OK, you’ve learned the basics in the pool. You’ve done the strokes, dialed in your outfitting, and you know what it’s like to be under water in the kayak. Maybe you’ve done a few rolls. NOW, it’s time to take it to the elements. Northwest River Guides will introduce you and your new found skills to the river! We’ll introduce you to river features like eddies, pour overs, rivulets, and even a standing wave while you learn skills in the elements!

As a Northwest River Guides student, you’ll learn fundamental skills like peel outs, eddy turns and ferries. Using these skills allows kayakers to be the most maneuverable craft on the river, avoiding rocks and other obstacles and heading where you intend. You’ll learn about river hazards & obstacles, self rescue, river scouting, etc. We’ll teach you on class 1-2 rapids, which should help build your confidence. These are the green circles of kayaking. You’ll need to have had a pool class or NRG’s introductory class to qualify for this lesson.

Date: November 28th

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Equipment provided. Call 503-772-1122 to reserve your place!

Learning to Eskimo roll is an important part of whitewater kayaking. you may have heard that it is difficult or complicated but that is not the case when taught properly. Northwest River Guides teaches the foundations of the roll first, then progresses onward as you learn! Most students learn to roll in 1-2 lessons. After that it is on to learn to roll on your offside, back deck and hand roll. We also teach more advanced techniques such as sculling, draws and paddle dexterity drills during the class.

Call 503-772-1122 to enroll!

Where: USA Athletics, 8333 NE Russell St, Portland

When: 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Equipment: We provide the paddling equipment if necessary. But you should bring swim goggles and a nose plug!

Learning to Eskimo roll is an important part of whitewater kayaking. you may have heard that it is difficult or complicated but that is not the case when taught properly. Northwest River Guides teaches the foundations of the roll first, then progresses onward as you learn! Most students learn to roll in 1-2 lessons. After that it is on to learn to roll on your offside, back deck and hand roll. We also teach more advanced techniques such as sculling, draws and paddle dexterity drills during the class.

Call 503-772-1122 to enroll!

Where: USA Athletics, 8333 NE Russell St, Portland

When: 8:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Equipment: We provide the paddling equipment if necessary. But you should bring swim goggles and a nose plug!

This is our first ‘baby steps’ class introducing the new student to kayaking! We teach this class in a pool because they’re warm and mistake friendly. Be prepared to get wet! You’ll learn kayak nomenclature, stretches, how to adjust your outfitting to suit your body, and then we’ll hit the pool.

You’ll learn how to wet exit, brace and Eskimo rescue, all prerequisites to learning your roll. We’ll cover basic paddle strokes. We keep the student/instructor ratio to 4:1 so everyone gets maximum attention.

Date: 11/4

Time: 8 – 9:30 p.m.

Location: USA Athletics, 8333 NE Russell St., Portland, OR

Call 503-772-1122 to sign up for this class!

If you find swift eddies and standing waves frightful, save your soul with a confidence inspiring river class taught by our professional instructors at Northwest River Guides. We’ll teach you the skills necessary to get out there and start enjoying whitewater kayaking on some of Portland, Oregon’s famous neighborhood rivers.

As Northwest River Guides student, you’ll learn fundamental skills like peel outs, eddy turns and ferries. Using these skills allows kayakers to be the most maneuverable craft on the river, avoiding rocks and other obstacles and heading where you intend. You’ll learn about river hazards & obstacles, self rescue, river scouting, etc. We’ll teach you on class 1-2 rapids, which should help build your confidence. These are the green circles of kayaking. You’ll need to have had a pool class or NRG’s introductor class to qualify for this lesson.

Date: Halloween, October 31

Time: 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Equipment provided. Call 503-772-1122 to reserve your place!

A much bigger section of Oregon’s Rogue River is free as the result of the removal of the Savage Rapids Dam! Video here

Get down there and run it!

Join Portland paddlers 10/24 to support 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action by participating in River of Action!  The group is gathering on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon to form a giant floating 350.

350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world  around solutions to the climate crisis– the solutions that justice demand.

October 15th, there’s a River of Action Pre Party at Keen Footwear.  There’ll be free beer and a short film about  kayaking and climate change.

Date and Time: Thursday October 15th, 7-10 pm
Place: Keen Footwear 926 NW 13th Ave # 210 Portland

Although our local river, the Willamette, is often referred to in disdainful terms, it serves the recreational community and even serves Northwest River Guides for the Thursday skills socials. Many paddlers first took to the water here. It is host to Paddle Oregon, a week-long event in August. And Next Adventure and NRG held Sunday Sellwood-Ross Island trips there all summer!

Willamette Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and restore the Willamette River. They believe that a river with good water quality and abundant natural habitat is a basic public right. The Willamette River belongs to all of us, and should be protected as such.

October 3rd they held the 1st Great Willamette Cleanup! They invited folks from We Love Clean Rivers, and Pacific NW Sea Kayak Meetup to handle one section – the Meldrum Bar. We met out there with canoes and kayaks and headed out to Goat and Cedar Islands to scour the area.

First order of the day was meet and greet, check our route, and sign the usual legal formalities.

Then we landed down at Cedar Island. I was surprised that we only found a tire, an easy up shelter and a whole lotta old cable buried in sand. At least we found that much!

Some of the other groups cleaned sections in far worse shape. Look at what they got!

This was not without wear and tear on my body. I bled for the cleanup!

After we were done, we took group photos, then headed down to Madison’s Bar & Grill for some grub. All in all a good time and we’re sure next year’s cleanup will be even bigger!

Check out the local big guns paddling the rivers of the NW! It’s too late to submit more films to the oh-so-qualified judges. But you can still voice your opinion when the movies show on the silver screen! There’ll be beer, snacks, and a raffle. Rumor has it the prize is a Bliss Stick kayak! You can’t argue with that, so head on over to the Mt. Tabor Legacy Theater for a rockin’ good show! More details at pdxkayaker.

When: October 16th, 8:00 p.m.

Where: Mt. Tabor Legacy Theater 4811 SE Hawthorne

Join us in the pool Wednesday night and learn paddle strokes, edging, bracing, t-rescues and even dial in your eskimo roll!

Where: USA Athletics, off NE 82nd Avenue

When: October 7th 8:00 – 9:30

We’ll provide you with a boat, paddle, spray skirt – call 503-772-1122 to register for this class!