Fall’s here and that means rain, and that means the rivers are rising! It’s nectar of the GODS! Soon, our rivers will be refreshed, recharged, re-energized with life-giving water! And that water is what we need to enjoy whitewater.

To prepare yourself for the Northwest’s best season for paddling – winter – you should take some professional instruction with Northwest River Guides! We’ll take you down the “bunny slopes” near Portland in water that will give you confidence to tackle the blue squares and black diamonds. There, we’ll tune up your peel outs, eddy turns, your river roll, your edging and your bracing.

We’ll also provide you with all the equipment you need to enjoy your time on the river – the kayak, paddle, spray skirt, PFD, helmet. You’ll be all set. And, if anything should go awry our instructors are there LICKETY SPLIT to help you out!

Call 503-722-1122 to reserve your place. Our weekend classes run 9-1 Saturday.

After another great season teaching kayaking Portland, the busy season for kayak instruction has begun to wind down, and we’d like to send a thank you to all our students.  We’ve had a great time on the water with you this year and hope you’ve been getting out paddling as often as possible.  If you’d like to send any referrals our way, they’d be much appreciated.  It makes a big difference to a small business like NRG. Below is our schedule for pool and river classes during the upcoming fall and winter.

Simply put, we’ll be doing our pool classes on Wednesday evenings from 8-9:30pm and river classes twice a month on Saturdays.  We hope you’ll join us in the pool or on the water.  Specific dates are as follows.

October – Pool Classes: Intro 7 & 21, Rolling 14 & 28. River Classes: 17 & 31

November – Pool Classes: Intro 4 & 18, Rolling 11 & 25. River Classes: 14 & 28

December – Pool Classes: Intro 2 & 16, Rolling 9 & 30. River Classes: 12

January – Pool Classes: Intro 6 & 20, Rolling 13 & 27. River Classes: 16 & 30

February – Pool Classes: Intro 3 & 17, Rolling 10 & 24. River Classes: 23 & 27

March – Pool Classes: Intro 3 & 17, Rolling 10 & 24. River Classes: 23 & 27

Summer is in full swing and more people are out on the water! That means safety is a top consideration! To broaden the swiftwater skills of the paddling community, Northwest River Guides is offering its renowned swiftwater rescue workshop – a full two day course - at $150 – a $100 discount!

The workshop focuses on simple, effective rescues that are practical for recreational kayakers and rafters.  We focus on accident prevention, risk assessment, preparation & organization for rescues and skill development. The course is broken up into classroom and experiential components. Read more details on our swiftwater program here.

To register please call the NRG office at 503.772.1122 or email northwestriverguides@gmail.com

Beginning kayaking instruction in Portland provided by Northwest River Guides.

What could be a better way to spend a Sunday morning than trying out a recreational kayak from Portland’s Next Adventure and receiving kayaking instruction from Northwest River Guides!

Every Sunday this summer from 9:00-11:30 join us for a relaxing, informative and fun beginner kayak trip – the Sellwood Park to Ross Island kayak trip on the Willamette River. No experience necessary, by the end of the trip you will have completed our beginner kayak class and have the tools necessary to strike out on your own.

Kayaking gear provided by Next Adventure. For details see our Sellwood Park to Ross Island kayaking information page.  Reservations are required. To reserve a kayak, call NRG at 503-772-1122, stop by Next Adventure at 426 SE Grand Avenue, or use Next Adventure’s reservation system.

See you out there!

Northwest River Guides teaches whitewater kayak lessons and classes in Portland, OR.   Our beginner classes and rolling classes are taught in indoor pools to ease students into the sport of kayaking.  The warm, clear water makes the learning process much easier and allows NRG students to progress rapidly even before they get to the river.

Pool sessions take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening at USA Athletics (formerly Nelson’s Nautilus), just off of 82nd Ave in NE Portland.  To register for a class, please call Lead NRG Instructor Dave Hoffman at 503.447.3534 or visit the Northwest River Guides website.