At Jaguar Kayak, we respect your privacy. We use cookies to enhance your experience and analyze site performance.
At Jaguar Kayak, we respect your privacy. We use cookies to enhance your experience and analyze site performance.
Improve your skills. Paddle tropical whitewater. Experience Costa Rica.
Spend a full week developing your whitewater kayaking skills on warm tropical rivers surrounded by rainforest. This trip combines professional instruction, river running, rescue skills, technical coaching and unforgettable days on some of Costa Rica’s most iconic rivers. Designed for paddlers who want more than a vacation, this experience gives you the opportunity to improve technique, build confidence and apply new skills directly on moving water and whitewater. Training can be adapted to the group’s experience level, from developing intermediate paddlers to advanced kayakers looking to refine technical river-running skills. Led by Andrey Coto Robles, founder of Jaguar Kayak Academy and ACA-certified Whitewater Kayak, Rafting and Swiftwater Rescue Instructor. Train. Paddle. Progress. Experience Costa Rica.
Day 1 – Welcome to Costa Rica Juan Santamaría International Airport → Sarapiquí Meet your Jaguar Kayak Academy trip leader at Juan Santamaría International Airport. Travel together to Sarapiquí, one of Costa Rica’s most important whitewater destinations. After checking into the lodge, we review the week, discuss paddling experience, personal goals, river conditions and safety expectations. If time allows, we finish the afternoon with an easy warm-up session. Highlights: Airport pickup Transfer to Sarapiquí Trip orientation Equipment check Paddler assessment Welcome dinner Day 2 – Fundamentals & Boat Control We begin with a focused skills session designed to create a strong technical foundation. The day starts on easier moving water before progressing into whitewater. Depending on the group level, training may include: Forward stroke efficiency Sweep strokes Edging Boat control Body position Eddy turns Peel outs Ferries S-turns River reading The objective is not simply to paddle downstream, but to understand how technique, body position and water work together. River: Sarapiquí area Focus: technique and control Day 3 – Whitewater Skills & River Running Today we take the skills from Day 2 and apply them to real river situations. We work on choosing lines, reading current, controlling speed and using river features efficiently. Training may include: Eddy hopping Ferries Surfing Micro eddies Boat angle Momentum Reading waves and holes Choosing lines Group communication Video feedback may be used when conditions and logistics allow. Focus: river-running technique and confidence Day 4 – Rescue & River Safety Whitewater kayaking is not only about paddling technique. Today we focus on becoming safer and more capable river paddlers. Topics may include: River safety Swimming position Throw bag techniques Boat and paddle recovery Assisted rescues Towing systems Mechanical advantage concepts Foot entrapment awareness Strainers and hazards Group management River communication The exact content is adapted to river conditions and participant experience. Focus: safety, rescue and decision-making Day 5 – Advanced Whitewater Skills Today we increase the technical challenge. Qualified paddlers work on more dynamic whitewater skills and learn how to move efficiently through stronger current. Depending on experience, training may include: Technical eddy turns Power ferries Boofs Punching waves Hole avoidance Surfing Dynamic boat control Advanced line selection Scouting Safety positioning River selection is based on water level, weather and paddler ability. Focus: technical progression Day 6 – Costa Rica Whitewater Adventure Today is about putting everything together. We choose a river section appropriate for the group and spend the day paddling whitewater with less structured instruction and more emphasis on independent decision-making. Possible rivers or sections may include: Sarapiquí Pejibaye Pacuare Reventazón-area runs Other suitable sections depending on conditions The goal is to paddle as a team while applying the skills developed throughout the week. Focus: real-world river running Day 7 – Final Challenge & Personal Coaching The final full paddling day is customized around each participant. Some paddlers may focus on: Boof technique Rolling Surfing Ferries River reading Technical lines Rescue skills Confidence in stronger whitewater Others may choose a full river descent. We finish with a final review and individual feedback session. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner and celebrate a week of progression and tropical whitewater. Focus: personal goals and progression Day 8 – Pura Vida & Departure Enjoy breakfast before traveling back to Juan Santamaría International Airport. We finish the week with a review of each paddler’s progress and recommendations for continued training. End Point: Juan Santamaría International Airport – SJO SKILLS COVERED Depending on participant level, training may include: Whitewater fundamentals Forward stroke efficiency Sweep strokes Edging Eddy turns Peel outs Ferries S-turns River reading Surfing Boof technique Line selection Scouting Rolling Whitewater swimming Throw bag rescue Boat recovery Group communication River safety Technical river running WHO IS THIS TRIP FOR? This trip is ideal for paddlers who already have basic kayaking experience and want to improve their whitewater skills. Recommended for: Intermediate paddlers Advanced paddlers Club paddlers Kayakers preparing for harder rivers Paddlers wanting professional coaching Travelers looking for a training-focused kayak vacation Participants should be comfortable with wet exits and basic kayak control. Final river selection will always depend on individual ability, water levels and safety conditions.
Jaguar Kayak Academy offers social kayak programs, small-group kayak instruction, whitewater trips and family adventures led by local experts in Costa Rica.
