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Whitewater Kayaking: How To Do A Skip

Do you want to consistently and confidently launch your boat clear of scary holes?

Mastering the kayak skip technique helps you keep your momentum downstream, allowing you to skip your kayak over obstacles and away from threatening foam piles.

Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. There are trees and rocks in the background

Modern rockered kayaks like the Dagger Indra have taken skipping from a fringe skill to a majestic art form that can be performed on command!

It is a good prerequisite to have mastered the  aspects of the kayak boof stroke (speed, approach, timing, lean, pull through, and landing posture) prior to the skip. However, the skills for the boof and the skip go hand in hand so proficiency in one will compliment the other. The boof and the skip complement each other in technical whitewater kayaking

Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. There are grey brown rocks in the foreground and trees in the background.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to do a whitewater skip.

Skipping Off A Low Angle Slide Into A Hole

  1. Build speed as you are coming down to slope into the hole. The greater the amount of speed you can build will lead to a more dynamic skip when you hit the resistance of the hole. 
Kayaker's hand in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is visible and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. The kayak is approaching whitewater on the river. There are rocks and trees along the edge of the river.
  1. Lean your boat and time a stroke to lift your bow just before you hit the hole. This will place your bow on top of the foam pile and change your trajectory upward.
Kayaker's hand in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is visible and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. The kayak is entering whitewater on the river. There are rocks and trees along the edge of the river.
  1. Flatten out your lean after you hit the hole and your boat starts to launch. Crunch your body forward and push with your feet to help boost your boat over the hole.Your boat will continue the momentum on this new trajectory into the air. 
Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. There are rocks with a fallen log across them in background and trees behind the rocks.
  1. Keep your boat flat so you maintain control as you return from the stratosphere back to the water on Earth. 

Skipping Off A Waterfall Landing

  1. Build speed, lean your boat on edge, and take a strong launch stroke just before the lip of the waterfall to give extra force to propel your boat forward.
Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The kayak is leaning into whitewater and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip.
  1. Flatten your lean, crunch your body forward, and push with your feet as you land.
Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. Whitewater was in the background.
  1. Keep your boat flat as you land to continue planing downstream for maximum skipping distance and speed. Use slight edging and hip movements to steer your boat as you travel downstream.
Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. There is whitewater all around the kayaker.
Kayaker's hand in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is visible and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. The kayak is entering whitewater on the river. There is water splashed all over the camera lens.
Gif of a Kayaker's hand holding a paddle and the tip of a light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is visible as the kayak goes over a hole doing a move called a skip. The kayaker has a paddle in their hand as they alternate paddling on each side. The kayak is entering whitewater on the river. There are rocks and trees along the edge of the river in the background. The kayaker passes a yellow kayak with a kayaker in it.

Increase Your Whitewater Paddling Confidence

Learning to skip your kayak will increase your whitewater paddling confidence and ability to get over holes. This technique will take your kayaking to the next level. Now holes will become minor obstacles instead of frightening problems!

Practice these steps. Soon you’ll be skipping over holes and planing away from waterfalls with a new sense of enthusiasm for what you can accomplish in a kayak! You may have 99 problems but a hole won’t be one!

Kayaker in light blue kayak in whitewater on river in DC. The tip of the kayak is raised out of the water and the kayaker has a paddle in their hand. This kayak move is called a skip. There are rocks and trees in the background.

Watch our How To Do A Skip video here.

Bobby Miller

Calleva River School Instructor

Here at the River School, Bobby Miller is a main component of the instructor team. Bobby leads Fall Training, Cheat Training, Yough Training, Green Training…. whatever you want to train for, the Zone Dogg turned elementary school teacher, can get you there!

If you’re still not impressed, Bobby is a pro athlete ⎯ sponsored by Team Calleva, Accent Paddles, Immersion Research and Astral. He also has multiple first descents on rivers, creeks, and waterfalls throughout the United States.

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