Intermediate Multisport Course
For multisport kayakers who have paddled the Waimakariri Gorge within the last 10 years and are looking to paddle the Coast to Coast route more efficiently, this 3-day course provides expert coaching in your racing kayak, helping you refine your technique and maximise your performance.
- Refine your forward stroke and river-reading
- Train on the Coast to Coast route in your own boat
- Learn to paddle smarter lines with greater control
- Only 1 left available!
Feeling held back on the river?
- You’ve paddled the Gorge, but know there’s room to improve
- You’re working hard, but your stroke still feels inefficient.
- You’re unsure if your current boat is helping — or holding you back.
- You'd like to move into a faster kayak, but don’t quite trust your skills.
If that sounds like you, our Intermediate Multisport Course is exactly what you need.
This 3-day course is designed for Coast to Coast paddlers who’ve already paddled the Waimakariri River and want to take their performance further. You’ll train in your racing kayak on the actual race route, with expert coaching to refine your technique, master key features, and build the confidence to race smarter and stronger.
More training doesn’t fix poor technique.
You’re putting in the hours. You’ve paddled the Gorge — maybe even completed Coast to Coast a few times. But when the river gets technical, the same problems keep showing up.
You spin out on bluff corners and lose all your speed. In the braids, you're never quite sure which channel to take, and sometimes end up dragging your boat over shallow gravel. You burn energy fixing mistakes you know could’ve been avoided — and in the back of your mind, you’re wondering how close you are to missing the cut-off.
Meanwhile, your fitness keeps improving, but your river skills haven’t caught up. And if you’re thinking about stepping into a faster boat or taking on the Longest Day, you know those small mistakes won’t just slow you down — they’ll destroy your race.
Our Intermediate Multisport Course is here to help.
Over three focused days on the Coast to Coast race route, you’ll train in your racing kayak with expert coaching and structured support. You’ll sharpen your technique, learn to read the river more effectively, and develop the confidence to paddle with purpose and precision.
This course isn’t about learning to kayak for the first time — it’s about learning to master the river.
How to Book
- Select your dates and complete your booking at the top of this page ↑
- Download your information pack and join us for 3 days of kayak skills training.
- Enjoy racing Coast to Coast, knowing your technique is optimised.
Meet Your Coach
Sam Milne has coached more Coast to Coast athletes than anyone else on the Waimakariri River. As the founder of Canterbury Kayaking and a full-time professional guide, he understands exactly what it takes to paddle the Gorge well in a racing kayak.
Sam created this Intermediate Multisport Course to help paddlers go beyond just “getting down the river.” This is for athletes who want to fine-tune their performance. Who want to be able to judge which bluff corners to cut, which to run wide, and how to execute a line consistently without spinning out in the eddy.
You’ll work on developing a smoother, more efficient forward stroke for moving water — one that matches your body, your boat, and the demands of the Waimak. Sam will help you assess whether your current boat is helping or hindering your performance, and guide you if you're considering a step up into something faster.
By the end of the course, you’ll feel confident handling the specific challenges of the Waimakariri Gorge, not just when you’re feeling good, but every time – even when fatigued.
You’ll leave with better boat control, cleaner lines, and a clearer understanding of how to make the river work for you.
What do I get with the course?
- 3 days of skills coaching with Sam Milne, the Waimakariri River's most experienced kayak coach.
- Paddle the entire Coast to Coast race route from Mt White to Gorge Bridge.
- Transport and shuttle for the Gorge on day 3.
- Option to hire a boat, paddle, spray skirt, PFD and helmet.
- Drills you can take away and use to keep improving beyond the course.
- Pre-scheduled bad weather backup day for day 3 (Gorge day).
Ideally, you will bring your own stable multisport kayak or lightweight sea kayak to this course. However, we do have lightweight sea kayaks available for hire and multisport kayaks can be hired through River Ninja Rentals if arranged in advance.
You will need to have ALL of the following items (* = hire available):
- Stable multisport kayak or lightweight sea kayak*
- Wing paddle*
- Spray skirt*
- PFD (lifejacket)*
- Helmet*
- Long-sleeved semi-dry paddle jacket*
- Booties
- Neoprene shorts
- Thermal tops and bottoms
- Thermal hat, gloves, and socks
- 20L dry bag
- Waterproof pants
- First aid kit
- Duct tape
- Survival bag
This program runs over 3 consecutive days and remains flexible based on weather and river conditions.
Day 1: Meet at 8:00 a.m. Lake Rua in Harewood, Christchurch. After a flatwater session, the remainder of the day is based on the Waimakariri River and finishes at around 4:00 p.m. at Waimakariri Gorge Bridge near Sheffield.
Day 2: We will meet at 8:30 a.m. at Waimakariri Gorge Bridge. You will paddle on the lower 15 kilometres of the Coast to Coast kayak route until around 4:00 p.m.
Day 3: We meet in Sheffield at 7:45 a.m. You can leave your vehicle in Sheffield for the day and we will provide transport for you and your kayak for a Gorge trip from Mt White to Woodstock (upper 55 kilometres of the Coast to Coast route). We will finish at 4:30 p.m. in Sheffield.
Backup Day: If weather or river conditions prevent us from paddling the Waimakariri Gorge on Day 3, this day will be rescheduled to a pre-scheduled Backup Day. If conditions also prevent us from paddling the Gorge on your Backup Day, you will receive alternative skills training on this day at the next-best available location, determined closer to the time.
Yes. Only a 25% deposit is required to secure your spot now. We will invoice you for the balance (due 21 days before your course). You can pay this balance via NZ bank transfer which you are welcome to split this over a couple of payments, or pay in full with a credit card (credit card processing fee applies).
