Junior kayaking program

Learn how to paddle at one of the best whitewater venues in the Southern Hemisphere! Whether you want to become the next Jess Fox or simply learn new skills, our junior program is a great way to start.

Register for Term 1

Program structure

The junior kayaking program at Penrith Whitewater Stadium is split into four different stages, ranging from basic kayaking skills on our flatwater lake to specialised whitewater skills on our grade 3 Olympic whitewater channel.

Each stage is built around one school term with weekly 90-minute lessons. Paddlers progress through each of the four stages at their own pace.

Term 1 2026 is a 9-week term commencing the week beginning Monday 02 February 2026 and consists of 8 weeks of instruction followed by a skills-based assessment in week 9.

We are also offering a one-time school holiday program for beginners from Monday 19 - Friday 23 January 2026.

Age range

The junior kayaking program is for ages 8 – 18 (18-year-olds must turn 18 during the current calendar year).

The minimum age required to progress to the Crocs class is 10.

Please note: Classes are not split into age groups. There may be a mix of ages in each class.

Holiday program & Term 1 2026

PWS is offering beginners the opportunity to complete the Turtles stage of the program across 5-days in the January school holidays. Lessons run daily from 10:30am - 12:30pm between Monday 19 - Friday 23 January 2026. This school holiday program offers accelerated progression and is the perfect preparation for the Term 1 junior kayaking program.

Term 1 2026 lesson times

Turtles: Tuesdays 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Ducks: Wednesdays 4:30pm - 6:00pm

Crocs: Fridays 4 :30pm - 6:00pm

Please note: Participants must have passed the pre-requisite competency assessment before starting the next stage.

Price

$370.00 per person

Price includes all kayaking equipment and instruction from qualified and experienced staff for one school term.

How to get started

To register for the January school holiday program please complete our online registration.

For specific enquiries about the program, please contact (02) 4730 0087 or whitewater@sport.nsw.gov.au

Dates and times for Term 1 will be posted soon.

Class levels

The Turtles class takes place on the PWS flatwater lake. Flatwater provides a controlled environment to start learning the many skills necessary to paddle on whitewater. The class covers basic strokes, leaning and turning, rescue techniques and rolling.

The Ducks class starts to introduce students to grade 1 and 2 whitewater by focusing on basic moving water skills such as breaking in and out of the current, ferry-gliding, river reading and river safety.

The Crocs class now offers students the opportunity to use all the skills they’ve learned on flatwater and moving water to start tackling our grade 3 Olympic whitewater rapids!

The Dolphins class allows our talented paddlers the opportunity to master their basic whitewater skills and explore new and exciting challenges by focusing on either slalom, freestyle or creeking.

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