Youth Summer Boating & Sailing Camps
The City of Oakland's Lake Merritt Boating Center offers summer boating camps for youth ages 7 to 17 on Lake Merritt and on the Oakland Estuary. Campers advance in skills as they progress through the camps and grow older. Teen have an opportunity to train to be Junior Leaders for the summer camps. Registration, extended care, refund and transfer policy, locations, and scholarship information is at the bottom of this page.
Come Spend the summer learning on the water with us!
Explorer Day Camp (formerly Pirate/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.
Tallship 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.
Advanced Sailing Day Camp (Ages 12-17) @ Jack London Aquatic Center
Monday ~ Friday
9:00 am ~ 3:30 pm Ages 12 ~ 17
Looking for more advanced sailing than Lake Merritt offers? Join us at the Oakland Estuary and build your sailing skills. Learn basic 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 Camp (Ages 13-17) @ 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 7:30 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. Financial Assistance Form Link.
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 25 feet and tread water for one minute, as well as swimming for one minute and floating on a retrievable floatation device. A valid Red Cross Swimmer, Intermediate Swimmer, Lifesaving or Basic Sailing Card will be accepted in lieu of the swim test. Swim Evaluation Form is at the bottom of this link.
Registration / Availability
For current class schedules, costs, and availability, and to register for classes, visit our Online Registration site. By selecting the Category "Boating" you can view all of the Oakland boating programs by paging through with the right and left arrows.
For additional questions, or to schedule your private lesson, please give us a call at (510) 238-2196 or e-mail mseccombe@oaklandnet.com
