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WHITEWATER

Looking to get into whitewater kayaking?

The Australian Kayak School will teach you the important skills and give you the necessary knowledge to make a whitewater river trip a safe and enjoyable experience.

Gold Coast - Sydney - Melbourne

Inquire with your location, number in your group, the type of craft you have if any and your kayaking experience if any.

Whether a complete beginner or an existing paddler wishing to improve skill and competence the Australian Kayak School can help meet your goals.

Qualified and Experienced Whitewater Instructors.

Class sizes are kept small to maximise student learning. Max 4:1

Note whitewater is dependant upon rainfall in river catchment and there are minimum and maximum river levels, it may be necessary to travel up to 3.5hrs from our centres with overnight camping by the river in some instances. Check location at time of booking.

For inquiries please contact us with your location and what you wish to achieve

phone/sms 0450832430

email bookings@kayakschool.com.au

Below are some of the whitewater courses currently available at the Australian Kayak School. Remember also that we offer private lessons if you have specific needs.

Kayak School locations in Gold Coast Qld, Sydney NSW, Melbourne Victoria.

 

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Whitewater Skills Course
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The most dynamic, goal oriented course to get you onto whitewater safely in the least amount of time. Learn essential paddle strokes, bracing and balance techniques, as well as river hydrology to experience the excitement of kayaking safely in the whitewater.  Group sizes are kept small to ensure maximum Instructor time per student.

Learn river dynamics at grade two whitewater level including features and hazards and how to avoid or minimise their risks. Learn correct paddle stroke selection and technique in moving water along with posture and balance to manouver your kayak in currents and eddies. In addition you will learn capsize rescue skills to get you back in your kayak.

Confirming the pre-requisite of our Basic Skills Course or equivalent. Your participation will be cancelled by the Instructor if you are not yet competent in the following basic skills: 

  • Appropriate paddling attire
  • Correct safety and equipment selection
  • Correct flotation for craft
  • Lifting, carrying, transport
  • Craft setup and stowage
  • Donning Equipment
  • Entry and Exit of craft
  • Spraydeck use
  • Launch and land
  • Wet exit
  • Posture and Balance
  • Paddlers Box
  • Forward Stroke
  • Reverse Stroke
  • Stopping Stroke
  • Forward Sweep
  • Reverse Sweep
  • Combination Sweep
  • Side Draw Stroke
  • Bow Draw
  • Stern Draw
  • Raft up 
  • Low Brace 
  • All strokes stationary and underway
  • Capsize and Recovery
  • Capsize and swim with kayak to shore
  • Deep water re-entry

This whitewater skills course will cover the following:

Extra Skills

  • Stern Rudder
  • Edge control
  • J- Lean
  • Low Brace Turn
  • Single blade use, J-stroke, C-stroke
  • Shunting
  • Eskimo Recovery/ T-Rescue
  • HOG Rescue 
  • Hanging Draw
  • Sweep and bow draw combination turn

Rescue skills

  • Towline for paddles and boats
  • Boat shunting
  • Capsize and swim
  • self rescue swim with all gear
  • tow swimmer
  • whitewater deck carry
  • deep water re-entry
  • Eskimo rescue
  • HOG Rescue
  • Rolling cover from kayaks
  • Setting up rope rescue
  • Receiving rescue rope
  • Throwing rescue rope
  • Broach recovery

Whitewater Skills

  • Ferry Glide
  • Break into eddies
  • Break out of eddies
  • Reverse Ferry Glide
  • Eddy Hopping
  • Scouting from kayak
  • Scouting from Shore
  • Paddling safe efficient lines

Other Skills and Knowledge

  • Hydrology Theory, Features and Hazards
  • Choosing safe lines in rapids
  • Hypothermia
  • Simple knot tying
  • Tying down kayaks
  • Boat recovery and mechanical advantage 

Course duration: 2 full days on the river. (Home study theory booklet to be completed prior to course start date)

 

What to bring: Lunch, snacks, Water Bottle. Suitable warm clothing and footwear to get wet and swim in, PFD, whitewater helmet, paddle, kayak with adequate flotation, spraydeck, sponge.

Please advise if you require assistance with hire equipment.

 

Prerequisites:   Our Basic Skills course or equivalent.  We do offer a multiple course booking discount. 

Good fitness and strong swimmer with underwater confidence.

Ability to learn practical skills quickly as it is a fast paced course.

 

Cost: $480 per person

 

Location: Whitewater rivers rely on rainfall in their catchments, runnable rivers may be up to 3.5 hours from our office base, if so we will camp by the river overnight. Confirm when booking.

 

Note: We aim to have you succeed, If you think you need more time to learn then speak to us about other options instead of this course.

Bookings: Phone/sms 0450832430

Intermediate Whitewater Course
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This intermediate course is designed for the whitewater paddler looking to learn more advanced whitewater techniques, such as reading water on the move, eddy-hopping, scouting rapids, rolling cover and out of boat safety cover (rope rescue), surfing waves and holes, boofing and running steeper drops.

Group sizes are kept small to ensure maximum Instructor time per student.

Course duration: 2 days

 

What to bring: Lunch, snacks, water. Suitable warm clothing and footwear to get wet and swim in, PFD, whitewater helmet, paddle, kayak, spraydeck.

 

Prerequisites: Whitewater Skills Course, competent eskimo roll, strong swimmer.

If you do a course with us we offer a 10percent discount on all subsequent courses.

 

Cost: $480 per person 

 

Location: Whitewater rivers rely on rainfall in their catchments, runnable rivers may be up to 3.5 hours from our office base, if so we will camp by the river overnight. Confirm when booking.

