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Programs Walk-up kayaking. This is our original and most popular program. The only requirement is that you MUST know how to swim. You do not have to have any kayaking experience or have taken any of our classes. You can take one of our kayaks out for a short 20-minute paddle inside the protected embayment in front of the boathouse. We give you a life jacket, a kayak, a paddle, and some tips on paddling. You will need to stay inside our protected embayment out of the river currents, where we can keep an eye on you, but otherwise you are on your own to enjoy the river and the sunshine. It runs at all of our locations on weekends and holidays from the middle of May to the middle of October, and on many weekday evenings, weather permitting. Check the Calendar Specific dates and check the specfic pages for Pier 40, Pier 96 and 72nd Street for updated informtion. Bring a bathing suit, or shorts and a T-Shirt. We have changing rooms, and a hose to rinse off at our Pier 96 and Pier 40 locations. We have no running water and provide no changing rooms at 72nd Street. Three Hour Trips. We run guided trips most weekend morning from the middle of June to the middle of September from our Pier 96 Clinton Cove (56th St.) location. Again Check the calendar for specifics. The trips leave our protected enclosed area, and go out into the Hudson River. We usually paddle at least 4 or 5 miles. We will go as far as our Pier 40 Location or Hoboken NJ downriver, or Edgwater NJ or the 130th St kayak dock upriver. The exact destination depends on the tides and the weather and we may not go as far as these destinations on all trips. On certain days there may be no trip if the tides or weather are not favorable. Be sure to check the calendar. To go on the trip you must go out several times on our walk-up program, or have previous kayaking experience. We require this to build-up your strength and allow you to get familiar with the boats. The trips are three hours of constant paddling and require you to be physically fit. The trip leader may decide you are not fit enough or qualified yet. His or her decisions are final . To go on the trip you must be at the boathouse before 8:00 AM and put your name on our sign-up sheet. We usually have more people than we have boats for the trips, so we run a lottery to decide who goes; in the peak of the summer you will have about a 50% chance of going. You must be at the boathouse before 8:00AM and sign up on the day of the trip. The trip leaders watch determines when 8:00 AM is so it recommended that you try to be a at Pier 96 by 7:45 AM to be on the safe side. There is no benefit to being there earlier. Unfortunately we cannot accept advance reservations of any type. If you come with a group of more than two people be aware that some of you will probably be selected, and some will not. When signing up for the lottery you can register for either a double (2-person) kayak, or a single (1-person) kayak, but not both. If you are a couple you should probably sign-up for a double (2-person) kayak to ensure that you both go. The odds are about the same for a double or single. If one of you is much stronger or more experienced than the other a double is probably a better choice. If you have your own kayak, you can generally join our trip. Please come down and talk to us in person about your skills, and your equipment and we will try to accommodate you on one of our trips. We do limit the number of people and have some restrictions on the types of boats that are suitable, for safety reasons. Bring a bathing suit, or shorts and a T-Shirt, sunscreen, a sun hat, a lock, and something to drink, and light jacket if it's cool. You should eat a big breakfast before hand. In order to be fair, and get the trip out on time we are very strict on the 8:00 AM deadline; to be safe plan to be at the Boathouse by 7:45 AM. Introductory Kayak Classes. Every Wednesday evening we offer a short informational session on a wide variety of kayak-related topics. Most of these take place on the water, and cover some basic kayak related skill. Check the Calendar page for a list of sessions. Feel free to bring your own kayak, or you can use one of ours. The classes are run from our Pier 96 Clinton Cove (56th St.) locations. Almost all of the classes include an on-water component. Bring a bathing suit, or shorts and a T-Shirt and a lock. We have changing rooms, and a hose to rinse off. Winter Pool Program. The Downtown Boathouse is offering introductory kayaking classes (i.e. paddling and maneuvering a kayak) in conjunction with the Aquatics Department at the Riverbank State Park swimming pool during the winter of 2008/2009 These introductory classes are an ideal way for people who are new to the sport to learn the basics of the kayaking during the off season. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: All persons are welcome. No prior kayaking experience is required, but one must know how to swim. All children (i.e. persons under 18) must be accompanied by a legal guardian who must stay for the duration. REGISTRATION: All participants must register with Riverbank State Park before participating in the class. Go to the Park office and get an identification card (cost $9), which is needed for any class in the park. Then pay the class registration fee (cost $3). The registration process takes time, so please come an hour early the first time to allow enough time to complete the process and get changed in time for the start of the class. CLASS DATES/TIMES: Each class section runs on either a Saturday or a Sunday, for four weeks - with gaps for holidays. The first section started on Nov 2nd. Classes continue through till March of 2009. Each class starts promptly at 4PM, and runs for one and a half hours. For 2008 the 4 week sections start: December 13th and 14th, 2008 VOLUNTEERS: The Winter Pool is a place for instruction. If you wish to help out as an instructo, sign up for the classes and contact the Downtown boathouse intstructors at the pool. For 2009 the 4 week sections start:
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