Come Spend the summer learning on the water with us!



Pirate Day Camp (formerly First Mates/Skippers) (Ages 7-10) @ Lake Merritt
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 3:30 pm


Aaarrrgh Matey! Lads and Lassies will learn the skills needed to be a proper pirate including charting the lake from a pedalboat, searching for treasure on kayaks, and the teamwork needed to row a whaleboat without a mutiny during this safe and fun pirate experience. Map making, learning about the animals and plants, and boatbuilding round out a fun and adventure filled week!

Campers attend a pool session the first day of camp to assess their water comfort and learn about lifejackets and boating safety.


Basic Sailing Day Camp (Ages 10-17) @ Lake Merritt
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 3:30 pm

This entry level sailing class will definitely give kids a chance to get their "sea legs". The campers start off learning the parts of the sailboat and by week's end they'll understand wind direction as it relates to propelling and more importantly, controlling their sailboat. Games and drills on the water will help to teach these basic skills. No experience is needed. Each session consists of 1 week of programming.

A swim evaluation is required to participate in this camp

Intermediate Sailing Day Camp (Ages 10-17) @ Lake Merritt
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 3:30 pm

Sailors will be taken to the next level while keeping an emphasis on safety and fun! More advanced sailing skills will be covered as well as faster, more challenging sailboats. This would be a great camp to take if you're considering sailing on the Estuary in racing dinghies but want to polish tacks and jibes.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Basic Sailing Camp or equivalent.

Catamaran Sailing Day Camp (Ages 10-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm

Catamaran Camp is a great introduction to multi-hull sailing. Sail Hobie 16's on the Estuary learn to trapeze!

Prerequisite: Intermediate Sailing Camp.

Windsurfing Day Camp (Ages 10-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
10:30 am ~ 5:00 pm *Note different time.

Windsurfing is a fun and physical camp. Topics covered include rigging, points of sail, equipment rescue procedures and more. Due to the size of the boards, campers must weigh 100+ pounds to participate.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Basic Sailing Camp.

Tallship Sailing Day and Overnight Camp (Ages 11-17) @ Lake Merritt and Jack London Square/San Francisco Bay
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm *Note this camp has one overnight.

Ahoy! Find out what it's like to sail the bay on a 82 foot Tall Ship Schooner. Campers will start at Lake Merritt sailing their own boats and preparing for their overnight sail. Then they board the tallship for a full day and OVERNIGHT aboard the ship returning to Lake Merritt the following afternoon to debrief and perfect their sea stories.

Prerequisite: Basic Sailing Camp.

Keelboat Sailing Day Camp (Ages 12-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm

This camp is the wonderful introduction to bigger boats and San Francisco Bay sailing. Campers will learn the fundamentals of crew sailing in a 24 to 28-foot sailboat. Most of the class will be held sailing the length of the Oakland Estuary. Weather-permitting, the last day will include sailing over to Treasure Island. With an instructor in every boat, this is a great opportunity for young sailors to get firsthand training.

Prerequisite: Intermediate Sailing or the equivalent is required.

Explore The Bay Day & Overnight Camp (Ages 12-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 5:00 pm *Note this camp has a later finish time and one overnight.

Open the door of Keelboat Cruising for your child. Campers will expand their keelboat sailing skills into cruising skills. They will also travel to visit the Hyde Street Pier museum to learn about sailing history and the Sausalito Bay Model visually learn the tides and currents that they will sail with all week. The week's highlight will be a Thursday OVERNIGHT aboard the boats at Angel Island learning how to live aboard. Students will learn teamwork, navigation, anchoring, docking, and mooring techniques, sailing strategy, and local knowledge of San Francisco Bay. Activity schedule subject to change based on weather and availability.

Prerequisite: Keelboat Camp.

Racing Day Camp (Ages 12-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm Ages 12 ~ 17

Do you like to compete? Learn to sail around the racecourse to challenge and build upon your skills. Everyone is a winner when you learn racing techniques! Knowledge brings confidence when you're riding the wind in a high-performance sailing dinghy.

Prerequisite: Intermediate Sailing Camp or the equivalent is required.

Junior Leadership Training Camp (Ages 14-17) @ Lake Merritt
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm

Designed for sailors who want to pursue future camp and sailing instructor opportunities. This small group, hands-on, fun training is focused on developing yourself as a role model and leader for younger kids, learning skills to help safely lead camp games and activities, and the fundamentals of teaching boating safety and skills. Selected individuals will have the opportunity to sign up for the junior camp instructor program for the summer camp season.

Prerequisite: Sailing ability and an interest in teaching youth. Entry by application. Call Sarah at 510-238-2196 for more information.

GENERAL CAMP INFORMATION

Locations
Lake Merritt Boating Center Summer Camps are held at 568 Bellevue Avenue, Oakland, California 94610 and the Jack London Aquatic Center. Camps held Monday through Friday mostly from 9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm (see individual programs for exceptions).

Extended Care
Available for Lake Merritt Boating Center camps for $10 per day. Extended care is not available for the Estuary classes. More information at : Before & After Care

Before Care   7:00 am ~ 9:00 am at the Garden Center
After Care      3:30 pm ~ 6:00 pm at the Boating Center

Fee Waiver
A limited number of scholarships are available for Oakland Residents. Fee waivers are available for those Oakland Residents with financial needs. Please contact the Lake Merritt Boating Center for an application or to verify that you qualify - (510) 238-2196.

Refund & Transfer Policy
Refunds or transfers will only be processed for requests made 10 business days in advance of the first class; $10 processing fee.

Special Needs
Persons with special needs are encouraged to attend programs. Please call to make arrangements prior to attending your first class.

Swim Evaluation
Before classes begin, all students are required to pass a swimming competency evaluation offered at Oakland public pools or any pool of your choice. Students demonstrate the ability to swim 75 feet and float or tread water for five minutes. A personal flotation device may be used in the five-minute float. A valid Red Cross Swimmer, Intermediate Swimmer, Lifesaving or Basic Sailing Card will be accepted in lieu of the swim test.

Registration / Availability

For current class schedules, costs, and availability, and to register for classes, click on "Register Online!" in the upper right corner of this page.

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