Client Feedback

 

 

Thanks for everything, the Blast was a phenomenal experience! The venues were more than I hoped for, and I was especially impressed with your ability to provide a challenging atmosphere for different level paddlers. I came away with a much higher level of stroke refinement and I feel a lot more comfortable with maneuvers and rescues in rough water. I was stoked with the individual attention and the group dynamics. I’ll definitely be back for more. There was just one downside…my addiction to Sea Kayaking is now out of control (the doc says it’s incurable) and it’s probably just a matter of time before I paddle off searching for the edge of the earth…

— Brent Bishop, NC

The Teach and Trek Blast was exactly as advertised: an exhilarating learning experience, great instruction, and demanding conditions.

Tom Nickels is a skilled instructor, experienced in teaching the strokes and boat-handling techniques necessary to handle diverse ocean environments.

Tom’s extensive knowledge of the area insured that we found challenging conditions to practice and hone our skills.

At the end of the four days I was exhausted and smiling. Sorry that the “Blast” was over so quickly, elated by what I had learned in a few days, and hoping I can do this again next year.

— Aaron Stander, Interlochen, Michigan

Wanted to convey how impressed we were with the “Blast” sea kayak intensive. Being from the Midwest it’s especially important that we’re able to capitalize on our training time with you and on that front it far surpassed our expectations.

We felt the combination of individualized attention within an interactive group format was the perfect balance and greatly advanced our awareness, comprehensionand confidence in paddling coastal environments. The diversity of venues, conditions and scenarios we experienced, accelerated our progression towards becoming far more competent sea kayakers. Our appreciation and looking forward to training with you in very near future!

— Steve & Pia Kuhl

Kayaking came late in my life and since that moment, I became an instant fan for life. In the last 4 1/2 years, I joined a couple of kayaking clubs, attended a few symposiums and made great friends. Earlier this year I became an L2 coach for the ACA with coaching and training from Tom Nickels of River Wind Kayaks. I had so much fun for those 4 days of learning and sharing. Today, I finished my L3 and L4 skills training and also received a Trip Leadership award. I felt like I went through a year worth of training in 4 days. Tom, you ran a great class. We had people from Argentina, England, Germany, some local characters and of course, your favorite Puerto Rican. This truly was an international event.

— Gil

When you chose the name of “The BLAST” you couldn’t have picked a better name. It was truly a blast! I had so many “take aways” from the class and feel I received great input from everyone. I think the strengths of The BLAST are the great instruction, strong paddling community within the group, and a lot of fun. You achieved the goal of serious paddling instruction coupled with loads of laughter. I look forward to returning.

— Lee

I just spent a fantastic two days sea kayaking with Tom Nickel. Wow! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience! My goal was to become more proficient in the open water and Tom’s instruction accomplished that and more…We learned and practiced strokes for every condition, wet exits, rescues, surf landings, channel crossings, and basic navigation. Tom’s expertise was apparent throughout, but his instructional techniques are also second to none with an emphasis on safety above all. I came away from this experience with more skill than I ever expected and can’t wait to participate in another – I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to learn from the BEST!

— Betsey