Greenland Paddle Carving Workshop and Full-day Educational Tour Package 

Enjoy 10% off when you book this fun and educational 2-day package, July 7 & 8, to carve your own Greenland paddle and learn how to use it on the water on a full-day tour in Grays Bay. There will be three coaches on the paddle who will work with participants who want coaching, including Don Beale. Don is a ACA level 5 instructor, BCU 4-star sea trained leader, and teacher for the Oregon Ocean Paddling Society, SSTIKS (South Sound Traditional Inuit Kayak Symposium), and other Greenland events in the US and abroad.

Please note the Greenland Paddle to Grays Bay Tour is open to anyone who has previously carved a Beale Greenland Paddle and can be booked separately HERE.

GREENLAND PADDLE CARVING WORKSHOP July 7, 9 am-3 pm

Don Beale and Joanne Barta have held Greenland paddle carving workshops around the world, and CRK is honored to be able to keep bringing them back to lead workshops at our shop in Skamokawa. 

The Inuit developed these paddles over hundreds of years of use by cultures that depended on the kayak for their food and transportation. Today, more and more kayakers are re-discovering the benefits of Greenland style paddles. The long and slender blades provide excellent lift for sculling and bracing. They are also easier on joints and muscles with extended use. The blades are symmetrical and non-feathered, eliminating indexing for roll setup. They are very versatile paddles. Wood is a natural material that feels warm in the hands and gives a good grip on the paddle. You can choose from pre-cut sizes (small, medium, large). Don will bring your blank to the workshop for carving and finishing. Registrants who book eight (8) weeks prior to the workshop have the option to provide custom dimensions and Don will create a blank using those dimensions. Register early and you can upgrade to a laminated Greenland Paddle for an additional fee.

GREENLAND PADDLE TO GRAYS BAY FULL-DAY EDUCATIONAL TOUR July 8, 9 am- 3pm

The Saturday paddle begins in protected Deep River before winding out to Grays Bay, where we will have our choice of lunch sites based on how far the group wants to go and what they wish to see. Here the Columbia broadens to eight miles across, yet our trip along the forested shoreline of the bay is protected from most winds. This is also one of the best tours for spotting mammals, including Roosevelt elk, river otter and harbor seal. Some of the most riveting entries in the journals of the Lewis & Clark expeditions were written here, before the building of the Columbia jetties blocked the ocean swells that once broke along this shoreline.