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Advanced Teen Kayak Camps

Bryson City, NC
from $1150
NEW day camp for advanced teen kayakers!

Teen kayaking day and overnight camps are transformative experiences that offer advanced youth paddlers the opportunity to kayak multiple rivers across the southeast under the guidance of professional NOC instructors.

13-17 Years Old
5-6 Days
Kayaker on a river during Advanced Teen Kayak Camp
Two kayakers on a river during Advanced Teen Kayak Camp
Kayaker on a river during Advanced Teen Kayak Camp
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Overview

Teen Kayak Camps at NOC are designed to prepare your teens with the essential skills and knowledge for advanced kayaking. Beyond guiding them through iconic southeastern rivers, we focus on teaching advanced river running techniques, critical decision-making, and fostering a deep sense of responsibility towards their paddling environment. Our mission is to equip them with the necessary tools to succeed in the next stage of their paddling journey as they grow independently in the world of whitewater kayaking.

NOC offers two camps for advanced teen kayakers, Advanced Teen Kayak Day Camp, and Advanced Teen Kayak Travel Camp (overnight).

What You’ll Learn

In both Advanced Teen Kayak Camps, we will be introducing concepts and developing traits that are conducive to creating responsible, self-sufficient young paddlers. These include time management, operating effectively on the water as a team, river etiquette, river running strategies, and risk assessment/reward balance. The rivers we use for these programs not only allow our instructors to focus on these concepts, but also allow the paddlers to experience the beauty and excitement that these rivers have to offer.

What to Expect

Advanced Teen Day Camp

Paddlers will meet daily at 8:30am (Monday through Friday) at NOC’s Paddling School in Bryson City, NC. On Monday we will focus on paddler assessment and Class III river running preparation at the Nantahala River, with several laps at Nantahala Falls and some time in the 2013 World Championship Freestyle feature.

Tuesday through Friday, campers will travel to regional rivers returning back to the Paddling School each day for camper pick-up around 4:30pm. Lunch, gear, and area transportation to rivers is included along with a Paddling School t-shirt and discounts at our Outfitter’s Store, restaurants, and lodging.

Advanced Teen Travel Camp

Paddlers will meet at NOC’s Paddling School on Sunday afternoon between 3-4pm. We will get the group geared up and head to the water that afternoon for paddler assessment and Class III river running preparation. This will take place on the Nantahala River and will allow the opportunity for paddlers to spend time in the 2013 World Championship Freestyle feature.

Meals starting with dinner on Sunday through lunch on Friday, lodging Sunday through Thursday, gear and transportation are included in this program. Lodging will be either on campus at NOC or in campground near the rivers we will be traveling to. Paddling School t-shirt and discounts at our Outfitter’s Store and restaurants are also included. Program will end at approximately 3pm on Friday.

A Full itinerary for both camps can be found in the Summer Camp Parent Handbook

Dates

Advanced Teen Day Camp

Dates Location  
Jul 15-19, 2024 Bryson City, NC

Advanced Teen Travel Camp

Dates Location  
Jul 7-12, 2024 Bryson City, NC Call For Details

Location

Address

51 NOC Way
Bryson City, NC 28713

Advanced Teen Day Camp

  • All necessary specialty whitewater equipment including access to NOC’s extensive fleet of instruction boats for in-clinic use
  • Lunch & In-Course Transportation
  • NOC’s highly trained, ACA certified instruction
  • Paddling School t-shirt, discounts at NOC’s Outfitter’s Store, Restaurants and Lodging

Advanced Teen Travel Camp

  • All meals beginning with dinner on Sunday and concluding with lunch on Friday
  • All lodging Sunday through Thursday nights (at NOC or in campgrounds near rivers)
  • All necessary specialty whitewater equipment including access to NOC’s extensive fleet of instruction boats for in-clinic use
  • In-course transportation
  • NOC’s highly trained, ACA certified instruction
  • Paddling School t-shirt, discounts at NOC’s Outfitter’s Store and Restaurants

NOC Provides the primary gear needed for each course including boats, paddles, PFD’s, helmets, spray skirts, semi-dry tops, wetsuit bottoms, and booties. Exclusive discounts are available for participants at NOC’s Outfitters Store.

See the Summer Camp Parent Handbook for the full packing list.

Paddlers should meet the following prerequisites before joining this camp:

  • Must be ages 13-17
  • Should have a minimum of Class III Kayaking experience
  • Should have a reliable combat roll

Advanced Teen Day Camp

Daily lunch is included in the course fee.

Advanced Teen Travel Camp

All meals beginning with dinner on Sunday and concluding with lunch on Friday

Reviews

The instructors [at NOC] have each been uniformly amazing, knowing how to push them to the next level with boofing, surfing, freestyle, and swift water rescue techniques. All the while, stressing safety, and, most importantly for teens, the importance of sound decision making in their boating. One of the most unique aspects of this great camp is the opportunity to camp out each night at the banks of a new river and daily road trips to so many great SE rivers.

Michael S.

Meet Our Instructors

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The NOC Paddling School stands out because of its exceptional instructors, who are experienced, skilled paddlers, and creative teachers. Their expertise and dedication are why Outside Magazine named us the “Best Place to Learn”

Click here to view our full list of Paddling School Instructors

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