About us
SKABC is a club of independent kayakers who love the adventure of exploring our coastline by kayak. Our website is at skabc.org. SKABC's mission is to promote fellowship, safety, the exchange of information and skills, to encourage concern and respect for the environment, and above all to enjoy sea kayaking.
As a volunteer run club, we focus on providing our members with trips for all levels of expertise, training to ensure we all have the skills to paddle safely, and an appreciation of marine conservation issues. We are always looking for new members who want to develop and/or share skills and knowledge of this tremendous recreational pastime.
All members and non-members are welcome at our monthly meetings, held on the first Monday of January to June and September to November. To sign up for official club trips and to take courses, you will need to join the club at skabc.org, which requires an annual membership of $45.
This Meetup page is sponsored by "Friends of SKABC," a group of SKABC members dedicated to expanding our activities and outreach to new and older members. Attendance on a Meetup trip dues not require SKABC membership and is open to all with a genuine interest in kayaking and relevant skills for the trip listed.
Finally, we are looking for event organizers (e-orgs) who are safe and experienced paddlers willing to lead easy kayak trips mostly for beginners and through this Meetup group.
Upcoming events
3
Trip Leader Course in Gulf Islands
Tswassen Ferry To Victoria, 1 Ferry Causeway, Delta, bc, CASKABC invites you to join our club and take a course. We have offerings for beginners, but for experienced paddlers we're featuring a Trip Leader Course. Details of what is involved and what you'll learn in the course are below.
Annual membership in SKABC costs $45 (additional family members are $10). The Trip Leader course is $50 and consists of an evening session on Thursday May 7 plus three days in the Gulf Islands May 22-24.
To join the club and express interest in the course, visit skabc.orgDescription: Spend three days in the Gulf Islands developing the skills required to lead a SKABC trip for a day, a weekend or an extended period.
This course is aimed at paddlers who have some kayaking experience (day trips, overnight trips and multi-day trips), and would like to know more about leading SKABC trips in accordance with the club’s philosophy, which can be found on the website.Learning objectives of this course:
- trip preparation
- equipment to carry as the leader
- launch site safety review
- incident management
- group integration to establish a cohesive team (group dynamics)
- campsite environmental management
NOTE: The course includes an evening trip-planning meeting on Thursday May 7th in Cambie Village.
Prerequisites:- Be able to perform a wet exit, assisted re-entry and unassisted (self) re-entry
- Have overnight or multi-day trip experience
- Know how to pack your kayak for camping
- Be comfortable paddling a loaded boat
- Be able to set up your own camp site at the end of the day
- Interested in leading SKABC trips
- Wetsuit or drysuit
- Be pre-approved by the coordinator prior to registration
Format:
- Trip Planning Meeting (see above for date and time)
- 3 day trip with 2 nights camping in Gulf Islands
- Participants are expected to wheel their boats onto the Tsawwassen – Swartz Bay ferry with the group.
Fee: $50
Note: the fee will be refunded if a participant completes the course and leads a trip in 2026 or between January 1 and August 31 2027
Travel and Camping Expenses: Participants are responsible for their own transportation, walk on ferry costs and camp fees. Camp fees are approx. $7.50/night.Up for the challenge? Join us and find out more at skabc.org
2 attendees
Beginners Kayaking Course
Cates Park, north vancouver, North Vancouver, BC, CASKABC invites you to join our club and take a Beginners Course. There are no pre-requisites. Details of what is involved and what you'll learn in the course are below.
Annual membership in SKABC costs $45 (additional family members are $10). The Beginner's Course is $85 and consists of an evening Zoom session on Thursday May 28 plus two days on the water May 30 and 31 at Cates Park in Deep Cove, North Vancouver.
To join the club and register for the course, visit skabc.org
Details: This foundation course will give you the basic skills and knowledge to go on kayak trips in sheltered waters or to join competently-led trips in places such as Indian Arm and the Gulf Islands. You’ll learn:
- How to perform wet exit, assisted re:-entry, and self re-entry,
- Strokes: Forward, reverse, stopping, sweep, draw, low brace, edge control
- Launching and landing,
- A brief overview of the following topics:
- Equipment and equipment care
- Charts and compass
- Weather
- Sea State
- Risk Assessment and mitigation
- Communication
- Clothing
- Hypothermia, hyperthermia and sun safety
- Lifting and carrying kayak
- Kayak tie down on a vehicle
- Resources
- Special Instructions: Students are responsible for bringing their own sea kayak (with adequate flotation) and related equipment to include a paddle, spare paddle, spray skirt, pump, throw bag/line and paddle float. A PFD plus a wetsuit or drysuit must be worn when on the water. Also note that it is pay parking at Cates Park.
Rentals are available from the following providers:
- Middleton’s Canoes & Kayaks david@middletonsboats.com 604-240-0503. (Middleton’s offers boats that are more suitable, but have limited quantities.)
- Cates Park Paddling Centre info@catespark.com (604) 985-2925.
Course Format: This course includes a 2 hr evening virtual session as an introduction and two days on the waters of Burrard Inlet at Cates Park in North Vancouver. Each of those days will include some theory taught on shore and some sessions on the water.
Course Times:
Thursday 28 May – Zoom meeting – 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday 30 May Includes theory and practicing wet exits and re-entry.
Sunday 31 May: Includes theory. Much of the day will be on the water.To join the club and register for the Beginners Course, visit skabc.org
3 attendees
Past events
56
Group links
Organizers
Members
814
