BY DIMITRI VANDEPOELE
PHOTOS: DIMITRI VANDEPOELE AND MAIN PHOTO BY NSK SYLVIE
NORTHSEAKAYAK
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NORTHSEAKAYAK
SKTC – Sea Kayak Training Camp 2022
The SKTC 2022 has come to an end. I’m writing this only a few days later, after five editions, I thought it was time to make the balance. For the SKTC concept, we worked together with Spirit of Korkyra.
Boris and Ivka are about the same age as Sylvie, and they and I have precisely the same vision of the SKTC and what it should be like. They are the owners of Spirit of Korkyra, a small but effective company that runs guided kayak trips around Korcula, one of the most beautiful islands in Croatia. They contacted us years ago with the start-up of their business. They wanted to learn from us to guide their clients safely and responsibly. I was given full authority on the SKTC, which gave me creative freedom within those five days. Four editions in Croatia with Spirit of Korkyra and another freelance SKTC in Poland, and it seems we find ourselves on an express train!
The TEAM
Before the what, the where and the why you got to understand the concept. The moment you sign up, the moment you get in your car, or in the train, boat or plane, you are not just on your way to follow sea kayak classes. From that moment, you have joined the team. No matter your skill level, age, gender, or nationality. From that moment, you are on your way to forming a small, international team. Hard to believe, but everyone who has been there will confirm this. It is hard to describe this in words. A particularly powerful vibe starts on the first day and only gets stronger throughout the week.
It’s magic to see how ten strangers become so close and work so effective. This is one of the reasons why we stick to the plan of only allowing 10 participants each time. We could easily make it bigger as there is always a waiting list. But this isn’t about getting bigger; this isn’t about profit. No, this is about the vibe. It’s about providing quality. It’s about a very personal approach where everyone is actively involved.
The WHAT
The SKTC goes over five days in a row. The program has been formed so that everything is logical with a steep learning curve. We have given this much thought, ending up with the perfect formula. Each day, except for the 5th and last day, starts with theoretical classes in the morning. After lunch, we go on the water and train on techniques. The SKTC is not about paddling miles. It is about training a lot. Someone once remarked that you would be more in the water than in your kayak during SKTC. Couldn’t be more right! You can bring your own equipment and boat or rent it here. We are staying all together in a villa divided into smaller apartments. That way, you have privacy when you want, but we mostly gather till late in the evening on the terrace.
The WHY
When I was younger, I saw enough teachers working only with the better half of their students – making the good students better whilst leaving the rest aside. This was one of our priorities while writing down the SKTC guidelines. There is no ‘I’ in team. Everybody gets involved. The moment someone doesn’t understand a particular technique, it’s my problem as a coach. Not theirs. We make time to make sure that every team member gets there, choosing a personal approach. We start with teaching standard procedures or techniques and later on showing variations on them.
I mentioned now and then that I don’t want good listeners; I want people to think for themselves. I don’t want people to perform a certain technique because they are told to.
I want them to know why they need to do this or that in a certain way. We want self-reliant sea kayakers in the team. During the 3rd, 4th and 5th day, we let the participants take turns in being team leaders. An important part of the SKTC relies on this. Even people who don’t aspire to lead others in the future understand this importance. We have seen throughout the years that once you are put in the position of team leader, you understand what they are going through (certainly during incidents). Because of that understanding, we believe in people becoming more effective team members that will support their leader by any means possible.
Bonding with the others has started, and by the end of the SKTC, nobody wants to go home! Everyone plays their part and can take over other tasks if the situation demands it. There are no followers, just efficient team members.
The WHERE
The standard SKTC always takes place once a year on Korcula island in the southern part of Croatia. We paddle the Adriatic Sea. There is no need for a dry suit; a Long John will do it. The warm climate allows for continuous training on and in the water. We train on both basic and advanced techniques.
Because we want this to be a low entry-level concept, the environment is accessible and low risk. We mainly work in sheltered conditions to build up proper skills. A few times during the SKTC, we seek exposed places with a bit more wind and waves if conditions allow for it. Because of the low-risk environment, we can experiment with more advanced techniques. The scenarios we let the team go through from the 4th day aren’t considered ‘easy’ anymore. Our Spirit of Korkyra hosts look out for the team when off the water. During the evenings, they plan activities such as visiting the old town of Korcula (even more picturesque than Dubrovnik, which everybody knows of) and going to a local wine tasting. Yes, we get spoiled!
