JAUNTS : Ventura Outrigger Canoe Club Is Testing the Waters : Ventura group offers orientation session for those new to the sport. Novices learn that timing is everything.

Outrigger canoes. You may have seen them cruising the Ventura Harbor, or skimming the coastal waters up to the pier and farther.

It’s no wonder they attract stares. They look like seagoing caterpillars with six sets of arms paddling in unison. Who are those guys, you wonder?

Most likely they are members of the Hokuloa Outrigger Canoe Club of Ventura. And they aren’t all guys. In fact, the women outnumber the men, said Steve Matthews, who is one of the club’s head coaches.

The club actually dates back to the late 1960s, but membership had dwindled to about a dozen. Then, three years ago, the club underwent a growth spurt as the popularity of outrigger canoeing blossomed in Southern California.

Now the club has 55 to 60 members, the youngest 14 and the oldest 57. Some do it for recreation. Others, like Matthews, compete in races with the 18 or so other clubs situated between Santa Barbara and San Diego.

But, if you’re new to the sport, don’t be intimidated. The club offers an orientation session for novices every Sunday at 11 a.m. near the Channel Islands National Park headquarters at the harbor.

(In fact, the club is also hoping to attract people with physical disabilities at a special clinic to be scheduled soon through the Ventura Recreation Department. The sport is especially suited to someone who has lost the use of his legs, or someone who is blind, Matthews said.)

If you come to the Sunday orientation, here’s what to expect. First, a little about the outrigger canoe. These skinny boats (the club has three) are 40 feet long, hold six people and weigh 400 pounds. The pontoon on the left side keeps it stable in the water, although they tip over occasionally.

The canoes are made of fiberglass. The traditional boats made of koa, the wood used for centuries by the Hawaiians, are a rare sight these days. But a few of the ancient taboos remain: Remember to board the boat on the left side, never step over a canoe on the beach, and always back the boat onto the shore so the bow faces the water.

With those cautions in mind, club member Richard Varela will show you how to hold the scooped wooden paddle with your arms straight. Then you’ll push the canoe out into the water and hop in at your designated seat. This maneuver is a bit tricky, but nothing compared to the finesse required to paddle the canoe.

Timing is everything. The goal is for all six to paddle in unison, with three stroking on one side and three on the other side. Then every 15 or 20 strokes the lead paddler, the one who sets the pace, yells out something that sounds like “hut hut ho” and all six switch to the other side without missing a beat.

That’s the theory, anyway. But don’t expect to do it that way immediately. First-timers will be slow and clumsy, banging paddles and thumbs, and splashing each other. You don’t have to worry about steering the thing either; that’s up to the paddler in the last seat.

And don’t expect a long ocean trek your first time out. Varela puts novices in a boat with experienced paddlers for an hourlong cruise around the harbor and into the Ventura Keys. The pace is slow, with occasional stops at docks.

Recent first-timers Alyse Rozenzon of Ventura and Becky Gustafson of San Luis Obispo will tell you an hour on the water is plenty.

“I think I’m in pretty good shape, but these muscles are not in good shape,” Gustafson said after a paddle.

“It’s a humbling experience,” one seasoned paddler said of the initiation.

It’s also exhilarating, according to Matthews. “You’re right on top of the ocean. You see sea lions and dolphins.” Cruising speed is 6-7 m.p.h., with paddlers putting out 55-70 strokes per minute.

Club members are out on the water most Saturdays and Sundays. For those serious about the sport, the racing season runs during the summer when competitors practice up to three times a week. The longest race is a 33-mile jaunt from Catalina Island to Newport Beach. During the last season, the club’s senior masters men’s division (45 years and up) won every race they entered, except one.

In fact, many of the club’s members are in their 30s and 40s. And though paddlers of all abilities are welcome, according to Matthews: “We’re trying to recruit some younger people.”

Details

* WHAT: Hokuloa Outrigger Canoe Club of Ventura.

* WHEN: Orientation session for novices every Sunday at 11 a.m.

* WHERE: The Ventura Harbor, at the end of Spinnaker Drive, near the Channel Islands National Park Headquarters.

* COST: No cost for the orientation. The first month of paddling with the club is also free. After that, club membership is $75 a year for the first two years. Monthly dues are $20 a month March through September, and $10 per month during the off-season the rest of the year.

* INFORMATION: Call 648-2942, or 642-0269.

* FYI: For the first session, wear shorts or swimwear. Beginners should know how to swim. Life jackets are optional, but they are carried on board.