White Water Kayaking 101 Weekend

Want to go whitewater kayaking in Houston? Well, we’re not going kayaking in Houston per se, but we are as close as you can get for some great whitewater rapids!

Join BCO for a day (or the whole weekend) of whitewater kayak instruction on the beautiful, spring fed San Marcos River. The San Marcos River is clear and around 72 degrees, making it the perfect training ground for mastering your paddling skills. This class is for beginners or intermediate kayakers alike.

The San Marcos River has several water features, however we will be running the lower San Marcos. This allows us to learn and practice all the needed skills, like: ferrying, eddying out, strokes, river reading, rolling and much, much more. You can do as much or as little as you want, and instructors will be right next to you to help you get exactly what you want out of the class. Many kayakers who have taken the class have gone on to become serious whitewater kayak addicts!

This whitewater weekend will be extra special as it serves as a fundraiser for Team River Runner Houston! Team River Runner helps wounded and disabled veterans embrace new challenges, invoke leadership, and promote camaraderie. Team River Runner invites wounded and disabled war veterans and their families to participate in adaptive paddling programs- https://www.teamriverrunner.org/about-us/.

We’ve got a lot planned for this weekend, so if possible, please arrive Friday night so you will be fresh for Saturday morning . We need you there early as we’ll be out on the water first thing in the morning, in order to get in a full day of river fun!

What’s Included:

Your instruction cost includes all gear for the lesson.

What You’ll Learn:

Handling skills, balance, equipment, gear and so much more!

What To Bring:

We paddle in whitewater boats with skirts, and all the gear is included in the cost of the class. However, you will need to bring water, sunscreen, swimsuit or board shorts and a top. Also, please bring $3.00 cash for the launch park fee.

Cost:

We are getting an awesome BCO member rate of $150.00 per person, 2-days (non-members $195.00). Price includes kayak, paddle, helmet, life vest, and shuttle. Bring lots of water, snacks, cash/cc for lunch and sunscreen.

Where Are We Going:

San Marcos is about 2 hours and 45 minutes from Houston. Meaning it is possible to get up very early, drive in for the lessons, and then drive home, BUT isn’t it so much more fun to stay and play the whole weekend! Come in on Friday night, stay over, have dinner, have a blast on Saturday, and repeat the Kayaking fun again on Sunday before making the drive back to Houston.

Itinerary:

Friday Evening

Group Dinner: Friday night group dinner in San Marcos if you can arrive in time. Hang out, meet each other, and just enjoy a nice and easy night.

Saturday

Breakfast: BYOB (bring your own breakfast)!

Morning: 8:00 am the start. This is the day to learn the basics that you will use for the rest of your paddling career!

Lunch- Bring money as we will enjoy lunch at a local establishment.

Afternoon – We’ll head down the river and practice skills that we learned from the morning session.

Dinner: We’ll decide where we are going to dinner together later that day.

Sunday

Morning – Arrive at the river at 8:00 am for an 8:30 start Rio Vista.  We can get on the river and beat the crowds! This is the day you put your skills learned the day before to use.

Afternoon – We are usually finished around 3:00 and then we head back to Houston – tired, happy, and ready to come back and do it again!

Don’t Forget! Wear a swimsuit or board shorts and a top. You will probably want a t-shirt to protect you from the sun in the afternoon. If you do not have a dry bag, just bring your river stuff, and someone will help you carry it. We will send a checklist to you the week of the event via email to be sure you have everything you need for a perfect weekend.

ALL Kayak equipment & instruction are included in the weekend.

What To Bring For The Day:

-Sunscreen

-Water shoes or sandals

-Swimsuit or water shorts and rash guard or t-shirt to keep the sun off

-Water bottle and snacks

-Towel and dry clothes

-Cash or credit card for lunch

If you have a small dry bag that you can throw water, snacks and sunscreen in that is great. They can be found at REI and Academy. If not, usually there is someone who can help hold stuff for you.

Carpooling: Please, place a note in your RSVP comments if you would like to carpool, and state when you can go, how many days you are staying and where, and a contact option – usually a cell and email are best. Frequently, people will meet on the west side of town to carpool together.

Please note in your RSVP comments where you will be staying.

For the CAMPERS in the group, Shady Grove is a very nice site on the San Marcos River.

Shady Grove Campground

Address: 9515 FM 1979; Martindale, TX 78655

Camping Directions:

Shady Grove Campground

Address: 9515 FM 1979; Martindale, TX 78655, TX

Directions: From Interstate 10: Take the 1st Luling exit #183. When you reach the light which is the intersection of 183 & 80 turn right, cross the RR tracks and take your 3rd left onto #80, also known as East Davis Street. Follow this towards San Marcos/Martindale. As you reach Martindale, you will turn left on FM 1979 (the only direction you can turn) and proceed on FM 1979 for about one mile. Cross the river, and Shady Grove is immediately on the left. http://mysite.verizon.net/resr1sp0/id4.html

The campground is self-serve registration. Bring cash and pay at the gate. $5.00 per night – put your money in the envelope, fill out an entry permit and hang on your rearview mirror. Parallel park to the road at the campsite. We don’t want to disturb the grass.

Motel and Hotel Options:

For those who would rather not camp, here are a couple of motel options.

Hotel 6 & Econo Lodge  Prices change all the time. Last time we checked, king rooms were $54 plus tax and queen rooms (2 queens) were $79.00 plus tax. These are pretty low-budget motels, but tend to be clean.

Country Inn Suites are close – they are higher, usually around $130