If we do a freelance SKTC, we can do it anywhere and adjust the program a little. We did that in Poland some years ago, where Jacek (local sea kayaker and organizer) asked us to include surfing in the program.
THE PROGRAM
Day 1
We start with getting to know each other and move on to the sea kayak safety equipment and the assisted rescue. The reasons are simple! First, team bonding starts because you need each other for that type of rescue. Second, by the end of that day, nobody was hesitant anymore about getting wet. We mix other team and balance exercises to make things even more interesting. We start with minimal, real-life scenarios.
Day 2
We train on self-rescues. We give the team multiple options (with or without paddle float, cowboy-scramble, ladder or something in between). At this point, no one hesitates to capsize because they already know that in the event something goes wrong, they can help each other get back in their boat. Everyone succeeds in self-rescue by the end of that day. Again, we keep things interesting by doing balance exercises. Laughter is guaranteed!
Day 3
Boat control and steering techniques! Halfway through the SKTC, we notice that everyone puts their kayak on edge to the limit. This wouldn’t be possible during the first day because people tend to be hesitant and maybe a bit afraid of capsizing in front of the whole group. Not anymore! We clearly state that the kayaker that never capsizes isn’t pushing their limits. So, capsizing during this part will let you earn applause from the team!
Day 4
This is the day when everything comes together. We start this day with lecturing about working as a team, solving problems, launching distress calls and managing incidents. Every year we notice that the team is looking out for this part. They get why boat control and rescue techniques are inseparable.
You can be the best at rescue techniques; it won’t help if you cannot get your kayak next to the swimmer/casualty in time. We build up common scenarios, such as a team member getting seasick. The clock starts running when a random team member starts showing symptoms of sea sickness. Not noticing and not reacting correctly results in a capsize and a panicking swimmer. The thread ‘Whenever there is doubt, there is no doubt. ACT!’ starts to sink in. We built up until we reach the most challenging scenarios.
An example is the rescue of two capsized kayakers in a narrow gully with a small cave at the back. One is panicking but ambulatory; the other is swept into the small cave and unconscious. Both their kayaks are in the way of the cave to make things more complicated. Approaching the panicking swimmer without calming him down will result in another capsize. The goal is to bring order to this chaos. It works every time, giving me a warm and satisfying feeling when seeing the crew reacting disciplined. Since the group was that efficient, we forbid them during the scenario of bringing the unconscious casualty to shore. No problem, they divided the team into two parts: the rescue part and towed raft part to put the casualty on after extraction.
Day 5
No more help from us on this final day. No more theoretics. Only feedback afterwards. This day is a realistic trip of about 20 km. Everybody is taking turns to lead the team. Along the way, we visit an ancient quarry on Vrnick island; we say hi to the deer that roam free on Badija island, an old monastery.
Halfway we take a break in the old town of Korcula. During the day, we provide unannounced scenarios, give specific tasks to the team and let them work out things for themselves. The last exercise is all about trust. I capsize (unconscious, so I stay in the cockpit upside down), and everyone knows that if I run out of oxygen and pull my spray deck – I’m dead! My trust in my team was not misplaced. Everybody succeeded in getting me back upright in time!
When they completed successfully, we paddle back for a nice meal in a nearby local restaurant. After this, there is a cosy ceremony where each team member gets their certificate of attendance, their NORTHSEAKAYAK decal, and a T-shirt from Spirit of Korkyra. How weird it may sound, we tell them that the certificate and NSK decal are only earned if they train further and keep developing their skills. We have seen it too many times that a certificate is the goal for some people. It isn’t with us. The goal is to become safe, responsible and self-reliant sea kayakers. To keep at a certain level, regular training is necessary. The last moments with the team are like a drug that is working out; everyone has withdrawal symptoms! The goodbyes are warm and emotional. We will think about this for a long time and sincerely hope to see them again in the future.
The NUMBERS
This is something that we didn’t expect ourselves when we launched the SKTC formula! At this point, we hosted and trained with 11 different nationalities (Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Andorra, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, China, United States and Belgium). We see many women participate as well; almost half of the team members are brave female paddlers. Age goes from the youngest team member being 26 years old to the oldest team member being 73 years young! Every team always have that diversity that we love so much!
Have fun and take care of each other on the water!
SKTC in 2023
Boris and Ivka from Spirit of Korkyra have already asked us to do another SKTC in 2023. You probably can guess our answer. And yes, you are welcome! Not to take part, but to form yet another formidable team!
