Coast to Coast Kayak Hire & River Preparation
Overview
Book now pay later? Use the code TSKDEPOSIT to secure your space with a 30% no-refundable deposit. We will be in touch to organise final payment or payments at a later date.
What's Included:
- Kayak, gear hire and kayak transport for the 2026 Coast to Coast Race
- Two full days instruction on the Coast to Coast River Section
- TRANSPORT to the river for the three days kayaking from our Christchurch meeting point. You do not need to hire a car.
If you are travelling from overseas or another part of New Zealand and new to the Coast to Coast then this kayak hire and instruction package is a great option for you. This two-day course is perfect to help you familiarise yourself with the technical sections of the Coast to Coast course, and the kayak you will be using on race day. Let our instructor’s help you get ready for race day!
Details
Day One
Guided Waimakariri River Trip - Skills Day at Woodstock
Welcome to the Waimakariri River. For some of you this may be your first opportunity to paddle a long NZ style multisport kayak on a braided river. Today will be all about familiarising yourself with your kayak and our river. We will be paddling the Woodstock section of the river which is the final 14km's of the kayak stage. Our instructors will be focused on helping you to transition your skills to your new kayak. We will be helping you to improve your river reading, learning important race day lines and helping you set your boat up correctly for bluffs and wave trains. This will be invaluable. Return transport from Christchurch is included.
Day Two
Guided Waimakariri River Trip - Gorge Trip
Day Three is a trip down the Waimakariri Gorge to Woodstock. This is a 55km paddle and will be approximately 5 to 6 hours of paddling. By the end of today you will have paddled the full 69km paddle section of the Coast to Coast over the two days and have gained some invaluable skills and confidence along the way. This section today includes the famous Rock Gardens and the Gorge. Our instructors know this river better than anyone and will be guiding you safely through the tricky features on the river. They will help you identify effective lines for race lines and important landmarks and features along the way. Return transport from Christchurch is included.
Boat Options
Make your choice between our two excellent stable kayak options
Ruahine Shadow
The Ruahine Shadow is a stable kayak and made of composite material. It is suitable for good novice or intermediate paddlers. It is 5.7 meters long and offers great speed and handling. It has great stability and is ideally suited to paddlers looking for the edge over the more stable sea kayak.
http://www.ruahinekayaks.co.nz/multisport-kayaks/shadow/
Barracuda Beachcomber
The Beachcomber is slightly more stable than the Shadow and is made of special light weight plastic. This is suitable for novices and anyone you doesn't want to compromise their race with a swim. It turns on a dime and has compartments and deck bungys for access to the all important food and drink.
https://www.barracudakayaks.com/beachcomber
Please contact us to if you have any questions or require further information
We also have a small selection of intermediate and advanced boats available.
Cancelation Policy for Boat Hire Package -
Bookings cancelled prior to the 31st of December 2025 are 50% refundable.
Any cancelations after the 31st of December 2025 are no refundable.
Topsport Kayaking Cancellation Policy
Terms and Conditions
Topsport Kayaking’s cancellation policy allows clients to reschedule or cancel their booked course or guided trip provided enough notice is given. This policy ensures our small local business can continue to operate if someone cancels their space at short notice.
COVID 19 – Our standard cancelation policy applies.
Cancelling a booking
If for any reason (this includes illness, COVID, travel delays and injuries) you need to cancel your kayak course, gorge trip or mountain run, you will receive a refund minus our cancelation fee. This is provided you contact us at least 21 full days before your booking. We are a very small business and cannot afford to operate our business without the policy. If you cancel outside this period full payment is still required.
We have a lot of cancelations due to sickness and injury. Whilst we are always sorry to hear of an injury or illness, both are a common reality in multisport. Our business is unable to cover the cost of a missed course or trip when an injury or illness has prevented someone from cancelling within our cancelation period. This is a common occurrence for us, therefore full payment is still required. You can transfer your space to another person if you know someone and can organise this.
