What's New in 2002?

Check out our new Glass Class.
We get a lot of calls from paddlers who want our recommendation on what kind of sea kayak they should buy. When you are looking at composite lay-ups; prices start at $2000 and can easily climb to over $3400. So you really want to try these boats before whacking the wallet but most dealers are pretty stingy about letting you demo them. And for good reason since how do they know if you are serious or just joy riding? If you think you are ready to make the jump to a composite kayak the Glass Class is for you. Featuring composite kayaks from Nigel Foster and the venerable Seaward Kayak Company. (seawardkayaks.com) We will focus on paddling these fine kayaks in conjunction with a clinic on what composites are all about and who they are best suited for. You'll also get to use state of the art Lendel paddles (www.lendal.com) and we can already tell you that once you've paddled a composite you're probably ruined for life! Glass Class is $35.00 each including instructional tips and safety clinic. Watch the website for dates coming up in June and July. Or contact us and let us know you're fired up and we'll put you on a list we're keeping. We may even get a Seaward Double for use if paddling tandem appeals to you.

Sign up for our newsletter.
So many of our clients email us for information that we have launched a monthly newsletter with product reviews, cool places to paddle, general news and the occasional long winded story about our adventures.

Intermediate Workshops.
These 3 1/2 hour sessions will be for those that have taken our class or been paddling for several months and now want to learn more about the paddle strokes and especially about safety and re-entry procedures. These will start later in the season when the waters warm here in Jackson because we plan to be in it right along with you.

Todd's Island Tour.
Are you cut out for doing loaded tours in a kayak? In the past this has been a time consuming and expensive experiment for our clients involving long drives up north. But Todd has put together a great trip based right here in Jackson County that will give you a great opportunity to learn all you will need about selecting and loading a kayak for a weekend trip. After a five mile excursion through our chain of lakes, you will pitch camp on your own island and savor the dinner you will carry in your boats. These trips will be held in September and October so contact us if you want more information later this summer or want to get on the reservation list. Cost is estimated to be $40 per person, or $75 if you need to use our boats and gear. You'll need your own sleeping bag and ground pad.

Corporate and School Tours.
Tired of the same old golf outing and picnic? Want to give your team some great experiences they'll talk about for months? Maybe you need a team building excursion that is totally fresh and "100% cliché free". Our new All in This Together program has met with rave reviews and promises to be the most popular of it's kind in the Great Lakes region.

Canoe Workshop.
All of us here at QWS started paddling in canoes and there are still some things that a good canoe does better than a kayak in our Michigan waters. It is getting really hard to find shops that sell good canoes or even know anything about them! We are lucky to have Roger Stevens as our course instructor for this workshop. Roger knows more about canoes than anyone we know and will guide you through every aspect of selecting and paddling one properly. Our first inaugural workshop will be held on Sunday, May 5th. Before you head out for the Boundary Waters or plunk down big bucks on that kevlar canoe, sign up for this class. It's $60 per person, or $100 per team, couple, and pair whatever you want to call your duo. You'll learn about canoe design and construction get to paddle a range of canoes, and try different paddles. Roger will go over the gear and loading of a canoe for a successful trip.

Paddle With the Pro
(PWP) events throughout the Great Lakes. Our staff will be hosting mini QWS lessons at select Walden retailers this summer on weekday evenings. Come out and meet us and let us introduce you to kayaking and taste a little of why this sport appeals to so many. Visit the Walden website (www.waldensports.com) to see where we will appear near you. We'll be all over the state, starting in April at Crystal Mountains Pedal and Paddle event April 27/28.