Learn to Kayak

Overview

Learn the necessary skills to paddle a whitewater kayak in Class I-II Whitewater! Whether you are moving from flatwater paddling or sea kayaking or have no experience in a boat at all, this class is the place to start your whitewater kayak journey! Begin each day learning and practicing strokes, concepts and getting comfortable doing wet exits with your NOC professional Instructor. We then progress to the river and put your skills to work on beginner-level rapids under the coaching of your instructor. If you are looking to build a foundation for strong skill development and understanding, this is where you want to be.

We offer both two and four-day courses. The four days is recommended for paddlers serious about quickly advancing, so students can log more river time with instructors. Additionally, four-day courses provide more opportunities to test out the latest boats and gear – helping you determine what best fits your body type and paddling style.

Skills You’ll Learn and Develop

2 Day Course  

• Boat Design, Whitewater Gear & Proper Fit
• Strokes, concepts, and kayak maneuvers
• Scouting, water reading, and picking your line
• River Safety and communication
• Carving, edging and redirecting momentum utilizing the water
• Wet exits and swimming your gear to shore
• Rolling Techniques

4 Day Course  

This course will build on the skills covered in our 2-day course with a more in-depth focus on strokes, rescue, rolling, and river running. We will also have the opportunity for a travel day to paddle additional rivers in the southeast such as the French Broad or Chattooga.

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!

Each day will be split between skills development on area lakes and rivers and enjoying the thrills of the rapids on one of our home whitewater runs.

Reviews

Really great experience. It’s clear the NOC takes instruction seriously and brings in the best instructors. I’ll definitely recommend this program to others and look forward to many returns!