We deduct an administration fee for any courses or trips that are cancelled.
Our Cancelation fees for courses or trips cancelled 21 days prior to starting are as follows:
- Grade II Certificate Course - $295
- Guided River Trip - $95
- Guided Run Trip - $95
- Guided Run/River Combo - $195
- Waimakariri Skills Course - $295
Cancelling Part of your Grade II Course
If for some reason you are unable to attend a day or days of your kayak course we will try to rebook in with another group, if successful there is an additional cost of $250 per day. There is a no refund for the days missed.
Rescheduling a booking
If you need to reschedule your course or trip, Topsport requires a minimum of 21 FULL DAYS notice. Any booking rescheduled outside this time period will require a new booking and new payment.
All rescheduled trips are subject to an administration fee which is as follows:
- Grade II Certificate Course - $49
- Guided River Trip - $49
- Guided Run Trip - $49
- Refresh with Ryan - $49
- Guided Run/River Combo - $49
- Waimakariri Skills Course -49
- Two Day River Course - -$49
Sometimes Topsport Kayaking postpones your trip
Topsport Kayaking can only operate in favourable conditions. Our trips and courses are 100% weather and river flow dependant. For this reason YOU MUST be flexible with your availability. If you cannot commit to flexibility please do not make a booking with us.
When we have to postpone a trip it is not something we want to do. When a trip is postponed it is for your own personal safety and the safety of our Topsport staff. Your trip may be postponed due to high river levels, high wind or cold alpine conditions.
If we need to postpone your trip we will contact you as soon as possible. This may be in the days leading up to your trip or in the morning of the trip. If this happens you will be provided with a code to rebook your trip on our website at no charge on another date that suits.
Please Note – As we get closer to race day in February the rebooking options may be limited due to the time we have left before the race. If you are unable to make a rescheduled trip a refund will not be given.
When travelling from out of town PLEASE make sure you book flexi flights and accommodation as none of our trips are ever guaranteed to run. We can only operate our trips when weather and river conditions are safe to do so.
In exceptional circumstances we may need to cancel your trip after travelling to the start location or even part-way through your trip as conditions change. Typically we decide prior to leaving town but sometimes we make the extra effort to make an important trip take place e.g race week and overseas clients. If this happens there is a minimum cost of $100 pp. Our standards are to cancel are trip using the latest weather and flow resources BEFORE we leave town but occasionally the forecast is incorrect and we do not know until arriving at the start location.
Cancelling your Coast to Coast Kayak Hire Booking
Topsport Kayaking will gladly cancel your Coast to Coast kayak hire booking prior to the 30th of November. A cancellation charge to the value of 20% of the original hire fee will be deducted. You will be credited back the balance through your original form of payment. If you cancel your hire outside of this time period the full amount is still payable.
If you have any questions, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us by:
Phone (Kate): 021 51 61 75
Email: info@topsport.co.nz
Epic Adventure with Topsport
"I recently completed the two-day course with the Coast-to-Coast recce through Topsport Kayaking, and it was absolutely epic! The combination of running and kayaking made for an incredible adventure, and the entire experience was smooth from start to finish.
A massive shoutout to Sam, who was fantastic and truly a credit to the business. His knowledge of the terrain was exceptional, and his patience throughout the course was second to none. He made sure everyone felt confident and safe while also keeping the vibe fun and engaging.
If you’re considering a challenge or want to sharpen your skills in an amazing setting, I can’t recommend Topsport Kayaking highly enough. This experience was well worth it – I’m already keen for the next one!"
- Jamie Orr
Customer reviews
"Our instructors managed the certification course as true professionals"
"Our guides were professional and had safety at the forefront of their minds in challenging conditions"
"Their kayaking passion, capability and knowledge were the real difference"
"Incredibly knowledgeable with a strong emphasis on safety and completing all skills to a high standard"
