Intro To Whitewater Kayaking Courses

Overview

Join NOC’s world-renowned Paddling School! This full-day course focuses on whitewater essentials for new and aspiring paddlers with little to no experience. Family-friendly and appropriate for kids as young as 8 with a participating adult, this course includes the latest gear, the highest quality instruction, transportation, and lunch.

Offered Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays May 24th – September 29th, 2025.

Begin the day by becoming familiar with the equipment and working with your instructors on selecting the most appropriate boat from NOC’s extensive fleet. The morning is spent on a calm section of lake or slow-moving river where you will learn basic strokes, boat control, and maneuvers. After a waterside lunch, your NOC professional instructors will lead you down a skill-appropriate section of the river where you can put your newly acquired skills to use. This program puts emphasis on fun, skill-building, and exploring some of the region’s most beautiful lakes and rivers.

Participants must be at least 8 years old. All minors (17 and under) require the presence of participating adults for this program. This course requires moderate physical activity and participants need to have the ability to swim from a capsized boat to shore (while wearing a PFD).

Skills You’ll Learn and Develop

• Boat Design, Whitewater Gear & Proper Fit
• River Feature Terminology
• Forward & Reverse Paddling
• Moving your Boat Sideways
• Balancing & Edging
• Exiting a Capsized Boat
• Risk Management

What to Expect

Guests will start by getting perfectly outfitted with a boat and all the necessary gear and then head to a calm lake to learn basic strokes, boat control, and safety maneuvers. After lunch, you will paddle an appropriate river and put your newly acquired skills to use! As much about the joys of kayaking and learning skills, this course emphasizes scenery, companionship, and fun! The course will take about 7 hours total between time on the water, gear selection, shuttles, and lunch.