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 Rivers
We teach primarily on the Snake and Hoback Rivers. The Snake is deep and forgiving and offers some of the most scenic stretches and best instructional whitewater in the world. The Hoback has a narrower channel with more technical challenges. Other rivers you may paddle include the Green, Greys, Teton and Lower Bitch Creek. With an annual average snowfall of over 400", Jackson Hole has the longest paddling season in the Rockies.
Rivers Table of Contents
Which Course Is Best For Me?
Difficulty of Lesson
We offer courses for all levels of experience and fitness on the river. If you are curious about the river without any experience we recommend starting out on the river with a Sit-On-Top kayak. If you want a relaxing day we will take you on a half day paddle on the upper sections of the Snake River and work on basic paddling skills while floating through beautiful mountain scenery. If you are feeling more adventuresome we can extend the day into a full day trip starting out working on our skills on the upper Snake River and progressing down through the Alpine Canyon of the Snake River in the afternoon.
For the folks that really want to learn how to whitewater kayak we recommend you take a multiple day private or group course. As a beginner there is a lot to learn about technical paddling skills and river running skills. In a multiple day course we can spread out the knowledge so you leave the class feeling more comfortable to explore the river on your own. If you are coming for a lesson with some previous experience you should be honest with yourself when evaluating your abilities. Paddling skills build on each other; to participate in a River Runner course you should have mastery of the skills listed in the Introduction to Kayaking. If none of our group lessons match your ability or interests, you can always customize your course with a private lesson.
Private vs. Group Lessons
We offer both private instruction and group lessons. Group lessons can be a great way to meet other boaters with similar experience. A group lesson is focused on the overall ability of the group and moves at the speed of the least experienced kayaker. Private lesson is more personalized to your goals and can be molded to meet the ages, abilities, and needs of the participants. We recommend you take a private lesson if you think you might learn faster or slower than average. Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions about which course will fit you best.
Course Length
Half day lessons- Our half day courses are great for getting out on the water for a few hours on a sit on top on the upper sections of the snake, or as a skill touch up if you already have some paddling experience in a closed boat. Our half day lessons run around 4 hours and you can expect about 2 hours on the water after gearing up and the off water instruction. The half day lessons run daily 9am-1pm, 2pm-6pm, and in mid summer 5pm-9pm.
Full day lessons- Our full day lesson’s are great for taking SOT kayaks down the canyon, getting private instruction beginner through advanced, or spending a leisurely day traveling down the upper sections of the Snake River. Our full day lessons include lunch and typically run from 9am to 5pm daily with around 6 hours of on water instruction.
Multi-day lessons- If you really want to learn how to whitewater kayak and experience the rivers our valley has to offer take a multiday kayak lesson. We offer multiday group lessons throughout the season. If none of the dates or descriptions meet your desire create your own private multiday lesson.
What to Bring?
-Bathing suit
-Mid-weight shirt of wicking material (wool or synthetic)
-You can buy at RENDEZVOUS RIVER SPORTS at 10% off with a lesson
-Change of warm dry cloths (even in the middle of summer Wyoming is cold after being in the water all day)
-Sunscreen
-Towel (optional)
Private Instruction 
Our specialty - whatever your paddling experience or ability, you will benefit from the personal attention of private instruction. If you’re a beginner, private lessons allow you to learn at exactly your pace. For novices and beyond your instructor will help you achieve your goals and move on to the next level. We are happy to customize lessons of any length to fit your schedule. We also cater to larger groups for corporate retreats, family reunions or multisport adventure groups. Private lessons are available on a daily basis March through October.
 Deluxe Private Lessons
The Deluxe Lesson was designed for those customers who wanted a little more. We have the same high quality instructors and equipment, but we add in a Camelbak RENDEZVOUS RIVER SPORTS Waterbottle, a gourmet lunch, and we bring along a digital camera and send you a CD with all of the digital photo’s we take as well as prints of the best photo’s that day. 
