Onset Bay Camps Wrap Up Their 2026 Summer

“Young Explorers, hold up your paddles.”

The young campers, wearing tiny life jackets and water shoes, each raise a paddle in the air.

Allie Walsh, a rising sophomore at UMass Amherst and an instructor at the Onset Bay Center this summer, is teaching them how to paddle.

“What do we do if we fall off?” one camper asks.

Walsh assures the group that she and Abby Forcier, the Sailing and Waterfront Manager who is joining the group as an instructor, are trained and certified to help them safely climb back aboard the giant stand-up paddleboard. Forcier returns with weights tied to the end of a rope, which they will use to anchor the board when they reach Lydia’s Island.

"Do you want to continue to practice paddling?" asks Walsh. The kids respond with a hearty “Nooooooo!!!” And off they go to Lydia’s Island.

The bathhouse and beach at Onset Bay were busy all summer with campers sailing, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, fishing, crabbing, and discovering the wildlife and ecology of the bay. The Bay Explorers program also included swimming lessons led by certified American Red Cross water safety instructors, giving campers the opportunity to build confidence and develop lifelong swimming skills while enjoying time on the water. Trips to Burgess Point and Wickets Island opened even more of the bay to their imaginations.

This summer also marked the launch of our new half-day Young Explorers program for 6- and 7-year-olds. A fleet of smaller kayaks, designed specifically for younger paddlers, allowed campers to paddle more efficiently and independently. The better fit helped them experience success sooner and build confidence on the water.

Six-year-old Elliot Britto was one of the campers attending for the first time.

He also has a special connection to the bay. His grandfather, Julius, spent many summers of his own childhood swimming at Onset Beach. Julius recently discovered home movies from 70 years ago showing him playing in the water here.

“My mother would drop me off here when she went to work down the road a bit as a house cleaner,” he explains. “She’d come check on me at lunch, but knew everyone there was looking after me.”

Julius recalls that he and other people of color felt welcome at Onset Beach during the 1950s. “People of color all came here, as it was one of the nicest beaches on Cape Cod. This was the spot.”

Two generations later, it remains a special place for his family. Julius says that when he arrives to pick Elliot up from camp, his grandson often complains, “Why can’t you come later?”