NPF våttkort Foundation Course in River Kayaking

There’s no feeling more liberating than paddling down a river surrounded only by the tranquillity of Norwegian nature. If this sounds like something for you, why not get involved and join our whitewater kayaking course. At the end of the course you are awarded the NPF grunnkurs i elvekajakk.

We keep our course sizes small (maximum 6 people) so you can be assured of an excellent and safe experience on world-class whitewater rivers.

River kayaking requires a different skillset to that of sea kayaking, and on this course you will learn:
– How to navigate a class 2 river
– Safety routines on the river
– Theory on river currents; hydrology

Price: Adult – 3999 kr, Student – 2999 kr (all equipment hire included)

Duration: 2 x days (choice of morning or afternoon sessions)

Location: Lågan and Otta Rivers. Transport provided from our school – Mad Goats Sjoa, 834 Heidalsvegen, 2677 Nedre Heidal https://goo.gl/maps/zd1yQ8jZP32saG3x7

Getting here: The nearest train station is Vinstra (only 3 hours from Oslo S), and we offer a shuttle by minibus twice a day from Vinstra train station to our school for 199kr per person each way. The fastest train is with SJ Nord.

If you are driving, we have space for parking at the school.

Accommodation: We offer camping (99 kr per person per night) or a basic cabin for rent (249 kr per person per night, min 2 and max 4 people). We also have an onsite sauna – a day pass is only 299 kr per person, and you can use it as much as you like!

Includes: Kayak and all kit hire including wetsuit; transport from our base at Mad Goats Sjoa to the river; NPF våttkort on completion of the course.

What to bring: 2 x layers of thermals and socks, a towel, swimwear and a warm change of clothes.

Private groups: Don’t see the date you want? We can offer this course as a private group. Minimum 3 people, maximum 6 people. Please email kontakt@madgoats.no and we will get back to you within 48 hours.

Gift cards: All of our activities can be purchased as gift cards. Just choose the “gift card” option during the booking process.

  • river kayaking for beginners
  • Photo 13-06-2021, 13 30 54
  • Photo 14-06-2021, 14 34 46
  • tricks in a river kayak
  • Foundation River Kayaking
  • Foundation River Kayaking
  • dav
  • in drysuits ready for river kayaking

More info

Are you someone with no previous kayaking experience? Not a problem! We can help you get better acquainted with the kayak and the equipment. You will get to do some practical exercises that teach you how to use the kayak, paddle, spray deck and life vest.

After the course you will have earned yourself a Våttkort, certified by the NPF. You will then be able to carry out safety procedures and kayak manoeuvres on a river. Wetsuits or drysuits and all paddle kit, spray decks, paddles and kayaks are included free of charge on this course.

We recommend you wear a woollen base layer/thermals and thick socks or swimwear under the wetsuit. Also bring a towel and a change of warm clothes!

Day 1 - Course Plan

The training will start with general safety information, an overview of the river, and an acquaintance with the kayak and equipment before you put your paddling clothing.

We will then get started with the course on flat water to get comfortable before we get to work on getting out in the current.

You will learn about:
• Rescue – how to get out of the kayak, and how to rescue your buddies.
• Paddle techniques
• Balance control
• Practice through engaging exercises and games such as kayak polo and tag.

After a short break, we continue with some more exercises, where we will learn to paddle in and out of the current. Our main focus point will be:
• speed, balance and angles for paddling into an eddy
• buddy rescuing; rescuing each-other
The next activity will be a short trip on a class 1-2 river and we will pack and prepare for this, which takes about 1.5 hours. When the trip has finished, we will have a debrief where we will go over what we learnt. You will also receive individual feedback from the instructor with tips and tricks for anything you found challenging along the way.

Day 2 - Course Plan

• We go throught the plan for the day and theory about signalling and communication on the river
• dry run-throughs with a throw rope on land (we will change clothes and dry up before we begin)
• using a throw rope in pairs
• rescuing with a throw rope in the river
• how to swim in the river

We finish the course with a guided trip down a class 2 river.

This trip will take about 2 hours, during which we will cover:
• finding various lines through the rapids
• training paddle skills like paddling in and out of backwaters and surfing for those who wish to do so
You will again receive personalised feedback with advice and help after the trip has ended, and afterwards you will get your Våttkort. Congratulations!

Price

3999 kr per adult
– Includes våttkort and kit hire
– 25% discount for students

Duration

2 days

Locations

Sjoa, Nedre Heidal

Participants

Small course size – maximum 6 people

Includes

Wetsuit, paddling kit and all kayak equipment

Skill level

No previous kayak or paddling experience needed.