Maine Sea Kayaking
Challenge yourself physically and mentally while exploring the stunning Maine islands by sea kayak.
Maine Sea Kayaking courses are an incredible opportunity to both work as part of a team, and develop and hone your own skills on the water. Learn seamanship skills such as navigation and weather observation while traveling between remote islands and wild peninsulas. Each day you’ll learn the sea kayaking and expedition skills necessary to safely traverse the rugged Maine coast, passing traditional fishing and lobstering communities. At night you’ll sleep in tents developing backcountry cooking and camp craft practices. Sharing your goals and concerns, your group will work as a team to plan each day’s activities and choose an appropriate itinerary. The skills and practices learned on these expeditions will serve you for life, whatever challenges lie ahead.
NOTE: Outward Bound strongly recommends that all students be vaccinated against COVID-19 and up to date as defined by the CDC prior to arriving to their course start. For all open enrollment courses beginning on or after April 15, 2023, Outward Bound will no longer require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
UPCOMING COURSES
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For detailed information on course availability statuses and what they mean, click here.
Course # HWTK-321
Age 16 - 18
Days 8
Cost $3,220
Dates 6.21.23 - 6.28.23
Course # HWTK-322
Age 16 - 18
Days 8
Cost $3,220
Dates 7.9.23 - 7.16.23
Course # HWTK-341
Age 16 - 18
Days 15
Cost $5,490
Dates 7.31.23 - 8.14.23
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Sea Kayaks are an intimate and accessible means of traveling the coast, creating opportunities for both independent skill development and teamwork. Students will have the opportunity to paddle both single and double kayaks, learning the techniques necessary to handle each craft.
Students will learn to:
- Maneuver and propel a sea kayak using paddles and foot rudders
- Navigate and plan routes using charts, compass, and other navigation materials
- Learn to understand the impact of weather, tides and currents on both navigation and travel
- Camp in rugged wilderness maritime environments
- Leave No Trace ethics
- Being part of an expeditionary team including: campsite management and upkeep, kayak and gear management on shore, food preparation and cooking for the whole team, cleanup/ maintenance/ repair of gear.
The granite that made the Maine Coast famous as a source of building material a century ago now provides the setting for some outstanding rock climbing or rappelling from the sea cliffs. Students learn to use climbing equipment, tie knots, climb and belay each other, while Instructors provide overall supervision of the site. Climbing hones and develops balance, coordination, flexibility and grace on the rock and presents many individual challenges for students, while the team must work together to set systems up, communicate clearly and support each other throughout the climb. Rock Climbing is offered as part of the curriculum on our 15-day Sea Kayaking course only.
Rock climbing on sea kayaking courses is dependent on the weather.
Service projects are often incorporated into Outward Bound courses through coordination with local land managers, conservation groups, government or social service agencies. While on expedition, students are encouraged to practice service to the environment and their team by sharing responsibilities and following Recreate Responsibly ethics throughout the course.
The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With sufficient food and equipment, students will set up camp at sites of their own, using the wilderness skills learned during the first half or two-thirds of the course. The time students spend on Solo depends on the length of the course. On one-week courses, Solo is four to12 hours long; on two-week courses Solo will likely be an overnight.
Often located along beautiful shorelines or on an island, campsites are chosen to offer as much solitude as possible (yet be within emergency whistle-signaling distance of other group members). Most students spend their Solo time journaling, drawing, or just thinking and resting as they process lessons of the course to focus on their goals for the future. Instructors check on each participant at least daily and are within whistle-distance at all times.
The coast of Maine, with its intricate and indented shoreline, is a unique segment of the North Atlantic seaboard. It is known among ocean travelers for its picturesque beauty, iconic lighthouses, abundant bays and harbors, rocky islands and quiet coves. We sea kayak in an area that covers roughly 200 miles of the Maine coast - with countless rivers, bays and islands to explore.
The rocky, spruce-covered islands are the summits of a prehistoric mountain range; many generations of inhabitants have made their livelihoods here. Evidence left behind on the islands reveals the historic presence of indigenous Abenaki camps, pre-colonial fishing communities, post-colonial timber and farming operations and early 20th century granite quarries. Cold, nutrient-rich waters flow from the Canadian Maritimes and make the Gulf of Maine home to a wide range of sea birds, seals, porpoises and whales. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Wabanaki Confederacy, which includes Abenaki/Abénaquis, W∂last∂kwiyik (Maliseet), Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy nations.
OTHER COURSES YOU MAY LIKE
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Maine Northwoods Canoeing & Rock Climbing
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Oregon Smith Rock Climbing
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Getting Started
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.