Applications for the 2011 White Water Canoe Club’s beginner kayak courses are now closed.

Please note: Applications will only be accepted for a limited period. Once everyone has sent in their application forms, a selection process will be undertaken and we will be in touch as soon as possible after that. To those who don't make the cut, we apologise and suggest that there are always next years WWCC courses, local kayak shops and the NZ Kayak School (Murchison) as ways of getting into white water kayaking - good luck in your quest. Thank you for your interest.

The Courses

The 2011 WWCC Beginners' Courses will be starting in October. These courses are designed as an introduction to the fun of white water kayaking and to pass on the skills needed to join in on future club trips. Don't expect to learn everything in two weeks; kayaking can take years to master, that's one of the reasons we enjoy it!

The Dates

Course 1: 3rd to 16th October
Course 2: 25th October to 6th November.

The Format

Each courses will look a lot like this, subject to conditions on the day.

Week 1:
• Two evening pool sessions
• Morning kayak sessions in Christchurch on both Saturday and Sunday

Week 2:
• An evening pool session
• An evening surf session
• A Hurunui River weekend away staying overnight Saturday

The Price

The cost of attending a course will be $300 each participant. this will cover instruction, pool hire, white water kayak equipment (kayak, paddle, helmet, top,bouyancey aid and spray deck) and accomodation on the second weekend. You will need to provide your own food, clothing (eg polypro), a means of transport, if possible a full length wetsuit and loads of enthusiasm.

The Rest

The courses are followed by the possibility of being a model student on an New Zealand Outdoor Instructors Association Kayak level 1 assessment (more excellent free instruction) over show weekend and then on a weekend soon after this a beginners trip to Murchison, where you can continue to learn and practice on the tributaries of the Buller. We hope you'll want to keep paddling and keep learning by then.

Note: The kayaks provided are short (max 2.7m in length), plastic, whitewater boats, we do not teach sea or racing kayak technique and we don't issue Grade 2 Certificates.

If you are interested then please contact Susan Cornah on instructor@whitewater.org.nz.

Look forward to hearing from you soon!