Build confidence on the water with a 3-hour beginner flatwater kayaking lesson on Bend’s Deschutes River.

Tumalo Creek’s 3-hour Basic Skills Kayaking Class in Bend, Oregon, is the perfect introduction to flatwater kayaking.

Whether you’re new to kayaking or looking to enhance foundational skills, our expert instructors will teach you essential paddle strokes, safety knowledge, and maneuvering techniques.

Set on the Deschutes River in the heart of Bend’s Old Mill District, this class offers the confidence you need to explore Central Oregon’s serene waterways, including the Cascade Lakes and Deschutes River.

Ideal for adults, the class requires a minimum age of 15, and we provide all necessary equipment, including kayaks, paddles, and PFDs (personal flotation devices).

You may also be interested in our Intermediate Skills Kayaking Class, designed to refine techniques and boost rescue capabilities.

For open water adventures, check out our selection of multi-day San Juan Islands sea kayaking tours

Safety Notice

Paddlesports, water, and river activities involve inherent risks that cannot be eliminated and may result in serious injury or death. Participation may involve hazards including but not limited to; moving water, changing river conditions, weather, obstacles, uneven terrain, equipment failure, and other natural or man-made hazards. Conditions can change rapidly and without warning.

All participants are required to wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device (PFD) whenever on the water or whenever directed by a guide or instructor. Additional required safety equipment must be worn and used as instructed.

Our guides and instructors are trained to help manage risk and provide a more safe learning environment, but they cannot eliminate all risks or guarantee your safety. Even on guided trips, lessons, and camps, every participant is responsible for actively contributing to their own safety.

Participants are expected to:

• Listen to and follow all instructions from guides and instructors.
• Stay alert, make responsible decisions, and avoid unnecessary risks.
• Know and respect their own abilities and limits. Do not attempt skills or activities beyond your experience or comfort level.
• Immediately inform your guide or instructor if you are uncomfortable, become fatigued, are unable to perform a skill safely, or observe a potential hazard.
• Work together with guides and fellow participants to help maintain a safe environment.

Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring that minor participants understand and follow all safety instructions.

By participating in our programs—including whitewater kayaking, rafting, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, kayak sailing, flatwater paddling, youth camps, multi-activity paddlesports camps, and other paddlesports activities—you acknowledge the inherent risks associated with these activities and accept responsibility for your own actions and participation.