Private Instruction meeting times are adjustable for your schedule
| Any Day |
half day special |
Half Day Deluxe* |
full day special |
Full Day Deluxe* |
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| One person |
$250 |
$300 |
$340 |
$400 |
| Two people |
$155/person |
$195/person |
$215/person |
$265/person |
| Three people |
$130/person |
$155/person |
$165/person |
$200/person |
| Four to six people |
$120/person |
$135/person |
$155/person |
$185/person
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Seven or more $110/person $120/person $145/person $165/person
*Deluxe lessons include a digital photo disc with a print of your day on the water, a Rendezvous River Sports Water Bottle & a gourmet box lunch for full days – snacks for half days.
Introduction to Kayaking
 If you have never kayaked or have minimal experience in a closed-cockpit boat this is the course for you. Being a competent swimmer with a taste for water and fun is all that is required. This course will give you a solid background of kayaking basics and allow you to have fun on the river. Every course is unique, but here is the typical day by day itinerary.
Day 1: 9am: The day starts out at Rendezvous River Sports where we will do introductions and assemble our gear for the day. Everybody should bring a bathing suit, mid-weight shirt of wicking material (wool or synthetic), change of cloths, and a towel. You are welcome to bring your own personal kayaking equipment, but we encourage you to use the gear in our school fleet including the latest boat and paddle designs on the market. After outfitting our equipment we will spend time in our solar heated pool learning how to safely enter and exit our boats. Next we will head down to local flatwater sites to gain knowledge on basic paddle strokes and boat edging. After a morning of practicing our paddle strokes and edging on flatwater it is time for a big lunch on the river bank. After lunch we will review our skills and try using them on moving water with simple currents. Before the day is over we will go over basic hydrology, river safety and river rescue. Depending on how everybody is feeling, we will have the opportunity to run a short stretch of class I-II whitewater using the skills everyone has acquired. We will be back to the shop between 4 and 5 with plenty of time to check out the local town of Jackson.
 Day 2: We meet again at 9am at Rendezvous River Sports. We have the opportunity to change any equipment or practice in the pool before we head down to the river for the day. We start out on flat water to review the previous day’s skills and learn a few more techniques to maneuver our kayaks efficiently. We will spend the rest of the day traveling down a stretch of river practicing our skills and getting comfortable maneuvering in and reading class I-II whitewater.
Our goals as instructors for an Introduction to Kayaking class are to get you exposed to whitewater kayaking so you can have fun and be safe on the river beyond your class. We encourage more instruction but you should leave the course feeling safe and comfortable paddling class I-II whitewater with people of equal or greater ability. You will be ready for a River Running class!
We offer 2 day introduction to kayaking group lessons throughout the year, or you can create your own dates if you get two other friends to join you. See: Custom Group Lessons
2010 Dates: May 22-23
June 19-20
August 30-31
Cost: 2-day $300 /person
River Running
 You have learned the basics and you're ready for more. This course requires a general knowledge of paddle strokes, (forward & back paddling, sweeps, braces and draws) the ability to paddle straight on flat water and familiarity with river features. You must also be able to perform eddy turns, ferries and peel outs. A solid roll is great, but if you're working towards one and willing to try T-rescues that's okay.
 Beginning with a thorough review of paddle strokes on flat water, your instructor will evaluate your skills and help improve your technique. On the river you'll focus on making crisp eddy turns, peel outs and ferries. While paddling one of the valley's rivers, your instructor will help you understand the subtleties of river currents, reading water, and basic river safety. You will also be introduced to the excitement of play-boating rapids and receive coaching as you learn to surf friendly waves and holes. If there is time and the group is interested there might be time to practice rolling, but we strongly recommend you take a rolling class to master your rolling skills.
