Join us for a class, camp, or trip to explore local waterways and finesse your paddling skills. Rutabaga has been teaching canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddling for over 30 years. We're sure to have an adventure that will be right for you!
At Rutabaga, we believe that having time on the water can be extremely impactful to peoples’ overall health and well-being. Our instructors are passionate about helping others get time on the water regardless of background, experience, or ability. Our instructors are highly experienced both as paddlers and educators. Rutabaga instructors have high levels of certification in their areas of paddling expertise. Our class sizes are also small—a typical instructor to student ratio in instruction-based courses is around one instructor to four or five students. This allows plenty of opportunity for individual feedback from experts.
Browse topics above, check out featured classes below, or see our full list of upcoming classes, camps, and events at the Outdoor Adventures Calendar
Sea kayaking classes make use of longer, narrower boats, also called touring kayaks. Sea kayaks are fast, maneuverable and with the use of a spray skirt, are designed to handle larger bodies of water like the Great Lakes or oceans. They can carry large amounts of gear and are perfect for overnights and higher mileage paddling. They are engineered to be fast, stable in rough water, and may have features like a skeg or rudder for better tracking and maneuverability. In short, backpacking on water!
In this class you'll learn all the basics to get you started and allow you to explore protected waters at first, then expand your destinations as you learn more and more.
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Our recreational kayak classes feature wide, stable boats with large cockpits making them easy to get in and out. They are perfect for slow-moving rivers and small lakes and are easy to use for activities such as fishing and bird watching. If you're a complete novice to kayaking, this is the perfect class to get you on the water, safely and efficiently.
You'd be hard pressed to find better canoeing than we have here in the upper Midwest. Lakes and rivers, both large and small, fill our maps with endless possibilities for day trips or lengthy adventures.
Whatever your goals, safe and pleasurable canoeing requires some skill and knowledge. Sure, trial and error might take you where you want to go, but with a little bit of instruction you can develop a foundation of skills making your paddling more fun and rewarding. Join us for a class and we'll help start you in a sport that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment.
Your first bicycle wasn't a tandem, was it? Of course not-it was a solo bicycle. Just saying the words "solo bicycle" seems sort of strange. Just as bicycles are primarily solo and tandems are the rare exception, canoes are often considered tandem by default, with the solo canoe filling in around the margins. Solo canoes are often the perfect craft to fulfill your paddling needs..
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An individualized lesson is a great way to begin your paddling journey or add to your existing skill set! Rutabaga can offer brush-up lessons, help you refine a skill, or start at the beginning. We'll make it work for you!
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September 11-14, 2025
Check out our yearly sea kayaking event up in Boulder Junction! A weekend full of learning and adventure!
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For the go getters, we offer rentals and storage at Olbrich Park on Lake Monona.
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See our full line up of classes, trips and events!
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