Kayak Roll Class with Sea Kayak Carolina's crackerjack instructional team! Class meets at St. Andrews Family Fitness Center indoor pool in West Ashley.

This is a two part class: First night Tuesday, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Second night Thursday, from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Tuition for both nights for Charleston Sea Kayaking Meetup Group Members $80 inclusive for both nights. (Includes kayak and skirt as needed.)

Please call Sea Kayak Carolina at (843)[masked] to reserve your spot.

Some Frequently Asked Questions:
Do I need to be an experienced kayaker to learn how to roll? ~Nope!  The progression of our roll class requires no previous paddling experience.

Do I need to have lots of upper body strength to learn to roll? ~Nope!  In fact, students with lots of upper body strength can be a challenge for instructors... these students tend to try to "muscle it"... and it doesn't work that way.  Big strong guys -- say "I'm a ballerina!" in your highest falsetto 1,000 times prior to coming to class!

Okay, I don't need strength, or experience.  What do I need? ~Flexibility helps!  We'd rather you be attending yoga class than bench-pressing.  Flexibility of the mind helps as well... don't be too goal oriented, just listen to the instructors and progress one step at a time.

I don't like to be trapped in a long, skinny kayak, upside down, underwater, learning a new skill! Can I learn to roll?  ~We approach our roll classes from your perspective.  Most people don't like to learn a new skill upside-down, stuck in a long skinny kayak, with water rushing up their nose!  We start with getting you comfortable with the wet exit, and work on some relaxation exercises before progressing. We have found the key is getting students comfortable.

No, you don't understand.  I completely freak out just thinking about capsizing in a kayak, especially with a skirt on!  How can there be any possibility of me learning to roll a kayak? ~Some folks are especially apprehensive.  We have multiple instructors in the pool, and we can often accommodate especially apprehensive students one-on-one with especially patient and understanding instructors.  Please call the shop if you still have concerns.

What to wear?  What else to bring?

A bathing suit.

Some insulating layers.  The pool is heated, but everyone that tries to go the hour and 45 minutes in just a bathing suit gets hypothermic such that they are uncomfortable and unable to progress. Neoprene shorts and a neoprene top (available at the shop) work great.  A lightweight surfers wetsuit or shorty wetsuit work well too.

Water shoes / kayak shoes.  (available at the shop.)

Noseplugs or a dive mask can be helpful.  (Noseplugs are available at the shop or for purchase at class.)

Can I bring my own kayak?  Do you provide a kayak and gear? We normally equip folks with properly sized sea kayaks, skirts and paddles.;  If you would like to bring your own kayak, let us know when you register.  If it is suitable for learning to roll, by all means bring it.  If it is not a model of kayak that is easier to roll, we often have you work in one of our kayaks the first night and part of the second, and transition the student into their own boat sometime the second evening.

You must pre-register for roll class.  Please call the shop at[masked]-7969.

Check here for more information on roll class and some neat videos and resources.