9 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Teaching Intro to Watersports
Before we hit the water, we hit the classroom. We review the day’s conditions, plan our route to visit Billy and Gracie (the Bahia Hotel’s resident rescue seals), cover navigation rules and courtesy and nerd out on paddle physics to make sure our trip is efficient.
Our trip planning was a success and the seals put on a show with adorable poses. But, if you want pictures of the seals, you have to join us on a paddle!
12-1:30 p.m.: Changing Conditions Check Ins
The wind is picking up, and there are reports from surf instructors of stronger than usual ocean currents. I check in with classes to make sure our plans, group management and skills match the conditions.
We recently hired a new stand-up paddle yoga instructor, and I wanted to make sure he wouldn’t be caught off guard by any wind-related teaching surprises. He’d already talked it through with the other instructors and identified a good spot. It makes me happy when someone new is already demonstrating situational awareness and planning!
When I went to see the classes in action, both the surf instructors and the new yoga instructor confirmed my suspicions…they were putting good decisions into action and engaging with their classes in a productive way. The surf crew may have been a little goofy during our pre-class conditions chat, but they know when to switch into business mode!
1:30-2 p.m.: Don’t be Jelly of our Surprise Science!
I was chatting with some members about their experience on the water and they told me they saw some jellyfish. What they described didn’t sound typical for Mission Bay; it caught my interest and I told Austin. He used his eagle eyes to locate a few in our dock area. We teamed up and used cross-bearings (dusting off our waterfront lifeguarding skills) to locate and “rescue” them. It was a fun opportunity to model a concept that can be tricky to grasp and show our staff how it works in practice.
Brooke, our resident marine science expert, identified them as harmless visitors from Australia. After enjoying a little land time in San Diego, we gave them some local taco shop recommendations and sent them on their way. Our students loved the surprise science, and so did we!
2-2:30 p.m.: Tiller Toward Trouble (That’s a sailing joke, come take a class and find out why!)
Our Quest rudders have been taking more of a beating than they should, and Lance and Paul already have plenty to keep them busy in the shop. After some detective work, we suspected students were feeling rushed during launches and resorting to brute force instead of understanding how the rudder works and how to deploy it calmly.
That’s not great for the equipment or the student experience. Launching should feel calm and controlled, not like you have ten seconds left on the clock and have to choose between cutting the red or green wire. Matt, our Sailing Program Assistant, and I have been working with instructors on when and how to teach the rudder mechanics, including modeling the instruction we want students to hear in every class.
Hopefully, this means fewer nightmares for Lance about zombie sailors bashing rudders and bending tillers into submission.
2:30-5 p.m.: Mission PAssible: Some Projects and Problem Solving
I work with our program assistants (PAs) on long-term projects and administrative duties. We also make sure the weekend schedule is in good shape so everyone is set up for success.
Tyler is experimenting with his coding skills to see how they can help update our inventory tracking process. Alejandro is working on finding ways to make our paddle orientations more consistent. Matt thoroughly enjoyed finding two mistakes in my proposed 2027 Sailing Rec Class Schedule. Sasha has a clipboard in her hand, so you know she’s taking care of business!
