Grade 2 Certificate Kayak Course

No. This program is suitable for complete beginners as well as paddlers who have done a few days on a river before. We do recommend that all participants do some flat water paddling prior to the course if possible.

The use of a kayak and all technical equipment is included FREE of charge. You will however, need the following items (which can be purchased from us at a discounted rate):

• Booties
• Neoprene shorts
• Thermal tops and bottoms
• 20L dry bag
• Semi-dry or full-dry paddle jacket (hire jackets are available for $20 per day).

Due to the length and isolation of the race-route, there are no companies running grade 2 courses through the Gorge Section of the Waimakariri River.

While the Waimakariri is the river you'll be racing on, through our years of extensive testing and client feedback, we have found that the Waimakariri River is actually not the best location to help you develop your foundational skills for the Coast to Coast.

This is because the shorter sections of the Waimakariri River that are accessible by road are mostly grade 1 braids, and not challenging enough to help you prepare for the grade 2 rapids you'll face in the Gorge Section of the river (where most first-timers struggle during the Coast to Coast).

Therefore, we choose to base our grade 2 course on rivers that are similar in difficulty to the Waimakariri Gorge, but are safer and easier to access, providing you with up to 4x more experience paddling actual grade II rapids.

This approach will help you become a better paddler, faster. Once your training is complete you'll feel fully prepared to tackle the Waimakariri Gorge when the time comes.

You will need to arrange your own accommodation in Christchurch for the night before the course and the night of day 1. For the nights of day 2 and 3, we will provide you with accommodation in Murchison (included in your course fee).

Easy. Plan to arrive in Christchurch the day before your course. We suggest renting a car, however, a combination of taxi/Uber and ride-sharing with others in your group is often possible. Book accommodation in Christchurch for the night before the course and the night of day 1. We will provide you with accommodation for the nights of day 2 and 3. We suggest booking some accommodation in Christchurch for the night of day 4 before travelling home.

This program runs over 4 consecutive days to maximise your learning and reduce travel time.

Day 1: The course starts at 7:00 a.m. Wharenui Pool in Riccarton. After your pool session, the remainder of the day is based at Lake Rua in Harewood and finishes at around 4:00 p.m.

Day 2: We will depart Christchurch at 7:00 a.m. for Murchison. You will paddle on the rivers around Murchison from 12:00 midday until around 5:00 p.m. then meet for dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 3: We meet at Riverside Holiday Park at 8:00 a.m. for a theory lesson, then go kayaking on a river section until around 12:00 midday. After a lunch break, we will meet for another theory lesson, before going on an afternoon river trip until around 5:00 p.m. We will meet for dinner again at a local restaurant.

Day 4: We meet at Riverside Holiday Park at 8:00 a.m. for pre-assessment feedback from your coach(s) before going on your fourth and final river trip of the program. The course concludes with receiving your assessment outcome, plus personalised advice and recommendations from your coach(s). We aim to finish in Murchison around 2:00 p.m.

Your safety is our absolute top priority. While it's impossible to 100% guarantee nothing bad will happen, incidents are extremely rare on professional kayak courses such as these. We gradually increase the difficulty (and associated risk) throughout the program as your skills improve. You will progress from the pool to a lake, then to a gentle river, and finally, to whitewater rapids. We will never put you in a situation we don't think you can handle, and you don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with. All our coaches are fully trained in river rescue techniques and our safety systems have been independently audited by AdventureMark and registered with WorkSafe.

This is not normally a problem. Unlike many other course providers, our program will run in virtually all weather and flow conditions. By basing ourselves in Murchison for the days of 2, 3, and 4, we can access multiple river sections, providing different options at various flow scenarios. This means there's almost always a good river to go paddling on, even when Canterbury rivers (like the Waimakariri) are in flood.

Don't worry. Canterbury Kayaking is the only Coast to Coast grade 2 certificate provider in New Zealand to guarantee you will pass. If you do not meet the requirements by the fourth day, we will invite you to another course completely free (conditions apply).

Yes. If you are unable to pay in full at the time of booking, please enter the discount code DEPOSIT during checkout to reserve your spot with just a 25% deposit. We will invoice you for the balance, which will be due 21 days before your course starts.