Instructional and Boating Programs

Information about programs can be found in the drop-downs below. To explore current offerings, view pricing, and register for courses, please visit the ‘Instructional Programs’ of the Recreation Webstore.

All courses have been filling very quickly with growing waitlists. We recommend joining waitlists of any offerings you may be able to attend so you can be notified of any additional spaces opening up.

Added course offerings and registration dates will be communicated on the Google Group mailing lists for the facility.

Rowing

Learn how fun and exciting sculling can be at one of Southern California’s premier small boat rowing facilities! We offer year-round weekday and weekend courses. Students start in Maas Aero single sculls and then may progress to more advanced single sculls like the Maas 24 and Maas 27. Get qualified on our equipment and enjoy post class opportunities of leisurely rowing rentals and community events! For all classes, you must be 18yrs+ and a proficient swimmer to register.

Classes We Offer:

• Intro to Sculling - Maas Aero:Learn everything you need to start rowing right away! The class is designed for the novice rower who has little or no sculling experience. We emphasize the development of solid on-the-water skills as well as a basic navigational knowledge such as terminology and right-of-way rules.
• Maas 24 Checkout**: After completing 15 hours of rowing at the facility in Maas Aero, rowers may continue to develop your sculling knowledge on a more advanced boat.
• Maas 27 Checkout**:After completing 30 hours of rowing at the facility in a Maas Aero or Maas 24, rowers may continue to develop your sculling knowledge on a more advanced boat.
• Double Checkout**:After completing 60 hours of rowing at the facility in a Maas Aero, 24, or 27, rowers may fine-tune their boat handling and technical skills course with a partner in a double scull.

After passing a class or checkout, you will become eligible to rent boats (of the type specific to your class) from our facility during open rental hours. After each class, we recommend coming to the facility to rent and practice before you sign up for a higher-level checkout.

**Intro qualified rowers need NOT pursue a Checkout on other equipment. After meeting the minimum rowing requirement, rowers looking to pursue certification on advanced boats

Course Materials:

• Sculling Manual
• Course Expectations – Intro to Sculling

Sailing

Learn how fun and exciting sailing can be at one of Southern California’s premier small boat sailing facilities! We offer year-round weekend courses. Students begin in RS Quest double-handed dinghies and then progress to a more advanced racing dinghy, the single-handed Laser. Get qualified on our equipment and enjoy post-class opportunities of leisurely rental sails, friendly races, and community events on the Santa Monica Bay! For all classes, you must be at least 18+ years old and a proficient swimmer to register.

Classes Currently Offered:

• Intro to Sailing – RS Quest: Learn everything you need to start sailing right away! This class is designed for novice sailors who have little or no sailing experience. We emphasize the development of solid on-the-water skills as well as basic nautical knowledge, terminology and right-of-way rules. After successfully completing this class, you will be eligible to rent RS Quests from the MAC fleet and sail within the Marina’s Entrance Channel.

• Singlehanded Sailing – Laser: Prerequisite:Intro to Sailing plus five (5) RS Quest rentals and/or RS Quest skipper experiences. Continue your sailing education on the ultimate single-handed sailboat, the Olympic Class Laser. With no crew necessary and only one sail, all you will need to enjoy sailing in the Marina Entrance Channel is a little bit of wind.

• Sailing Clinic Level A – First Sail: Prerequisite: Intro to Sailing or prior rental eligibility. Designed for someone who has just completed the Intro to Sailing class or after not being on the water for a while.

• Sailing Clinic Level B – Prerequisite: Intro to Sailing plus five (5) RS Quest rentals or RS Quest skipper sessions.Three separate clinics to improve skills and teach new techniques. Designed to be repeatable. Level B Clinics rely on a strong understanding of the material taught in the Intro to Sailing class.

  • Sail Trim
  • RS Quest Tiller Extension
  • Boat Handling

• Sailing Clinic Level C –Prerequisite: A minimum of five (5) rental experiences on the type of boat to be used during the clinic AND tiller extension qualification gained through the Singlehanded Sailing Laser class, RS Quest Tiller Extension clinic or private lessons.
  • Sail in the Bay

After passing a sailing class, you will become eligible to rent the type of boat specific to your class from the MAC fleet during open rental hours. Classes must be taken in sequential order. After each class, we recommend coming to the facility to rent and practice at least five (5) times before you sign up for a higher-level course. You may not sign up for consecutive courses at the same time, as prior eligibility serves as registration prerequisites.

