We’re continuing to beat the heat in our ocean adventures! The cooling breeze and refreshing salt water allowed our students to have endless fun in the sun on our beautiful Long Island Sound. Whether becoming a pirate or performing field research, there was never a time short of fitNESS or boating adventures!

Marine Science Students

Our youngest students, the Little Aquanauts, investigated ocean life, listened to long lost tales of the deep sea, and became Captain of their own sailboat as they took the role of pirate for the week. When not in command of ships, the Little Aquanauts learned all about the ocean and water safety by using the ocean as their playground! The Bay Bounders joined Team Crabby to study and catch different local crabs by foot and boat. Exploring the areas where water meets Earth, the Bay Bounders analyzed aspects of hydrology and discovered how water moves through sediment. As water is a massive force, the Ocean Explorers designed, built, and tested working models down the lazy river of Napatree to try to generate the most electricity! Learn sailing while experimenting with air and hydrodynamics, the afternoon class used a Sonar sailboat as marine science headquarters to explore and perform assessments. The Marine Biologists designed, built, and tested a SeaPerch ROV as a team to solder circuits, assemble motors and blades, and perfect ROV performance in the ocean through a series of fun and challenging scenarios. Experiencing aspects of a career in marine biology, the Marine Biologists spent the morning at the Mystic Aquarium for engaging hands-on programing, then explored Little Narragansett Bay by kayak, snorkel, foot, and boat to perform field research with NESS instructors.

Adventure Sports Students

Our Mixed Sports program chose activities including kayaking, boogie boarding, windsurfing, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, and adventure field excursions while exploring Long Island Sound. Using charts, compasses, navigation and GPS, students focused on learning about different types of caches and solving ciphers, codes, and riddles. Another Mixed Sports program focused on snorkeling the Sound by diving deep and exploring the seafloor with breath holding techniques and properly fitted weight belts. Windsurfing harnessed the wind to practice proper stance, self-rescue, tacking and gybing. Fishing studied the newly rebranded species, the Northern Red Drum, while practicing fly fishing and flat fishing techniques in shallow waters. Surfing advanced their skills with coaching and training sessions in remote surf destinations while learning about health and appreciation of the ocean.

Sailing Students

With classes for all levels of experience, the sailing program focused on students’ needs to further their skills and comfort on the water. This included becoming familiar with water safety, learning the different parts of the boat, rigging, steering, sailing lingo, and the use of hiking straps and tiller extensions. Race training with our experienced instructors is available, as well as the Sailing Adventures program to get students on the water who want to simply go sailing and exploring.

Our summer programs have been cruising by! Only a few more weeks left of adventurousNESS and splashiNESS for this summer!