We offer 2-day River Running group lessons throughout the year, or you can create your own dates if you get two other friends to join you. See: Custom Group Lessons
2010 Dates: June 20-21
September 1-2
Cost: 2-day $300
Freestyle Clinics
 If you are feeling comfortable in holes and surfing, you're ready for Freestyle. You will need a reliable whitewater roll and have the ability to confidently front and side surf small waves and holes. You must be comfortable paddling and executing maneuvers on Class III whitewater. In a two-day format you will begin learning the latest freestyle moves from instructors at the forefront of play boating. To make learning easier you'll paddle in one of our cutting edge play boats. Initially, your instructor will review biomechanics and flatwater skills essential to basic play boating. Once you are on the river you will receive step-by-step instruction as you enter the world of freestyle fun. The Snake and Hoback offer world class play spots no matter what time of year it is. The tricks covered in this exciting course include squirts, spins, back surfing, blunts, cartwheels and loops.
 We offer a 2-day Freestyle Clinic in the early season before our local freestyle competition, but you can create your own dates if you get two other friends to join you. See: Custom Group Lessons
2010 Dates: June 5
Cost: $160
Women’s Introductory Clinics
 Have you noticed differences between men and women? We have! Differences in men’s and women’s learning styles prompted us to design an introductory course for women, taught by women. This course will have you enjoying kayaking in short order. It covers the same material as Introductory Kayaking.
2010 Dates: May 30-31
August 29-30
Cost: 2-day $300
Sit-On-Top Kayak Lessons
 Want a more forgiving way to experience the river? Try our Sit-On-Top Lesson. Sit-On-Top kayaks are a great learning tool to get to know the river without feeling trapped in a kayak. They maneuver very similarly to a closed deck kayak, but they are more stable and require less practice before getting out on the river. If you flip over you fall right off and just have to flip it right side up and climb back on. There are definite limitations to a Sit-On-Top kayak, so we encourage all people to try out both types of kayaks. We offer both whitewater oriented Sit-On-Top lessons and Scenic  oriented Sit-On-Top lessons on the different sections of the snake. Sit-On-Top lessons are all private instruction and we are happy to customize lessons of any length to fit your schedule. Sit-On-Top lessons are available on a daily basis March through October.
Dates: Any available dates
Cost: See Private Instruction Rates
*Deluxe lessons include a digital photo disc with a print of your day on the water, a Rendezvous River Sports Water Bottle & an extra deluxe box lunch for full days – snacks for half days.
Custom Group Lessons
 Not having luck fitting your schedule into one of our group lessons? Create your own dates when it fits in your schedule with any of our courses. Pick any consecutive two or more days with a minimum of three people and we can customize your lesson.
Dates: Any available dates
Cost: 2 day 3 day 4day
Three people (minimum) $300/person $450/person $575/person
Four or more people $280/person $420/person $540/person
Rolling Clinics
We offer several options for practicing the kayak roll no matter what your experience level.
Early Season Introduction to the Roll
This introductory two-evening course is taught in the beginning of our season at the local Teton County Parks and Recreation pool. The warm water makes learning to roll fun and gets you ready for the season while there is still snow on the ground.
After a brief gear overview you will learn how to safely enter and exit you boats on land and then in the water (wet-exits). Being comfortable upside down underwater is an important part of rolling so our instructors will work with you one-on-one to help you feel at ease. Next you’ll learn basic paddle and boat handling skills, rolling with a float, the T-rescue and finally rolling. These steps break a seemingly difficult task into fun and manageable skills. This clinic is ideal if you are a first timer or if you’re a more experienced kayaker and you’ve had trouble staying in your boat. Rolling can also be a very useful skill for a touring kayaker and will improve your brace. After this course you will be ready to jump into an Introduction to Kayaking Lesson.
2010 Dates: March 15 & 17
April 19 & 21
May 3 & 5 (17 and under only)
May 17 & 19
June 7 & 9
Cost: $85 ($5517 & Under)
Private Rolling Classes
We offer private rolling classes in our own solar heated pool at Rendezvous River Sports. We can teach you to roll or help you with an existing roll, offside roll, hand roll, or backdeck roll. We encourage all of our students to take an Introduction to Kayaking lesson before taking a rolling clinic because having some boat control prior to your class makes learning to roll significantly easier.
