayaking course and they will allow you to explore the "Petites calanques" between Carry le Rouet and l'Estaque, on the Côte Bleue, as well as the Cap Canaille and its sea cliffs, the highest in Europe! You will also pass by the Archipelago of Riou, a natural reserve off the Calanques. From your kayak, you will be able to access places inaccessible by land such as the fishing ports of Niolon and La Vesce. You can also observe the peregrine falcons in the Riou Archipelago, their nesting territory in spring.
If you want to become autonomous in kayaking, benefit from a complete and enriching training, while practising in the magnificent National Park of the Calanques of Marseille, you must participate in this 5-day course!
So book your 5-day sea kayaking course in the Calanques National Park of Marseille and benefit from instructive guidance in a dream setting!
Beginner level, you have never done sea kayaking or only occasionally.
Objectives
This course validates all the skills of the beginner level and all or part of the intermediate level.
Details of the skills you'll acquire per day:
Day 1: Adjustments and installation in the kayak, use of the paddle, notions of balance and simple manoeuvres: Propulsion, retro-pulsion, circular and notion of heel. First safety gestures, desalting. Validation of the first skills of the beginner level.
Day 2: Economy propulsion, efficiency of movement. Lateral displacement, techniques for recovering a desalted person.
Day 3: Technical solutions for manoeuvring, turning, changing direction easily (heeling), more complex manoeuvres (incidence calls and towed calls). Introduction to turning manoeuvres with the help of the wind (trim and paddle placement)
Day 4: Review of the week's manoeuvres and application to the day's course. Fine navigation and close to the rocks. Initiation to the reading of the weather report, wind direction, notion of shelters and exposures.
Day 5: Introduction to Eskimo roll. Reminder of the week's manoeuvres, fixing what you have learnt. Some techniques can be practised in greater depth in order to validate a maximum of points for your Intermediate level.
Course of events
Day 1
- Meeting at the youth hostel.
- Presentation of the course and its objectives.
- Preparation of the equipment.
- Departure by minibus for the day trip, carpooling if there are not enough seats in the minibus (8 seats).
- Choice of boarding site according to the weather and the level of each person.
- Introduction session, picnic and practice day.
- Return to the hostel to debrief.
J2
- Relaxed excursion in the "petites calanques".
- Mid-course debriefing.
J3
- Boarding in Cassis.
- Itinerary along the Calanques.
- Return to the hostel.
J4
- Boarding in Cassis.
- Itinerary Cap Canaille.
- Return to the hostel.
- Course on how to read a weather report with a marine chart.
J5
- Boarding at Callelongue.
- Map reading and choice of itinerary.
- Itinerary of the Riou Archipelago with moments of birds observation.
- Return to the hostel.
- Tidying up the equipment.
- Debriefing of the course: projects and validation of levels.
Accommodation and breakfast at Balaéna:
Optional, you can be hosted at the hosting partner who offers shared rooms of 4 people where usually the trainees meet. This centre is a 10 minute walk from the kayak base. You arrive the day before the course and breakfast is included.
Recommended formula, 5 nights and 5 breakfasts: Price 131 €. When you make your reservation for the kayak course, you will be contacted by the accommodation provider if you formalise your request for accommodation.
Evening meals at the kayak base: (except for the one on your arrival the day before, not included)
Also optional, Raskas Kayak organises a caterer at the kayak base, who provides us with superb meals.
Recommended formula: 4 evening meals: 64€ (to be booked in advance but to be paid on site)
Picnics:
On the first day of the course, you must bring your own lunch in order to save time on this day. On the following days, the instructors will organise a common box to prepare the day's picnics between students. (budget Max 6€/day)
Please contact the instructor after booking for more information.
Activity requirements
Minimum weight: 45kg.
Maximum weight: 100kg.
Ability to swim and immerse.
Be in good health and practice sport regularly.
Special terms
Itineraries may be subject to change, depending on the weather conditions, the level of the participants and the technical topics covered during the course.
Please do not bring any electronic equipment without personal waterproof protection.
If there are more than 8 participants, carpooling will be organised with participants who have a car.
- Kayak, paddles, life jacket, skirt and waterproof bag
- Supervision of the course by a qualified sea kayaking instructor
- Transport from the hostel with a minibus for up to 8 people
- Fauna and flora documents
- Meeting room for debriefings
- Transport from your home to the Youth Hostel and back.
- Accomodation
- Meals
- MANDATORY: A pair of closed shoes for walking in the water (Neoprene shoes or small tennis shoes)
- 2 litres of water per person + snacks
- Picnic
- A technical top or long-sleeved T-shirt, an old fleece and a solid waterproof jacket (depending on the season)
- Change of clothes
- Swimming costume and towel
- Sunglasses with cord, headgear, sunscreen
- Your waterproof or non-waterproof camera equipment (bring a Ziploc or Tupperware)
- Fins, mask and snorkel (if you have them)
- A small kit of personal medication if you are prone to seasickness, tendonitis, headaches, etc.
