Kayaking Instruction

Welcome to whitewater kayaking, America's fastest growing adventure sport. River Recreation offers the only kayaking school in the Northwest that is completely custom. Every kayaking session is individually designed to fit your needs. This approach allows us to personally ensure your success. Whether you're just beginning your kayaking career or out to learn the skills of your choice, including rolling in whitewater, rodeo maneuvers or even steep creek technique (if you're a more advanced paddler.)

Choose either private instruction or well match you up with students of like ability. Or get together with some friends and well create a curriculum and instructional experience that you can all share in togetherjust let us know what youre looking for. Our student to instructor ratio is never greater than four to one and all of our instructors are ACA certified.

And, in line with River Recreations emphasis on safety, any group instruction will always have at least one additional experienced paddler accompany the group.

Bring your own gear or we'll supply all equipment (kayak, paddle, sprayskirt, wetsuit, booties, helmet, lifejacket) no additional chargewe've got the best program in the Northwest for kayak instruction!

Beginning Paddlers

Those new to kayaking make their start in calm waters, either a pool or lake. There you will learn about your equipment, entering and exiting the boat, safety, basic paddle strokes, and begin learning to roll your kayak (a maneuver to right a capsized boat without getting out). From there, instruction may continue in flatwater to work on navigation basic learning begin and rescue, self ferries, outs, peel turns, eddy learn to river II or I a out head techniques

Roll Sessions

Learning to roll begins in flat, confined water such as a pool or lake and progresses. You will work on perfecting your technique and spend time practicing what youve learned, progressing towards that bombproof roll. Our instructors will critique your roll and them and their assistants will help you with your practice. We want you to really be able to spend this time working on your roll so every student will have a dedicated experienced paddler assigned to them to assist them with their progress. Roll sessions are a great way to progress to moving water or for a checkup on the finer details of your technique.

Intermediate Paddlers

With a mastery of the basics, intermediate paddlers begin learning playboating techniques and progressing into bigger water. Youll learn to surf and side-surf waves, work on perfecting your combat roll (rolling in moving water) and perhaps begin working on cartwheels! Intermediate paddlers will advance to spending their time in Class III to III-IV waters, working on rapid-running strategies.

Gain experience and allow intermediates to paddle a new river under the leadership of experienced paddlers (advanced paddlers should ask about our available river consultants to accompany you on your next trip). Once youre able to perform eddy turns, peel outs, ferries, and unassisted self rescues, youre prepared to start with calmer riverswell help you determine what youre ready for. Please note that these trips are not instructional clinicsif youre looking for additional instruction, just give us a call and we can create an instructional trip.