I’ve done quite a bit of research and reviewed a few different guides/videos but they seem to be inconsistent.. Where should I start with whitewater boating, and what is absolutely necessary to be safe while doing it? Are there any necessary trainings I need to take beforehand?
“Whitewater is a lifestyle” sums it up perfectly.
This 100%.
I just wanted to add as a beginner it helps immensly to have a club where you can borrow equipment. Not only because it prevents you from paying a lot upfront, but also you should try as many kayaks as possible before you buy one. There are big differences and it's really important to find one that's right for you, which you can only find out by taking it on the river.
The quality of 1-on-1 instruction from an actual full time instructor is VASTLY greater than the rudimentary advice you’ll get from a boating club. Your growth will directly reflect your paddling time. If you only join a boating club and paddle 4 days a year, you’ll never get very far. If you dedicate every weekend and occasional vacation time to learning, you’ll see progress much faster.
Exactly why it’s so great to find clubs who develop and support instructors (if not even instructor trainers) within their infrastructure. I was blessed to have all the above and inspired thereby with my own instruction career. It’s the perfect learning environment for paddlers. I cringe every time I hear someone say they’re trying to learn from YouTube (particularly rolling). I can almost promise the bad technique and habits they develop will lead to much more pain in the future having to unlearn and relearn efficient/effective skills.
Join a group and take classes.
Other competent boaters to guide you thru the progression. It’s an impossible sport to learn and do on your own.
- Paddle with knowledgeable people that take safety seriously and be a sponge
- Get a swift water rescue certification (optional but I found it really useful)
- Get plenty of time on different types of whitewater as safety considerations will change depending on what you paddle (technical vs big water)
- Learn to scout rapids in and out of your boat
Most importantly, once you get comfortable and self sufficient on grade 3, help the advanced paddlers rescue beginners. This was the turning point for my whitewater safety confidence.
With a club if you can, if you're starting you don't want to do it solo in case, you know, trouble.
There's a lot of good advice in this thread, but I want to stress that whitewater is a big tent, and there's no one best way to get into it. Watercraft preference, location, age, location, time you can commit, and location matter a lot.
The "old school" and somewhat New Englandish way to get into it is to do lots of open canoeing, mostly class 1-2, and step it up slowly. Family, summer camps, outfitters/guides for "canoe tripping". Although I think this is on the decline and may not be what you're looking for.
If your dream is to guide rafts, and be able to take your friends/family down rivers without them having to build skills, that will eventually mean owning/transporting/maintaining your own raft. The classic route for that is to dedicate a few summers to becoming a commercial guide. Ideally as a teen/early 20s when you can swing low pay/living near a river. Out west (UT/CO, maybe ID/CA?) I think there's also more of a "float trip" mindset for multi-day rafting trips.
If you want to be a master of your own destiny and get into kayaking (can you tell my bias) the biggest factors to improving quickly and safely are getting more time in your boat on whitewater and paddling with good safety-minded folks. Ideally, you're always paddling with people who a better than you that you can learn from/grow with, and who will look out for each other. If you're lucky enough to live super close to a river/have the flexibility, consistent pre/post work paddling multiple times a week. If you're a little further, fulling committing to being a weekend warrior and doing trips almost every weekend (particularly while getting started).
You also want to learn to roll ASAP and practice (off-season pool sessions or just whatever local flatwater you got is perfect). Once your roll is good you can keep throwing yourself at rapids/features/moves that may flip you but then the consequence is getting wet, not needing a rescue.
However you get that group you can paddle with frequently and learn to roll is best. Maybe that means you pay for some lessons near you. Or even travel to like NOC for a week crash course to get that roll/initial skill. Some places have good clubs, other clubs are kinda meh. Often if you're close enough to rivers to have a club there are at least a couple others in the area so shop around and try a couple if the first one doesn't click. Really depends where you are. In general, the old forums/message boards got killed by Facebook, and most paddlers I know keep using Facbook primarily for paddling. Lots of groups for getting gear, info on rivers/levels, and coordinating trips.
anyway hope this ramble is somewhat helpful, and hope to see you on the river someday!
I’ve been a white water kayaker since 1992 and can say with confidence you need to learn: 1] a bombproof Eskimo roll, and 2) how to read a river. If you don’t have a solid Eskimo role, you will approach everything with nervous trepidation, will capsize and will be likely to suffer serious injury. As such, take an instructor-led course in a swimming pool so you get this under your belt. Secondly, take a river rescue course where you learn how to read rapids, identify hazards, understand the risks and play opportunities so you can safely have a blast? .
Watch a video and learn how to roll. Wear a life jacket. Progress slowly or at a comfortable pace from class 2 up. The harder you paddle the less safe it gets. Mostly starting at 3+. I think you have to willfully careless to have problems on popular class 3. They’re probably popular because they’re fun and relatively safe.
I'll respectably disagree with "the harder you paddle the less safe it gets." This is one sport you can help reduce risks through skill and experience.
Subjectively yes. Objectively its more dangerous. Im mostly a rock climber where its almost completely subjective danger. Its hard to get unlucky climbing. Its easier to get unlucky paddling. That said I have never been a class 5 paddler (that skilled).
Its also helpful to drink 5-ish % beer when you paddle. At least after 50.
Alcohol after paddle Not before
Are you trying to get into rafting or kayaking?
Perfect question
Never kayak whitewater alone!!!
I just went through this. I took a course through a company which offered all the gear necessary. I was fortunate enough to self teach the roll so then I made friends and gained paddle partners using the local club on Facebook.
