Carrie Anderson (left) of Lake Village and Mike Foos of Chesterton (right) cast off from the shore during a water and kayak safety class put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront at Wells Street Beach in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

As a group of 10 rookie kayakers huddled under cover at Gary’s Wells Street beach, Lake Michigan showcased its dangerous dark side of angry, roiling waves amidst a torrent of rain. The scene looked forbidding at best.

Yet in just an hour’s time Wednesday, the Great Lake morphed from churning white caps to serene waters, sparkling under sunshine.

The lake’s diversity provided a graphic backdrop for instructor Dan Plath, of the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association, who taught this beginner paddler water safety class coordinated by Gary-based nonprofit Friends of Marquette Park.

Plath spoke in length about kayak equipment and features, clothing, technique, and most importantly, safety.

“Know your ability. People call them the bathtub boats, but they’re the best to learn in,” he said in reference to the wider, more common kayaks on lakes and rivers.

A shaft of rain falls off of Wells Street Beach during a water and kayak safety class put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

The narrower sea kayaks, used by class members, are intended for large bodies of water like Lake Michigan or an ocean.

Plath, a lifelong outdoorsman and chief of resource management at Indiana Dunes National Park, detailed the parts of the kayaks the class and proper paddling technique to avoid shoulder soreness.

“When you paddle, a lot of it is rotation,” he demonstrated with a paddle.

A good lightweight graphic paddle can cost about $400, but it saves you from getting fatigued, he said.

Clothing should be nylon and polyester, never cotton or blue jeans, Plath said.

“Cotton doesn’t dry and could lead to hyperthermia,” he said.

Dan Plath, Founder of the NWIPA and chief of resource management at the Indiana Dunes National Park, carries a 17-foot sea kayak during a water and kayak safety class. The class was put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront at Wells Street Beach in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

As the rain stopped and the waters calmed, the life-jacket-wearing class members hauled kayaks down to the lake.

For many, it marked their first time in a kayak on mighty and expansive Lake Michigan.

“I was afraid to do this on my own,” said Katie Sirko of Chesterton. “I wanted a little bit of knowledge first.”

Once all the kayakers climbed into their crafts, Plath told them to paddle out to a lake buoy about 50 feet from shore. Some wobbled at first as they wrestled with the tight quarters, but soon everyone was paddling to the buoy.

Plath continued the lesson from there as they sat and listened.

Ellie Carter 11, checks out the kayaks that will be used during a water and kayak safety class put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront at Wells Street Beach in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

Mark Woodson, of New Carlisle, said he began kayaking in the spring after his daughter got the family into the sport.

“This is my first time on Lake Michigan,” he said.

Typically, he said they paddle in Hudson Lake in LaPorte County.

Carrie Anderson, of Lake Village, bought her first kayak three years ago.

“I needed one with room for my 80-pound dog and me,” she said.

Her family has a 9-acre pond she paddles on and she lives by the Kankakee River where she’s taken her kayak.

Mary Anne Best (right) and her granddaughter Ellie Carter 11, (left) come a shore with their kayaks. They took part in a kayak safety class put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront at Wells Street Beach in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)

Mary Ann Best, who heads the Friends of Marquette Park shoreline committee, brought kayaks for herself and 11-year-old granddaughter, Ellie Carter, who took the class last year.

Best said she hopes people will enjoy Lake Michigan safely, while understanding its dangers and benefits.

“We want to promote water safety for people who come out to enjoy the lake,” she said.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

After leaving the shore, the group meets up at the marker buoy during a water and kayak safety class put on by the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association on the lakefront at Wells Street Beach in Gary on Wednesday, July 27, 2022. (John Smierciak/Post Tribune) (John Smierciak / Post-Tribune)