Beginner Kayak Schools

Four Day Beginner Kayak Course

Prerequisites: No previous experience is required! This course is designed for those of you interested in learning to kayak, or those of you interested in refining your basic skills. Perhaps you have taken an beginner kayak course before but still need to hone those basic skills.  If you have little or no on-water experience and are looking to refine your technique and improve your strokes, this is the course for you!

Description: In this course, our instructors will teach you the basic paddling skills required to successfully read and navigate rapids.

Day 1: The first day, you will be introduced to whitewater kayaks and paddling gear. You’ll discover you CAN easily get out of the boat, and we’ll learn a few basic strokes to put you in control.  Before lunch you will gain the confidence to take an afternoon trip down a short, easy section of river!

Once on the river, you’ll begin to learn how to maneuver your sleek river craft and be introduced to the mysteries of the T-Rescue – a cool method for coming right back up if you tip over.

Day 2: The next morning your instructor will introduce basic skills and maneuvers, such as forward strokes, high/low braces, eddy turns, and finally the Eskimo roll. These skills will form a strong foundation on which to build throughout the class. The afternoon will be spent on the river, applying such skills, testing abilities, and gaining confidence on the water. While we will stick to the easy rapids, you’ll begin to feel the freedom of moving around on the river, going where you want to go!

Day 3 & 4: By day 3, you’ll continue to hone the basic skills learned in days 1 and 2, as well as start playing in the rapids, learning your limits of stability, risking tip-overs and discovering the fun and excitement the river holds. Before long, you will begin to anticipate your next move, reacting to each and every wave. By the end of day 4 you’ll have the skills and confidence you need to start running rapids!

Kayaking is soul food: Kayaking is one of the best ways to enrich your life and relieve stress, and you will be surprised by how fast you gain skills and confidence on the river.  By day 4 of your beginner kayak class, rapids you wouldn’t have dared a few days ago will now seem do-able. The crazed pace of the real world becomes distant and inconsequential. You notice that your life is more in tune with the nuances of the great outdoors.  In addition to the song of the river, you hear the strum of a distant chord that now includes you in the workings of nature.

We love kayaking!

The thrill and reward of accepting the challenge of learning how to kayak in whitewater, mixed with experiencing the fun, majestic beauty and timelessness of a wilderness river trip are the reasons people come to Sundance Kayak School.  Come join us for 4 days of fun, challenge and relaxation on the Rogue River!