Whitewater Member Benefits
Our Beginner Whitewater Membership gives you up to two years to master whitewater kayaking at your own pace--with lots of time to practice between classes--and free kayak & gear rentals (which we bring to the river for you). Our progression is methodical and has evolved from thousands of hours of teaching beginners to appreciate how proper technique makes whitewater more fun. Here's what you get when you become a member of our community:
Up to two years* of member benefits, including:
1. Five outdoor lessons (choose the dates that work for you)
2. FREE Coached Weeknight practice (with social hour afterward)
3. All kayak equipment (for classes & practice)
4. FREE kayak rentals from our retail store (May-Sept)
5. New! 10% off paddling gear purchases at our retail store
Each of our five courses is a building block for the next. Go as fast or as slow as your want over a two-year period, during which time you can practice at our coached weeknight practice. (Our software lets you customize your own schedule online.) Our friendly, non-intimidating approach has helped make us the top whitewater program of choice for beginners in the region. Click on the slideshow buttons and read all of the individual course descriptions below.
 Lesson Details and Photos
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Where it all begins.
Your first class is Whitewater Fundamentals. Here we'll explain proper equipment fit, spend time getting you comfortable being upside-down in the kayak, teach your how to do a "wet exit," introduce the roll, and show you how to make the kayak go straight.
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Practice, Practice.
Now that you've completed your first class, you can start attending free weekly practice nights. These informal two-hour sessions are designed to let you practice your new skills for as long as you want in between classes. Leave time afterwards for a social dinner!
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Building off the fundamentals.
In Strokes and Rolling Review, we'll spend half the class reviewing the techniques to roll the kayak back up after a capsize. The rest of the class is devoted to learning new strokes to maneuver the kayak gracefully and efficiently.
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Where the fun really begins.
Take your new skills out for a test drive in Class I-II whitewater in the "Moving Water" class. We'll teach you the three basic river maneuvers to safely cross between currents, plus we'll practice rolling in moving water!
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Still practicing, right?
Did we mention that you can stretch your classes out over a two-year period? That means two years of weekly practice nights. As you get more advanced, we'll start challenging you with more difficult drills and exercises.
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Graduation Day!
Time to put all those hard-earned skills to the test as we teach you the essentials of river running and expedition behavior! You'll learn about risk management, gear, scouting, river communication and reading rapids, all while navigating the Class III Mather Gorge!
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Post-grad practice.
Now, don't get too confident just because you're now a safe, skilled, and self-sufficient paddler. Even the world's top paddlers still practice the fundamentals. If you own your own gear, you can still attend our free weekly practice nights indefinitely! So, practice your skills, get help from our instructors, and be a mentor to others just starting out!
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We've got the gear.
As long as you are a current package student, you can use our top-quality equipment for all your outdoor lessons and practice clinics. We use Dagger and Liquid Logic boats, AT and Werner paddles, Astral PFDs, WRSI helmets, and IR sprayskirts. All brand-new each year!
How to Schedule Your Classes
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Step 1
Select the quantity of participants you want to register for a particular trip or class and click "purchase and enroll."
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Step 2
On the next screen enter your registration information. Review your order and click "Charge Credit Card" if everything looks okay. This creates a credit for you in our system. Your payment will be processed and you will be sent an email with your login information.
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Step 3
You should now have received 2 emails from us. Read the first email, "Potomac Paddlesports Account," and write down your username and password.
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Step 4
Using your username and password, log in to the website. You will be taken to your account page. In the "Schedule-at-a-Glance" window, click "Schedule My Trips/Classes".
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Step 5
On the scheduling tool page, under "Available," choose from among the available dates for your event. Doing so will add you to the roster for that trip or class. You must cancel or reschedule at least 3 days (72 hours) prior to the event or you will forfeit the trip or class.
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Step 6
Once you schedule yourself for a class, you will get a third email from us ("IMPORTANT EVENT INFORMATION"). This email contains a link to a PDF packet of information: Directions, list of equipment, waiver and medical form. Print out this packet and review it prior to your event.
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Step 7
If you registered more than one participant, forward the second email ("Purchase Confirmation/Gift Codes") to the other participant(s). This email contains a GIFT CODE and instructions. They MUST follow the instructions in this email and complete Steps 3 - 6 themselves.