 

Bookings: Phone/sms 0450832430

Coast to Coast Grade Two Whitewater Certificate 2day Course
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We run this course out of our bases of Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne so advise your location on contact with us.

This course is designed to meet skills and knowledge for adventure racing plus all requirements for the NZ Coast to Coast Grade 2 kayak certificate.

Group sizes are kept small (max 4 participants) to ensure maximum Instructor time per student.

Whitewater rivers rely on rainfall in their catchments, runnable rivers may be up to 3.5 hours from our office base, if so far we will camp by the river overnight, otherwise just a day trip each day, check when booking.

You will learn river dynamics at a minimum of grade two whitewater level including features and hazards and how to avoid or minimise their risks.

Be honest regarding your existing level of skill prior to this course, we offer a 3hr Basic Skills Course for Kayak (sit inside) which covers a range of skills, including:

  • Appropriate paddling attire
  • Correct safety and equipment selection
  • Correct flotation for craft
  • Lifting, carrying, transport
  • Craft setup and stowage
  • Donning Equipment
  • Entry and Exit of craft
  • Spraydeck use
  • Launch and land
  • Wet exit
  • Posture and Balance
  • Paddlers Box
  • Forward Stroke
  • Reverse Stroke
  • Stopping Stroke
  • Forward Sweep
  • Reverse Sweep
  • Combination Sweep
  • Side Draw Stroke
  • Bow Draw
  • Stern Draw
  • Rafting Up 
  • Low Brace 
  • All strokes stationary and underway
  • Capsize and Recovery
  • Capsize and swim with kayak to shore, empty, re-enter.
  • Deep Water Re-entry

If you cannot perform competently all of the above both stationary and while underway then you must first do our 3hr Basic Skills course or an equivalent. We do offer a multiple course booking discount.

This Coast to Coast whitewater course will cover the following:

Extra Skills

  • Stern Rudder
  • Edge control
  • J- Lean
  • Low Brace Turn
  • Single blade use, J-stroke, C-stroke
  • Shunting
  • Eskimo Recovery/ T-Rescue
  • HOG Rescue 
  • Hanging Draw
  • Sweep and bow draw combination turn

Rescue skills

  • Towline for paddles and boats
  • Boat shunting into eddies
  • Capsize and swim
  • self rescue swim with all gear
  • tow swimmer
  • whitewater deck carry
  • deep water re-entry
  • Eskimo rescue
  • HOG Rescue
  • Rolling cover from kayaks
  • Setting up rope rescue
  • Receiving rescue rope
  • Throwing rescue rope
  • Broach recovery

Whitewater Skills

  • Ferry Glide
  • Break into eddies
  • Break out of eddies
  • Reverse Ferry Glide
  • Eddy Hopping
  • Scouting from kayak
  • Scouting from Shore
  • Paddling safe efficient lines

Other Skills and Knowledge

  • Hydrology Theory, Features and Hazards
  • Choosing safe lines in rapids
  • Hypothermia
  • Simple knot tying
  • Tying down kayaks
  • Boat recovery and mechanical advantage 

Course duration: 2 full days on the river. (Home study theory booklet to be completed prior to course start date) 

What to bring: Lunch, snacks, Water Bottle. Drybag for lunch, keys, valuables. Suitable warm clothing and footwear to get wet and swim in, PFD, whitewater helmet, paddle, kayak with adequate flotation, spraydeck, sponge.

Please advise if you require assistance sourcing hire equipment.

 

Prerequisites:   Our Basic skills course or equivalent.  If you do a course with us we do offer a multiple course booking discount.

Good fitness and strong swimmer with underwater confidence.

Ability to learn practical skills quickly as it is a fast paced course. This course is not suited to slow learners, please ask us about other learning options.

And a commitment to purchase your own kayak and continue training for the kayak leg of the race event.

 

Cost: $480 per person

 

Location: Whitewater rivers rely on rainfall in their catchments, runnable rivers may be up to 3.5 hours from our office base, if so far we will camp by the river overnight, otherwise just a day trip each day.

 

Note: We aim to have you succeed, If you think you need more time to learn then speak to us about other options instead of this course.

Bookings: Phone/sms 0450832430

Eskimo Rolling

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Learn the ultimate self rescue technique - the Eskimo Roll.

 

Participants should be confident in the water and be comfortable upside down in a kayak. 

The eskimo rolling course is a private lesson with a professional instructor.

Course duration: 1.5 hours

 

What to bring: Suitable warm clothing, PFD, paddle, spraydeck and craft. You might wish to bring a whitewater noseplug.

Prerequisites: Competent paddle skills, good swimmer with underwater confidence.

Cost: $150 one on one

Bookings: Phone/sms 0450832430

Whitewater race training - Long boats
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For those who have completed the Grade 2 whitewater certificate and want to further develop their whitewater racing skills in a long boat.

We will cover rescue skills, long boat manouvering in whitewater and paddling race lines through rapids. Perfect for adventure racers and those planning to do the Coast to Coast NZ. 

Course duration: 1 day

 

What to bring: Lunch, snacks, Water Bottle. Drybag for lunch, keys, valuables. Suitable warm clothing and footwear to get wet and swim in, PFD, whitewater helmet, paddle, Race kayak with adequate flotation, spraydeck, sponge.

Please advise if you require assistance sourcing hire equipment.

 

Prerequisites: Completed our Grade 2 Certificate Course.

 

Cost: $240

 

Location: We will mix up locations through the year to paddle different venues. 

 

Bookings: Phone/sms 0450832430