Summer Camp Safety 2021
The pandemic has changed everything. It sounds prosaic to say this at this point, in January of 2021. Nearly every facet of life has been affected, seemingly with a long tail. We’re all working differently. We’re all playing differently.
Perhaps the most impacted segment of our population are the children. While not proportionally affected by the virus itself, the resulting changes in lifestyle and forced sheltering are taking a toll. We’re all dealing with levels of depression, anxiety, and frustration with our kids. We’re all trying to develop strategies to keep them on track and minimize the long term effects of this pandemic.
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This is the exact reason why we decided to offer summer camps. The 700 members of the Dogpatch Paddle Club, mostly local to Potrero, Dogpatch and surrounding neighborhoods, have had regular discussions about the benefits of being outdoors in the fresh air, surrounded by the raw wilderness of the San Francisco Bay. Paddling is therapeutic, safe, adventurous, and fills a big void that arose out of quarantining.
So, as we approach summer, we’re excited to have the conversation about getting back to some form of normalcy and in the meantime, share some of the reason why the Dogpatch Paddle Summer Camps are perfect for your kids.
Outdoors: needless to say that being outdoors is the best scenario for ANY camp this summer. But even being outdoors isn’t always enough. Crowded parks and playgrounds can be questionable places to pack kids. Our outdoors is on the Bay. Expansive and wide open, with nothing to force kids in tight proximity.
Socially Distant: So, being outdoors gives us the opportunity to be spaced properly. But being on the water, on paddle boards requires that kids are far apart. The boards range from 9-11 feet in length. That means it’s very difficult to accidentally get too close. We like to say that paddle boarding is inherently socially distanced.
Small Pods: Other camps will be required to have a 14:1 or 14:2 counselor ratio. Ours is 5:1. While this may make our camps a little pricier, we belief it serves two purposes: (1) Smaller pods mean less potential exposure to COVID-19. If a case is detected within a pod, it shouldn’t have to take down the entire camp. (2) It’s easier for our counselors to keep your kids safe. We will likely consider keeping the 5:1 ratio beyond the pandemic for our younger campers.
Private Pods: Have you been sheltering with a small group for months and months? Don’t want to break down the pod? We offer private pods to groups that want to assemble their own campers. Same 5:1 ratio, better pricing, win win win.
Masks, Sanitizer & Processes: All campers and staff are required to wear masks at all times, except when they are out on the water and “inherently distanced”. All of our counselors will have a covid test 1 week before camp begins and regularly through the summer. Upon arrival we check temperatures. Between every activity we sanitize. We’re taking our processes straight from the DPH and are confident that we’re exceeding any standards. We take this seriously.
Additionally, safety for us goes beyond just COVID-19 precautions. With your kids out on the water, we are doing everything we can to provide safety education and resources to make them strong, safe and confident paddlers:
Counselors: All of our counselors must be certified in CPR and first aid. We also only consider counselors with a strong swimming background (either swim athletes, surfers, water polo players, etc.). They also need to have great personalities. This is about fun too!
Small Pods: Just to restate, small pods mean fewer cats to herd per counselor. 5:1 ratio makes certain that the kids always get the attention of their leader.
Boards, PFDs, & Leashes: Each camper will be outfitted with an appropriate sized board. This will help them be able to maneuver effectively. All boards have leashes to they can hop right back on if they fall in the water. And no child will leave the beach without a PFD (personal floatation device secured) - we provide life vests for all the kids.
Water Knowledge: Our founder has lived 11 years across the street, and overlooking, the area that is now Crane Cove Park. Our counselors have paddled every corner, under every condition, tide, and season along the Central Waterfront. We know these waters. We’re lucky, because the area just in front of Crane Cove Park is generally much calmer than the rest of the Bay. It is the perfect spot to teach paddle boarding (we call it Lake Dogpatch).
Weather Permitting: We take this statement very seriously. Our sport is subject to the whims of the bay. And even though we’re in a protective cove, sometimes mother nature stirs things up. We know this area very well as attested above. We have plenty of alternate activities if the sea isn’t an option.
Paddle Education: We enjoy sharing our knowledge, without over-burdening kids. Over the course of the week, your kids will learn about tides, currents, winds, paddle technique, and managing conditions. At the same time, we will use our knowledge of these elements to keep our campers safe.
We hope you will join us this summer and trust that Dogpatch Paddle Camp will take great care of your kids with regards to COVID-19 and water safety. Until we are back to normal, we think we’ve developed the perfect remedy to the pandemic blues.