"Whitewater 101 - Getting Started in Whitewater Kayaking"

Whitewater Kayaking is a strategic game that anyone can play -- once they learn the rules.  This FREE 2hr class will introduce you to the types of equipment, maneuvers and concepts to help you be more successful whitewater kayaking.

Do you love skiing, climbing or mountain biking, and want a fun activity to round out your seasons?  Do you find yourself traveling to Taos, Durango, Moab or Colorado for weekend adventures and want to experience these fun locations in a new way?  Have you ever been whitewater rafting and seen the kayakers having all the fun?  If so, you may love whitewater kayaking and not know it yet. 

Whitewater kayaking is a strategic game that anyone can play, once they learn the rules.  It has nothing to do with age, adrenaline, appetite for adventure, physique or endurance, and more to do with understanding a few simple laws of physics, that help you read the river, paddle your boat efficiently and time the placement of your strokes for speed, power and stability.

This FREE 2 hour course starts off with an overview of the American Whitewater Safety Code and the International Scale of River Difficulty to frame the types of boats you'll need to use to be successful in whitewater kayaking, the hydraulic features you'll find on whitewater rivers and how you'll work with them, as well as the maneuvers needed at each level for class 1, 2 and 3 rapids. 

When you think about it, the river is full of energy; every ripple, wave, hole or current is a form of energy we can use to our advantage.  Even rocks can be used to carry speed through a turn ('deflection'), allow us to pause mid-stream, and perform fun river-play "tricks" as we paddle downriver.  By applying a few simple laws of physics, you can easily break complex rapids down into a series of easy moves.