Our Course
On this course we help you navigate your journey from being a complete beginner to a competent grade 2 certified kayaker with the knowledge, skills, technique, and equipment to not only take on the Kathmandu Coast to Coast, but to feel you belong on your adventure across the South Island of New Zealand.
By taking Ben on as your instructor and mentor you will have the confidence of having someone at your side who gives 100% on the water and who has travelled the same road as you are about to take yourself, who knows that trepidation one feels at the beginning of their multisport and kayaking journey. 26 years of multisport and kayaking at all levels provides him with the foundation of experience to help you become the best you can be as efficiently as possible.
Course Outline
Morning Session – Flatwater kayak session covering the fundamentals of paddling technique and boat handling that the rest of the course builds on. Kayaking on moving water starts with understanding how your multisport boat works on flatwater, how to apply power, and which kayak strokes to use when. If you aren't confident your kayak is set up right, we can get that sorted during this session too.
Afternoon Session – Introduction to moving water (Grade 1). We take your new skills from the morning session to the moving water and introduce you to the basics of river paddling.
Day 2 is done in whitewater boats on Grade 2 rivers. We provide the kayak, paddle and spraydeck for this day. Whitewater kayaks are a great introduction to Grade 2 whitewater and support having good fundamentals. They teach you to engage your core, effectively use your paddle and feel the connection between you and your boat. Time in whitewater kayaks adds depth to your kayaking experience that helps you understand and appreciate the capabilities of your multisport kayak.
Morning – This will be split in to two shorter sessions
Afternoon - Our first Grade 2 river trip!
Now that you have dipped (probably more than your toes) into whitewater you will jump back into your longer multisport boats to combine the basics from Day 1 with the whitewater introduction from Day 2. There will be plenty thrills and spills as you learn to handle these longer boats down the river.
The fourth day is when your newly developed kayak skills start moving into muscle memory - so they will be there for your next training day or adventure! By this stage, you should be able to read the river and keep yourself safe, make good line choices through rapids, wet exit and self rescue like a pro, be able to apply power with your paddle, use your edges, cut through an eddy, and execute an eddy line spin. In short, be ready to receive Grade 2 Kayak Certification! There will be time and opportunities to ask questions, challenge yourself, and consolidate your skills to get the most out of this stage of your kayaking journey.
Please note that although many people do achieve their Grade 2 from very little experience in 4 days, there are plenty who don’t. From our experience, those who have had to go away and come back, have come back stronger and ultimately become more competent. Kayaking is a journey not a destination. There is a lot to take in but the reward of mastering a new skill is worth it.
2024 Course information
April
25-28
May
9-12
23-26
August
22-25
September
12-15
26-29
October
17-20
31- Nov 3
November
14-17
December
12-15
More course dates to come!
When selecting a course date ensure your calendar is free for the following week as a backup for bad weather - aka too much water!!
4 Day Course – $1299
Additional training days or Grade 2 resit – $390
2 packages available. Package includes a Ruahine Shadow, wing paddle, set of kayak airbags, a spraydeck, a pre-course instructional session with Ben, and your Grade 2 Course.
Value: ~ $7000
Our Price: $5700-$6000
See link for details: Skilled & Tooled Up details
Lock it in
If this sounds like a bit of you, then drop us a line to begin the registration process
Testimonials
JacquiI did my grade 2 river certificate with Ben Fouhy Kayaking in April 2021. I had no river experience at all and I am training for Coast to Coast. Over 4 days Ben taught me all the skills I would need! We did 8 river trips and learnt so much. Ben is so fantastic at taking difficult concepts and making them so you can easily understand and implement them. I highly recommend Ben Fouhy Kayaking; when learning you might as well learn from the best!!
NicI recently did my grade 2 river certificate with Ben Fouhy Kayaking it was excellent. I am a complete novice and Ben helped me with sourcing my gear right through to being confident on a grade 2 river. This course offers a high level of water time along side the safety theory. I believe it was fantastic value for money and would recommend it to everyone. If you want to learn kayaking you might as well learn from an Olympian!!!