By Lisa Conway

Not long after the inception of the Wet Planet Kayak School in 2004, professional kayaker and manager of the Wet Planet Kayak School Heather Herbeck brought out the inner kid in herself and started running our kids’ kayak program in 2006, assisted by another big Wet Planet Kid Jonathan Blum. 

For 18 years (wow!)  Wet Planet has been organizing kayak camps for children as young as 9 and older to introduce them to the sport of whitewater kayaking. Our 4-day kids’ kayaking camps build paddling skills, confidence, and an appreciation for the rivers in this beautiful area we live in. Kids learn to whitewater kayak in our outdoor classroom through pool sessions, water games, creative activities, and river trips. They will learn to play on rivers with the coaching of our fun and professional instructor team while building friendships and comradery with their fellow kayak campers. 

Our instructors love what they do, have a passion for running rivers, and love getting younger paddlers hooked on their favorite sport. They are certified by the American Canoe Association or BCU, have First Aid and CPR or Wilderness First Responder training, and are certified in River Rescue.

These Kayak Camps are offered in July and August, in the form of a Day Camp that starts at 9 am and ends at 4 pm. Kayak camp begins each day at our base camp in Husum, WA, boats, gear, and lunch are included. 

  • Level 1 is for children as young as ages 9-12 who are new to whitewater kayaking or have paddled a SUP or sit-on-top kayak on flatwater. 
  • Level 2 is for kids slightly older ages 10-13 who have participated in the Level 1 camp, or have previously received some whitewater kayaking instruction and need to refresh their skills like catching eddies, ferrying, and peel-outs.
  • Level 3 is for youth ages 11-14 who have participated in Level 2 camp or equivalent, and are stoked about whitewater kayaking, feel comfortable in a spray skirt and hardshell kayak, and are ready to step it up!

Through this focus on paddling, everyone will spend time on our local rivers, learn kayaking skills, and create good friendships. This connection is what rivers do for all of us. 

For information on our 2025 Kid’s Kayak Camp schedule, please contact us here. 

Wet Planet supports the Columbia Gorge Junior Kayaking Club, a local group that works to increase the number and diversity of youth paddlers in the Gorge. Born and raised just up the road from Wet Planet in Husum, WA, CGJK founder Naomi Elyard worked at Wet Planet for many years. As she began kayaking during that time, she became inspired to pass on the passion to other community members and started her ‘club’ to offer opportunities and access to a sport that many otherwise would not have found.  We admire and appreciate her selfless drive to do this and will always support her. 

Don’t just take our word for it, see what our students have to say:

“Best Camp Ever! The Wet Planet Kids Kayak Camp is my favorite camp ever… I really got a lot better at kayaking and had a lot of fun… The instructors taught us all we needed to know through games and we had a lot of fun with it. My instructors were Jair, Haley, Mikey, and Naomi. They were amazing! At the end of the week I felt like I had known them forever.”

Ryan C. (TripAdvisor)

“that’s better than any water park ever!”

“that was the most awesome thing I’ve ever done!”

“Kids Kayak camp is amazing – My two daughters ages 9 and 12 attended the kids kayak camp this summer and they absolutely loved it. They both repeatedly said that it was the best summer camp that they have ever attended. They attended that beginner camp and had no previous kayaking experience. Their instructors Jair, Mikey, Naomi, and Haley were absolutely wonderful. They were fun, knowledgeable and wonderful with kids”

“Please let Whitney and the rest of the youth kayak instructors know we are incredibly appreciative for the great work with the kids in the youth camp last week. The kids’ skills have definitely jumped to a whole new level. [When I took the kids out recently] the kids were all practicing hip snaps on the bow of each others’ boats completely unprompted by me! Their enthusiasm is incredible, and their skills are obviously really accelerating. Getting our boys to the stage where they are both reasonably comfortable with wet exits, and are learning more skills, we are finally very near to being able to all really go paddling together. This is something I have been yearning for, for quite some time. Thank you for helping this to really come together. I genuinely look forward to bringing the whole clan back next season.” 

Joel McCune