Whitewater Kayaking 101

With this class, we’ve successfully created river kayakers for 40+ years. Our proven teaching method takes you through a gradual progression that maximizes the fun. We’ve designed our beginning class for those who have never river kayaked before, or who have played around with kayaking some but have not had formal instruction in the fundamentals of river kayaking. Take this class if you are a sea kayaker or surf kayaker paddling on the river for the first time.

The 101 class starts on the flat water of Isabella Lake or flat pools of the Kern River, where you learn essential boating skills such as the wet-exit, self-rescue, partner-assisted rolls, and efficient stroke technique. At the end of the morning session, we break for a hearty lunch and preview the afternoon’s challenges. We spend the afternoon on the river developing more of the steering and balancing skills needed to do river maneuvers such as peel-outs, ferries, and eddy turns. These and other techniques are required to become a safe, efficient whitewater kayaker.