The eastern Canadian Rocky Mountains are home to some first-class paddling rivers, including the Kananaskis, Kicking Horse, Red Deer, Bow and Highwood. Some tour companies offer multi-day trips with remote campsites. To discover kayaking’s excitement and joy, sign up for a lesson with one of the area’s professional outfitters. Savour the thrill of leaning downriver into the current as you would bank a corner on a bike and bounce through choppy waves reminiscent of riding over a washboard dirt road. Learn in a regular river kayak or in a more stable, inflatable boat more difficult to flip. No experience is necessary to run grade II and III rapids in these self-bailing, durable rubber crafts. Trips cost from $64 per person, including all equipment, wetsuits, lifejackets, snacks, a thorough safety briefing and on-water instruction. These guided trips allow you to learn basic kayaking techniques, which you’ll start practising as soon as you paddle toward your first rapids.

Kayaking originated in the Arctic, as a means by which hunters could travel swiftly and quietly pursuing seals. The compact, light crafts were covered to keep out chilly Arctic water while facilitating agile movement for the pilot. Modern kayaks are built with either fibreglass or increasingly, light yet durable plastics and come in various designs. Kayak cockpits feature fully adjustable seats to fit the individual’s body, enabling the pilot comfort and precise maneuvering ability. The paddler wears a Neoprene ‘skirt’, which fits over the kayak’s cockpit to keep out water. Rodeo kayaks are short and stout, with blunt ends and flat ‘planing’ hulls. The specialized features allow the kayaker to execute tricks such as cartwheels or to stand on one end in a hole (a swirling feature in a running river). River kayaks are built to navigate rapids, narrow chutes and fast-moving open stretches. Touring or ocean kayaks are longer and narrower than their river-bound counterparts and are designed to be fast and stable in ocean or lake water that is often rough. Explore the Columbia River near Golden, British Columbia in a sea kayak. Guided trips start at around $59 per person and are ideal for beginners.

Refine your whitewater roll at one of several adult-learning programs that run intermittently throughout the year at public indoor pools in Banff and Canmore. Drop-in rates are nominal. To witness experienced whitewater kayakers, head down to the Widowmaker day-parking area on the Kananaskis River for the annual summer K-Country Whitewater Festival where talented boaters gather annually, usually in May, to make a big splash.