Spring Break Scout Team Marine: Kayak Adventure

Arts of the water and the woods wait for the teens who join Scout Team Marine. In the time-honored fields of the forest and river we train intensive wilderness awareness and practical maritime skills. Fostering critical skills of team leadership and collaboration we set the crew through key challenges, putting their group problem solving to test. Bringing them safely out of their comforts zones and into new understanding of the world around them.

Throughout the day we work through several live action strategy games, building our skill wilderness and water travel. Teens make key decisions and overcome obstacles with new found independence and camaraderie. Scout Team Marine teaches students to trust their gut instincts and think on their feet. We cross train for fitness, with yoga, martial arts and address healthy eating to keep the body and mind alert.

Safety on water and land is the foundation of this course. Along with wilderness survival skills we cover all the basics: carrying and wearing the proper safety gear and knowing how to use it, trip and route planning, reading water currents, proper kayak technique, safety formation of multiple craft on the water and loading boats.

Water travel by our unique fleet of kayaks becomes a profound and empowering experience. Their traditional handmade cedar hulls are based on the timeless design of Arctic kayaks. Stable and tested for thousands of years in some of the most difficult water conditions in the world, Baidarka kayaks are still renowned as one of the most innovative boat designs ever created. The outer skin is made out of ballistic grade nylon (like kevlar) to be lightweight, flexible for safety and often regarded as more durable than conventional fiberglass boats. We learn the science of how boats move through the water and the principles of what makes them nimble and stable. As well as the rich history of traditional boats and modern and ancient navigation on the waterways of the world.

All this plus explore the wild greenspaces and waterways of the Rose City (Portland) and beyond.