The course definitely instilled in me the right foundation and then meeting people made it easy to ensure my progression continued. Take your time and definitely learn to roll. Once you get a roll it all kinda opens up from there.
There’s also a lot of videos on YouTube which helped me a lot but nothing substitutes for real on water time. Easier if you live near a consistent dam fed river.
Actually one of the best ways for better or worse is to train to be a river guide.
That’s what I did, but just learned a ton of bad habits along the way that had to get corrected for me to progress above class 3. It was basically free though since they paid us to learn!
That is the norm. Usually at some point guiding actually hinders your progression. Find some local private boaters.
can you further explain what you mean by hindering your progression? I’m training to be a raft guide currently and want to get into kayaking as well, what should I look out for? Thanks
Find a certified instructor who's a badass. I started at a late age (38). I found a professional kayaker who taught on the side..one of the best investments I've ever made. They will be able to teach you everything you need to know and it will be a lot faster than hanging out with club boaters, which is a complete waste of time. The pro will have the inside track and hookup on the best deals on used equipment...and can help you get started at the most reasonable cost. You'll also meet a lot of other good boaters through that person...and paddling with those folks will make you better...cause if you can't keep up or are an idiot, they'll stop calling you (and I mean this in the best way possible).
Just my $0.02, which is based on what I was trying to do...run class iv/v rivers with knowledge and confidence...and not drown.
Learn to roll. Then start in class I. Then class II… then…
Really tho it’s not intuitive, get an instructor or join a group class. You can do it.
Btw, statistically speaking cycling is far more dangerous than whitewater or climbing, check the numbers. Not saying there aren’t risks but just something to think about. Way more people get fucked up and die on bikes. Which are normal for most people somehow.
I took a 4 day course, it was great for getting consistent practice on the fundamentals
take an Introduction to Whitewater course. Ideally it should be at least 2 days long.
Get a job as a guide
This is the real answer.
Look into a whitewater canoe!!
Be fluid!
First learn how to get out of kayak with skirt on correctly. That is the first skill needed.
Paddle a man made course and get a bomb proof roll. The memory muscle is transferable to natural rivers and gives you the sensation of rolling in moving water without the hidden risks like sharp boulders,undercuts,and heavy rain that changes the look of the water in a very short time frame.Never paddle water of consequence on your own.Three people is a bare minimum.
Join a class, then spend the time you need to learn to roll, good boat handling skills and how to read the water. Also take a river rescue and safety class so you become familiar with hazards and how to avoid them. Pick up a river safety anthology book to read about accidents and what people did wrong.
Finally spend a lot of time on class 3 putting those skills to the test. Once you have a bombproof roll, can spot hazards, and can control your boat, you become an asset to any group, not a liability. That’s a good time to work on class IV skills. After a thousand or so rolls, things become automatic, like standing up or reaching for a cup.
Finally, never kayak alone, and don’t become complacent. I had a class V boater friend die in class II because he was way behind the group, not paying attention and he got himself pinned between two rocks.
People consistently underestimate the dangers of rivers. Have a healthy respect for it. Put in the time to be safe.
Number one rule is gonna be SEAT TIME! get in your boat as much as you can.
Having a good crew is essential for progression so I’d recommend joining a kayak club near you to start meeting people. Having a crew is how you’ll get on the water more and have people to learn from.
Whitewater parks / centers can be a pretty safe way to introduce yourself to rapids if you have one accessible to you. Also another place you can meet people.
Classes are also available at many different outfitters at many different rivers along with freelance instructors. Cost money but probably are the best way to progress.
Look for a local roll practice. Flat water work is part of the game. Also another place to meet people
A slalom club. Controlled environment, excellent fundamentals - drawback of being expensive.
Easiest way to get into whitewater is paddling downstream on a river with whitewater.
If you share where you are located, people here can almost certainly point you to specific clubs or resources in your area
Seek professional instruction. I highly recommend getting lessons from kayaking champion, Mason Hargrove if you are in the south east. If u can't make that work, I hear good things about Ace Kayaking school.
Get on flat water every day and get your roll and learn edge control.
Take an intro swift water class. Invaluable expertise on knots, what to expect when you swim, types of rapids, when and how to deploy throw ropes, g’luck!
Inflatable kayak
Inflatable kayaks are a good way to get comfortable with rivers. Make sure you get a decent whitewater one, aire is a good company to look for. Start by paddling a totally flat and mellow river. Then try paddling some very mild rapids, some small waves and boulders to avoid. Stick with decent sized, open rivers. Small creeks often have serious hazards that you might not be able to identity. Keep your feet up if you swim, stay away from logs and brush (strainers). Once you get a little bit of experience, that opens you up to finding partners to paddle some easier class 2 rapids. Once you have a little bit of class 2 experience, that qualifies you to take a swiftwater rescue course.
Hardshell kayaks are much harder to learn but very rewarding when you get it right. Lots of people stick inflatable kayaks and progress into moderate whitewater, nothing wrong with that.
I agree. Going from inflatable to hardshell feels like going from a minivan to a miata
Start on flat water…
Join a local whitewater paddling club. Chances are good they’ll offer beginner lessons by certified instructors. You can pay more with a commercial outfitter but the quality of education likely won’t be any better and the short-term of the experience (versus long term mentorship and friendship in a club) will not keep you moving ahead like a club. Whitewater paddling is a lifestyle and you can’t expect instant expertise. Take your time and enjoy the ride.