Our Packrafting beginner course (IPIA Level 1) is a 2-day course and the perfect introduction to packrafting. Whether your a first-time packrafter, or you’ve done packrafting before but need a refresher – this course is ideal.
You’ll gain the confidence and experience to handle your raft in and out of the water, in a flat-water setting and in some rapids. You’ll be able to head out on your own adventure, prepared and confident.
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DAY 1
We start at 8:30 am at Packrafting New Zealand HQ to meet the team and sort out the kit for the day. The rest of the day we will spend on our local pond to learn all the basics.
You will learn, basic paddle strokes, self and buddy rescue, swift water swimming position (passive and aggressive), swimming with a paddle, and of course inflating and deflating your boat. If you signed up for the course only, your day will end around the 3pm mark.
DAY 2
We build on your training from day-1 and practice all the learned skills in and on a real river. Our main location will be on the Waiau River near the Monowai power station. In general, we will leave town at 8am (after a coffee of course.) We aim to be back in town by around 5pm.
If you have your own packrafting gear we strongly recommend that you use it for the course, as it is important to get practice with your own kit. If you don’t have your own kit, don’t worry, we have a full kit you can hire for the course for free.
This is not a rescue course. Rather, this course is aimed towards giving you the skills and confidence to avoid situations requiring rescue in the first place. Most beginner paddlers simply do not have the experience or skills to actually be active participants in a rescue scenario involving moving water. We recommend you gain experience after the course by paddling lots of up to grade 2 water, both on the day and multi-day trips. Once you have a few good trips under your belt, then join us at one of our skill development clinics or join us on our intermediate/advanced expedition on the longest waterfall in New Zealand ( The Wairaurahiri ) to up your skills. Challenge yourself with 20km of class 2 action.
Our Eco Tent site has very basic cooking facilities with USB charging stations for your mobile phone. Usually, you share a 4-meter bell tent with someone else
There is also a composting toilet and a basic shower available.
Everything here works on solar power and is as environmentally friendly as we can.
Keen to get stuck into this packrafting training course? Read all the info above and keen to book yourself (and your mates) in? Book below.
