Basics of Whitewater Rowing
"In my mind, confidence, grounded in knowledge, is a really critical element to success on the oars. Zach's whitewater rowing course is rich with content & hyper-focused on safety, for yourself and others. Upon completion, your understanding of river safety, knots, navigation, reading water and plenty more, will be vastly improved."
- Chad Jeffries
Course Curriculum
(Click "Preview" for free lessons)
- Class II Introduction and Welcome (0:39)
- Rowing Body Mechanics (4:00)
- Reading Water: Hydraulics 101 (7:44)
- Reading Water: Recognizing Hazards 101 (8:36)
- Reading Water: Shooting the V and Cutting the C (4:54)
- River Navigation: International Scale of River Difficulty
- River Navigation: Ferrying 101 (8:27)
- River Navigation: Catching Eddies (12:37)
- River Safety: River Signals and Communication (14:53)
- River Safety: Defensive Swimming (3:08)
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: How long do I have access to the course?
Answer: Indefinitely
Question: Can I rewatch the lessons in the course?
Answer: Yes
River Safety
We will discuss hazards you may encounter on the river, communication, swimming, and other river safety considerations.
Equipment
Learn about equipment you'll need and how to set up your oar raft.
Reading Water & Navigation
We'll cover the fundamentals of reading water and navigating rapids.
Brought to you by the professionals from Northwest Rafting Company
Northwest Rafting Company has been offering on-river rowing instruction for over 10 years. Our rowing school curriculum has helped thousands of people become confident boaters.
Meet the Team
Zach Collier
With decades of whitewater and teaching experience, Zach is a wealth of river knowledge. As the owner of Northwest Rafting Company, his life and career are centered around getting people outside. His passion for the river pours over into his teaching, imparting an overwhelming desire to get out on the water.
Nick Wright
Hailing from Maui, Hawaii, being on the water has always been a critical part of Nick's life. After discovering river guiding in college 8 years ago, Nick has developed a deep passion for running whitewater. He loves to share that passion with others through whitewater instruction.