Wetsuits aren't just for surfers. Kayakers look just as cool sporting the O'Neal skin while doing loops or cartwheels - common kayaking tricks. If only they would take out their nose plugs.

Kayakers are amazing athletes. Not only do they perform gravity-defying tricks, they also face the challenges of whitewater rapids and waterfalls---.

But don't be intimidated by the advanced tricks or dangerous rapids. Half of the kayak club consists of beginners. On the first day, very simple safety maneuvers are learned, such as a wet exit - getting out of an overturned kayak.

"(The boat) slides off faster than a pair of pants," coach Jim Malinowski said.

The club is not about extreme tricks. Members practice every Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m. at the North Campus Recreation Building pool. Paddlers can practice their turns through gates that project from a cable down toward the surface of the pool.

Club members can choose which boat to use at practice. Play boats are much shorter than traditional kayaks and are commonly used for performing tricks, while traditional boats are used to perfect stroke technique and other paddling skills.

There is a debate about whether this new era of "play boating" is worth teaching. The old-school whitewater kayakers are against it, while newer paddlers praise it. But the kayakers say play boating is not a serious issue, just something that people like to argue about.

"When you're on the river, it doesn't matter," Malinowski said.

Club members say kayaking is a great outlet for stress - paddling down the rough waters of a raging river alongside trees, mountains and rock formations can set one's mind at ease.

"When you're on a trip, you forget about everything," said Brian Rudd, graduate student and club treasurer.

Added graduate student and club president Bryan Toth: "You feel at one with nature."

The club goes on numerous trips throughout the continent. Past excursions included visits to Canada, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Huron River. Some members like the nature aspect of the trips, but others enjoy them for the fast-paced action of the whitewater.

"Some people are in it for adrenaline; others want to go down a pretty river," Malinowski said.

There are 65 people in the club, but about 25 regularly show up. Additionally, the club is in contact with various paddlers in the area. Roughly 185 people are on the e-mail list, so it is easy to contact members of the paddle community outside the University.

The club was founded in 1967, making it one of the oldest recreational sports clubs on campus. Influenced by a Peanuts cartoon, it was given the name Raw Strength and Courage Kayak Club - a comical way to grab attention.

Members practice some of the following tricks, like a cartwheel - the kayaker makes his boat do a cartwheel off the water, rotating the boat so that the front and then the back of the boat touch the water. A bow stall is where the front of the boat submerges beneath the surface so that the boat is perpendicular to the water. And the best trick of them all - the helix. The boat turns upside down in the air and does a full 360-degree turn.

Joining the club has many benefits. You learn how to kayak and perform great tricks, and you can also use the boats on your own time. The fee for joining is $20 a semester and $30 a year. New members are always welcome - so don't be afraid to give kayaking a try.