Whitewater for Multisport + Down-River Racing Skills Course Combo

Are your kayaking skills holding you back?

- Do you struggle with rapids and lack confidence on moving water?
- Do you loose speed and control through boily bluff corners?
- Have you done lots of training but sometimes wonder whether you're actually improving?

On Canterbury Kayaking’s 7-day Whitewater for Multisport Down-River Racing Skills Course Combo, you’ll turn your weaknesses into strengths through a comprehensive training process that combines our two intermediate-level courses. Once you feel totally comfortable in whitewater and have improved your downstream speed, you'll feel like you're paddling at a whole new level and be ready to race to your full potential. Without strong kayak skills, your Coast to Coast race could end in disappointment.

Many Coast to Coast athletes put in the hours to build fitness, but lack the kayak skills needed to perform at their best on race day. Without both whitewater skills and race-specific technique, you’ll struggle in rapids, lose speed at bluff corners, and waste energy fighting the river instead of flowing with it.

On this course, you’ll learn to stay in control through big rapids, roll when needed, and refine your forward stroke for maximum efficiency. You’ll also learn how to navigate tricky bluff corners like the pros, helping you maintain momentum and shave time off your race.

Once you’ve refined your complete paddling skill set, you’ll feel confident on the river, see real results from your fitness training, and be fully prepared to achieve a race result you can be proud of. How to Book
- Select your dates and complete your booking at the top of this page ↑
- Download your information pack and join us for 7 days of paddling (4 days of whitewater skills 3 days of race training).
- Enjoy paddling on race day with total confidence. Meet Your Coach

Sam Milne is the most experienced kayak coach on the Waimakariri River and the founder of Canterbury Kayaking.

Having coached over 1,000 Coast to Coast athletes, Sam has seen firsthand that most paddlers focus too much on fitness but neglect the kayak skills that truly impact race-day performance. He’s worked with athletes at every level, from first-time competitors to top performers, including Jess Simson, who won back-to-back Longest Day titles in 2014 and 2015.

Through years of coaching, Sam has learned that many paddlers waste energy and lose time—not because they aren’t fit enough, but because their technique is holding them back. He’s seen athletes struggle in rapids, get spun out at bluff corners, and fight the river instead of using it to their advantage.

That’s why he created this 7-day structured training program—to help paddlers develop both whitewater control and race-specific efficiency in one comprehensive package.

By the time you complete Canterbury Kayaking’s Whitewater for Multisport Down-River Racing Skills Course Combo, you’ll have the skills, confidence, and race-day strategy to paddle faster, smoother, and with total control—so you can perform at your best when it matters most. What do I get with the course?

- 4-day Whitewater for Multisport Skills Course:

- 4 days of professional whitewater skills instruction.
- Free use of a whitewater boat, paddle, and spray skirt.
- 2 nights accomodation.

- 3-day Down-River Racing Racing Skills Course:

- 3 days of professional coaching on the Waimakariri River.
- Option to hire a kayak and gear.
- Transport for the Gorge trip on the final day.
- Pre-scheduled bad weather backup day for Gorge trip.

- Exclusive discount on products from our gear shop.
- Personalized advice on which models of multisport kayaks are right for you.
- Drills you can take away and use to keep improving beyond the course.