Dates: Any day May through September
Cost: $60/hour
Open Pool Sessions
This is your chance to get into your boat in some warm water before the season starts. We have the latest new boat designs from our shop on hand and we encourage you to try them out. There is no formal instruction here, but we are always into giving you a tip on your roll or your flatwater cartwheel. Everybody is welcome to bring their boats or try out our equipment but we do ask that everybody knows how to safely wet exit before they jump in!
2010 Dates: February 10, 17, 24
March 3, 10, 24
April 14, 28
May 12, 26
Cost: $7
 Just For Kids' Kayaking
Please contact us for information about Jackson Hole Kayak Club's junior programs. This program runs from April through October and is geared for novices to experts. JHKC is a non-profit corporation. Visit the Jackson Hole Kids Club at www.jacksonholekayakclub.org
River Rescue Clinics
ACA Swiftwater Rescue Course
The course will be following the American Canoe Association (ACA) curriculum and will be taught by ACA certified instructors. This is a boat based swiftwater course, based on the assumption that you are in a backcountry setting and have access to limited resources. This is not a Rescue 3 course, which is based on front country and urban scenarios. For specific questions on course curriculum you can use following link to the ACA website for the course outline. http://www.americancanoe.org/pdf/swiftwater_rescue.pdf
Students will recieve a card certifiying that they have attended a ACA swiftwater rescue course.
Equipment: Students will be expected to provide their own PFD (type 3 or 5), whitewater helmet, protective clothing suitable for swimming in cold water (Drysuits or a combination drytop/wetsuit combination are reccomended), appropriate river footwear, throw rope, whistle, 15+ feet 1 inch tubular webbing, 2 locking carabiners, 2 pulleys and 2 prusick loops.
Please make arrangements in advance if you will need to rent gear.
If the course overbooks it may be possible for us to schedule an additional course. Please contact Rendezvous River Sports (307-733-2471) for more information about booking a seperate course.
2010 Course Dates: May 15-16, June 26-27
Cost: $250
Swiftwater Rescue custom courses are available any dates.
American Canoe Association Instructor Certification Course
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This is the most comprehensive kayak course on the market today. This 40-hour course is focused on the latest technical knowledge, terminology, teaching skills, personal paddling skills, and safety awareness in a swiftwater environment. This course helps you work on personal and interpersonal development and pushes you to build skills and knowledge through peer feedback, video analysis, and lectures. We combine practical on water demonstrations and presentations with real world scenarios that will equip you to deal with teaching this multifaceted sport as a professional. This course sets the industry standard for instruction in paddle sports.
The ACA instructor certification process is broken up into two core components: the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW), and Instructor Certification Exam (ICE). The IDW presents students with the skills and knowledge that are required to become an instructor. The ICE is an opportunity for each candidate to demonstrate his/her proficiency in the presentation (logical progression) and demonstration (proper modeling) of the skills, knowledge necessary for certification. This course will cover the following ACA curriculum content:
- Introduction to Kayak
- Basic River Kayak
- Essentials to River Kayaking
- Whitewater Kayak
To Be Certified You Must:
Be at least 18 years of age (Jr. instructor status is possible for minors)
Be or become a member of the ACA
Become a member of the Safety, Education, and Instruction (SEI) Committee
Successfully complete the course (requires: attendance at every session and completed homework, quizzes, and tests)
Just because you have paid your class fees and attended the class, does not mean you are guaranteed certification. Each candidate must show competency in technical knowledge, paddling skills, teaching skills, safety awareness, and necessary interpersonal skills at the desired level of certification to achieve certification. On average only about 25% of students achieve the whitewater certification, often because this course is many kayaker's first exposure to formal instruction.
Dates: June 7th-11th
Cost: $500
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Jackson Hole Kayak School is a permitee of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and an equal opportunity provider
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