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Step 8
Are you thoroughly confused? No problem. We're here to help! Give us a call and we can walk you through the process and answer any questions you have--the old fashioned way!
WW 101-105 Course Descriptions
WW 101: Fundamentals
Our five-hour Whitewater Fundamentals lesson is a fun-filled lesson on flat water. We've eliminated much of the technical jargon so we can focus on proper equipment fit and boat outfitting, comfort underwater, and rolling the kayak. By learning these skills in flatwater, you'll gain confidence and learn faster.
2012 Dates (Choose one):
April 28
May 5, 12, 19, 26
June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
July 7, 14, 21, 28
August 4, 11, 18, 25
September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
October 6, 13
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Pennyfield Lock, Potomac, MD
Time : 9:00 AM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Click here for directions and what to bring 
FREE: Coached Weeknight Practice
Practice is an important part of whitewater kayaking and our Whitewater Membership Package includes free weeknight practice. Part skills development, part social outing, our weeknight practice give you more coaching with our best instructors and more time on the water. Perhaps best of all, they provide the opportunity for you to meet new people. Beginner Package students may attend one night per week. And if you have your own gear, you can attend as many as you want!
2012 Dates : Every Wednesday and Thursday :
May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, 31
June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
July 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
August 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 6:00 PM
Click here for directions and what to bring
WW 102: Strokes and Rolling
This intensive three-hour class is also on flat water and teaches you the fundamental strokes that turn and propel the kayak and gives you the tools you need to "bombproof" your roll in preparation for Course 3.
2012 Dates (Choose one):
April 28
May 5, 12, 19, 26
June 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
July 7, 14, 21, 28
August 4, 11, 18, 25
September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
October 6, 13
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Pennyfield Lock, Potomac, MD
Time : 3:00 PM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Click here for directions and what to bring
WW 103: Moving Water
Here is where the fun really begins! In this challenging four-hour course you'll learn how to carve turns, manuever, and harness the power of the river beneath your kayak! We'll teach you techniques to paddle through current and stay upright. After four hours you will have gained tremendous confidence and an appreciation for your new skills.
2012 Dates (Choose one):
May 6, 20
June 3, 17
July 1, 15, 29
August 19
September 2, 16
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 9:00 AM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Click here for directions and what to bring
New! WW 104: Whitewater Rescues
Practical whitewater safety and rescue skills are a must! Our five-hour "Whitewater Self Defense" class is unlike typical swiftwater rescue courses. While you won't learn the Z-drag or how to unpin a canoe, you will learn how to apply your paddling skills (and common sense) in the most common rescue scenarios: swimming a rapid, towing a swimmer, deploying throw ropes, collecting gear from a rapid, and working in teams to manage multiple swimmers. We'll also discuss proper cold-weather paddling apparel.
2012 Dates (Choose one):
May 6
June 3, 24
July 23
August 26
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time : 2:00 PM
Class Ratio : 5:1
Click here for directions and what to bring
WW 105: River Run
Test your new whitewater skills as you spend four hours running and playing in the class II-III Mather Gorge section of the Potomac. You'll be gripped! We'll climb up to the top of the gorge, view and name the major rapids, learn river communication skills and discuss strategy. You'll begin to understand how to read water and pick good lines through a rapid. Each wide-eyed student will take turns paddling from point to point under the watchful eye of an instructor shadowing your every move. It's an experience you will never forget. Be ready!
2012 Dates (Choose one):
May 13
June 3
July 1, 29
September 2, 16
Includes : Kayak, paddle, personal floatation device, skirt and helmet.
Location (link) : Angler's Lot, Potomac, MD
Time :2:00 PM
Class Ratio : 3:1
Click here for directions and what to bring
* Completion of this course marks your "graduation" from the program and the conclusion of equipment rental and use benefits.
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Awards & Accreditations
Potomac Paddlesports is proud to be an award-winning, charter ACA Pro School.
Conservation Partners
A percentage of all sales from our kayak programs go to support the Potomac Riverkeeper.
Potomac Paddlesports teaches and practices Leave No Trace ethics in all our programs.
Be Prepared!
Below are some products that we frequently recom-mend to our beginning whitewater students. Have a look, and if there's anything else you need to make sure you're ready for your sessions on the water, we've got a ton of gear over in our online store! Check it out!
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