Course Materials:

• Learning to Sail Manual
• Course Expectations – Intro to Sailing
• Singlehanded Laser Manual
• Course Expectations – Singlehanded Sailing

Sea Kayaking

Learn how fun and exciting sea kayaking can be at one of Southern California's premier small boat facilities. We offer year-round weekend classes. Participants develop paddle fundamentals in our Intro to Sea Kayaking class then progress to more advanced courses and clinics. Once you are qualified to rent our touring sea kayaks, enjoy leisurely self-guided tours within the marina. With Sea Kayaking Ocean Adventure qualifications, renters are eligible for instructor-led paddle events in the Santa Monica Bay! Our popular Sunset Paddle community events are open to all paddle levels with no experience necessary. For all classes, participants must be at least 18 years old and proficient swimmers to register.

Classes Currently Offered:

• Sunset Kayak Paddle – No experience necessary. Enjoy an evening on the water! Unless qualified through a MAC Intro to Sea Kayaking class, all participants will paddle in a Sit-On-Top Kayaks (SOT).
• Intro to Paddlesports – No prior paddle experience necessary. Learn essential paddle strokes and water safety concepts in a Sit-On-Top Kayak (SOT). Participants will have the opportunity to try the sit-inside-touring Sea Kayak and/or Stand-Up-Paddleboard (SUP) to compare the different types of paddle sports the MAC offers. Participation in this sampler experience is not required for enrollment in the Intro to Sea Kayaking class.
• Intro to Sea Kayaking (1-Day) – Learn the basics of sea-kayaking in a 1-day class designed for the novice paddler. If new to paddling, we recommend starting with the Intro to Paddlesports class or Sit-On-Top Kayaks (SOT) rental. In this class, we emphasize the development of solid on-the-water skills as well as basic nautical knowledge, terminology and right-of-way rules. This class includes paddling in the Marina using sit-inside-touring Sea Kayaks. After successfully completing this class, you will be eligible to rent touring Sea Kayaks from the MAC fleet for self-guided paddles within the Marina and qualify to enroll in the Sea Kayaking Rescues clinic and the Sea Kayaking: Ocean Adventure class.
• Sea Kayaking Rescues Clinic – Prerequisite: Intro to Sea Kayaking. This class focuses on the essential safety skill of kayak rescue.Each clinic includes a refresher and practice on the introductory rescues with an opportunity to learn additional self-rescue techniques. This class is taught inside the Marina.
• Sea Kayak Ocean Adventure – Prerequisite:Intro to Sea Kayaking.This class takes kayaking to the next level, practicing the skills learned in the Intro to Sea Kayaking class and venturing into Santa Monica Bay on a three-mile paddle. Completion of this class qualifies participants for Sea Kayak Group Paddles in the Santa Monica Bay.
• Sea Kayaking Group Paddle – Prerequisite: Intro to Sea Kayaking (1-Day) AND Sea Kayaking Ocean Adventures or the 2022 Intro to Sea Kayaking (3-Day) or pre-2020 Sea Kayaking II Certified.Join fellow qualified MAC paddlers and explore the open-ocean in the Santa Monica Bay in an instructor-led paddle event.

After each class, we recommend coming to the facility to rent and practice before signing up for a higher-level class offering. You cannot sign up for consecutive courses at the same time, as certifications are required as prerequisites for registration.

Course Materials:

• Intro to Sea Kayaking Manual
• Course Expectations – Intro to Sea Kayaking

Private Instruction and Skills Evaluation Orientations (SEOs)

Due to the high volume of requests that we are receiving scheduling is taking longer than anticipated. We apologize for any inconvenience and are trying our absolute best to ensure that everyone’s request/inquiries are addressed or fulfilled as soon as possible. We will contact you once an instructor becomes available for scheduling. Please do not pre-pay; payment for the SEO will be processed after scheduling is complete.

Requests for Skills Evaluations and post-course Plan of Improvement lessons will be prioritized. Those looking for introductory instruction to gain rental certification should pursue our group classes.

Private instructions and SEOs for Sailing, Sea Kayaking, and Rowing can be requested through this online form: https://uclacampuslife.formstack.com/forms/mac_private_lesson_request_form

Lessons can only be requested by the participant, and the form should not be completed on behalf of another person. Requests may take up to 5 business days to process and scheduling is contingent upon instructor and facility availability. We hope to have students out on the water as soon as possible, but please allow 1-4 weeks for scheduling.

Private Lessons: Private lessons can be completed in 1.5 hour sessions to work on specific boat-handling skills, to be introduced to a sport area, and/or to work on a plan of improvement received from a MAC instructor. Although it may be possible to gain a rental certification though private lessons, no certification is guaranteed through repeated private lessons. New boaters are encouraged to join our full instructional programs instead of private lessons wherever possible. A maximum of 1 equipment type may be used per Private Lesson.

Skills Evaluation Orientation (SEO): An SEO is a formal check out and practical exam with an instructor, not an instructional lesson. To be eligible for an SEO, you must have significant sport experience on comparable equipment to that used at the MAC. Certification is not guaranteed with completion of an SEO. A maximum of 1 equipment type may be used per SEO.