Big Air Wakeboard Show

Presented by Action Water Sports and Placid Wake Park

Pro wakeboarders will be at the Huge Lagoon to show off their amazing skills throughout the weekend.  Wakeboarding right in the convention center!  Watch pro wakeboarders perform their best aerial maneuvers with high splashing fanfare.  Action Water Sports of Hudsonville, one of Boating Industry Magazine's Top 100 dealers in the U.S., will bring these performances to West Michigan for the 5th year.  No Boat Show in North America has such an indoor property capable of displaying floating boats of this size and holding real aerial wakeboarding demonstrations.  Don't miss your chance to see this action sport up close!

Immediately following the Big Air Wakeboard Show meet the pros and the crew from Action Water Sports.  They'll be on hand to answer your questions and give you some tips.  Get ready for summer fun!

Action Water Sports and Placid Wake Park team riders Ben DeKleine, Scot Ferwerda, Ben Herrema, and Jon Nadolski will provide the high flying action.  Professional wakeboarders Clayton Underwood and Adam Errington will be joining them on the weekend, Friday-Sunday!

Boating Safety Certification Course

Get your Certification done in one day by the Kent County Sheriff Dept. Marine Division on Saturday, February 18, and be ready to hit the water this summer!  Typically these classes take multiple evenings.  Here is your opportunity to get certified, a legal necessity in order to command a motorized vessel without supervision for anyone born after 1978, and those between the ages of 12 and 16 years old.  (And simply a smart thing to do!)

Marine Electronics - Greg Hoffman

Greg has worked in the marine electronic field for over 25 years.  He holds a commercial FCC license and is certified for factory repair and installation.  He has held posts with the National Marine Electronics Association and has authored numerous standards and industry testing criteria.

Getting the Most From Your Marine Electronics

Greg Hoffman will give you tips on how to step-up and tune your equipment to get the best accuracy and features, as well as what to look for when purchasing new equipment.  Topics include chart plotters, radar, autopilot, and new items for 2012.

Sailing - Dave Conrad

Dave has been sailing Northern Michigan and beyond for over 18 years.  He captained sailing charter yachts up to 90 feet in the Caribbean before returning to his home waters in Traverse City where he and his wife Kristen own Bay Breeze Yacht Charters & Sailing School.  Dave is a USCG licensed captain for vessels up to 100 tons and an ASA sailing instructor.

Cruising Northern Michigan

Dave Conrad will give you an insider's guide to the many islands, bays, beaches and harbor towns of Northwest Michigan.  This scenic cruising area includes Grand Traverse Bay, Little Traverse Bay, the Manitou Islands, the Beaver Island Archelapelago, the Sleeping Bear Dunes, and into the Straits of Mackinaw.  This seminar will offer itineraries and familiarize you with little known anchorages, local festivals, navigational hazards, weather options, even where to go wine tasting or take in a round of golf - right from your boat!  If you're looking for quaint local towns with great restaurants or maybe want to enjoy your own secluded anchorage, this will inspire you to cruise this amazing area.

Your First Sail Workshop

Presented by Dave Conrad and Paul Davis at the Bay Breeze Yacht Charters & Sailing School Display

Your First Sail is an on-board orientation of the hardware on a basic sailboat, plus an interactive look at the physics of sailing.  Using the American Sailing Association format for learning, this is a great way for people of all ages and of all skill levels to understand the basics of sailing and sail theory.  Participants will receive a special discount to take the full online version of Your First Sail from the American Sailing Association website.

Paul Davis is an avid racing sailor, Chicago-Mackinac veteran, USCG licensed captain, and an ASA certified sailing instructor.  Paul's skill and all-around likeability make him a favorite among ASA students.  Dave Conrad has over 18 years working in the sailing charter industry and is a USCG licensed captain, ASA sailing instructor, and a pretty likeable guy as well!

Workshop Schedule:

Wednesday:     5pm  /  7:30pm

Thursday:         5pm  /  7:30pm

Friday:             1pm  /  3pm  /  5pm  /  7:30pm

Saturday:         12pm  /  2pm  /  5pm  /  7pm

Sunday:           12pm  /  2pm  /  4pm

Navigational Charting - Ralph Fairbanks

Ralph is the District Staff Officer for Public Education in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.  He has been teaching boating safety classes for many years and is a certified instructor for the Auxiliary.  He has navigated the Great Lakes and oceans by boat and by aircraft on standard patrols in Search and Rescue missions.  Ralph tries to make the classroom experience as much fun as the on-the-water experience!

How to Read a Nautical Chart

Presented by Ralph Fairbanks of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary

Whether you're a power boater or a sailor, you need to have a good grasp of the limits of chart accuracy - paper or electronic.  What's the difference between a map and a chart?  What are all those squiggley lines and colors on a chart?  Why do I need to know how to read a chart if I have the latest chart plotter?  In this introductory class, you'll learn how charts are made and how to understand the wealth of information on them.  Ralph will also teach you some of the fundamentals that more advance navigational skills are built upon.