Kayaking, like anything worthwhile, requires the use of skill, savvy, and sound judgement. To that end, here are some resources to help you develop all of those essentials.

MIKco Informational Documents

From knowing what to bring, to knowing your ability, to knowing how to leave only a wake these documents can help you get your bearings before you go and insure you make the most of your adventure.

Personal Clothing Checklist for Day and Half Day Trips (PDF)
Personal Equipment Checklist for Multi day Trips and all Courses (PDF)
Before You Go
Paddlers Simple Self Test

Casco Bay phone list - a good companion for your waterborne cell phone.

Leave No Trace - Maine guidelines, from MITA

Maine Island Kayak Course Outlines

A reference point for developing your seamanship and small boat skills.

These our the outlines and "class notes" pertaining to some our course content.

Ocean School Library

A tremendous developing resource. Comprising decades of maritime scholarship and real world experience. Information on SAR, flora and fauna, oceanic issues and our impact on our environment. Initially part of the Ocean School curriculum, we're offering this resource for free for now. A work in progress, we'll be adding to this as time goes on.

Travels and Tall Tales:

A selection of kayak and maritime adventures. Have one of your own to share? Let us know.

Aleutian Islands, Stan Chladek and Brian Day

Man in Extreme Conditions, Antartica, Tom Bergh, Nigel Dennis and Stan Chladek

Easter Island; Stan Chladek and Nigel Dennis

Aunt Cathy Goes Downeast. A 2003 journey with Tom Bergh

Shumagin Islands 2004

Anglessey Trip Report 2006 by Andrea Hecht

5 Star Training at MIKCo - Unto the breach!

Confessions of a cold water paddler - Baja!

Native Poems - a souce of inspiration

Sweetgrass Memories, by Patricia Pierce Erikson

The Impact of Color on Boat Performance

Kayak Crosses Atlantic Without a Paddler, yep, it was an NDK. (PDF) From Adventure Kayak Magazine

Charts

Charts and Maps an instructional guide from MIKCo's course materials.

Don't be caught at sea without your chart! The following PDF files are offered for your at-home research, but always use a full & complete

NOAA or similar chart with a compass rose and distance indicators when on the water...

Casco Bay/Portland Harbor

Casco Bay

Stonington

Downeast

Jonesport Archipelago

Blog

The lastest..

MIKco Recommended Weblinks

These weblinks are supplied as a public service. If you find any incorrect or dead links, please let us know. If you use additional weblinks we’d like to know about, please drop us a line at info@maineislandkayak.com where you can always count on one of us reading your message and getting back to you (as soon as we get off the water).

The Underwater Times - news aggregator of marine interest

Marine Traffic - find out who else is on the water

sailwx - a more global approach at tracking vessels

seakayaking dot net - one of the better sea kayaking blogs

paddling planet - an international aggregator of sea kayaking blogs

Maine Shellfish Sanitation Hotline - red tide and other closures

Maine Department of Marine Resources

qajaqusa.org all Greenland all the time. The original and truest GP site.

Radar, Reflectors and Sea Kayaks, A Visibility Study - (PDF) at the MASKGI site

Sea Kayak Float Plan - at MASKGI

Department of Marine Resources species information

Local Weather

Portland Buoy - Station 44007
National Weather Service Office - Portland/Gray, Maine
Portland Marine Forecast (text)
Tide Charts for Southern Maine
Doppler Radar - Portland
US Surface Chart
US Surface Chart - color
GOMOOS Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System
National Weather Service, Maine forecast discussion (text)
Today’s US Water Vapor
NOAA Weather Prediction Center
NOAA Geostationary Satellite Server
Ocean Weather Inc - maps
Report from top of Mt Washington
Mid-Atlantic Weather Station - Hurricanes and Tropics

North Atlantic Sea Height Wave Model

Magic Seaweed - a surfer's resource, great for small boaters too!

Recommended Centers and Friends

San Juans, Body Boat Blade
Georgia, Sea Kayak Georgia
North Carolina, Barrier Island Kayaks
Hudson River Valley, Atlantic Kayak Tours
New York City, New York Kayak
Nova Scotia, Coastal Adventures
Florida, Sweetwater Kayaks
San Diego, Aqua Adventures