One of the best opportunities for training with great paddlers has now become common at major paddle races. The biggest surfski and outrigger races typically draw many of the world's best paddlers some of whom provide either multiday training or daily training runs that you can sign up for well in advance. Downwinders in surfski or OC doubles with a champion can be an eye opener. Races such as the Gorge Downwind Championships, Canadian Ocean Racing (on hold), Maui to Molokai, and The Doctor will have several training opportunities that will be advertised (and often fill up) well ahead of their associated races.

There are now some companies that are combining training with full support packages for your paddling centered around some well known races. Packages can include accommodations, coaching, paddle equipment, all race related logistics, etc.

The list below is supposed to primarily include sites/places that are more or less permanent locales for multi-day training. Notice that a number of the online coaches will schedule intermittent training camps based on demand in various locations. So it can be worthwhile to check with them about scheduled trainings with open signups, particularly if you are looking for one that might be closer/more convenient for you.

Australia

Canada

• Canadian Championships Race Week ClinicsThe Canadian Champs Race has been on hold since Covid started. We hope it will be reinstituted.
• Deep Cove Kayak in Vancouver, BC offers special clinics during the year. The women on water clinics have been popular. Drop Bob Putnam & co a line if you are interested in a training. He may schedule something new if he gets adequate interest.

Canary Islands

Croatia

• SurfskiFun Camps SurfskiFun in Hungary organizes a number of camps on the Croatian coast (Šibenik, Brač) for different skill levels
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France

• Finistere Surfski Festival for beginners to intermediate

Germany

• Kajak Nord Surfski Training Camps
  • Ostsee camp video 2021, Ostsee Eckernförde camp video 2024
• …

Hawaii

Italy

• Sardinia - Week long Camps that appear to be primarily for beginners (Epic V5s), great scenery * also sales and rentals

Japan

• Downwind Camps Amanico Ocean Sports
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Madagascar

• PaddleAfrica

Malta

• Surfski Malta

Mauritius

• South Africa Surf Ski Academy (SASS) tours, courses Barry Lewin video
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Portugal

• BORK You Training Camps
• Paddle South Portugal
  • surfskiracing.org trip report with Paddle South Portugal

South Africa

Spain

Sweden

• Aterra Training Camps (Surfskicamps.com)
• …

Tarifa

• Tarifa Surfski Center

Thailand

• Oceans Limitless
• Surfski Kayak Center (facebook) (Surfski Andaman) at Dugong Village

USA

• Gorge Championships Race Week Clinics check website and facebook page for clinic announcements coinciding with upcoming Gorge Championships (This has been out of date as of at least 2023 - there was at least one set of trainings available in 2023 from Three Oceans) You may also want to check for camps done in conjunction with the Gorge Vortex races that precede the Champs week in May and June.
• TCSurfski Immersion Camp Lake Michigan
• Three Oceans Camps They may not have information about their camps on their website yet, but our understanding is that Three Oceans will start offering downwind camps in the Gorge in 2024. You can inquire via their website.
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Wales

• Fishguard Ben Edom, some scheduled courses, also can arrange courses by request, 1 day or multiday
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Canada

• Right Angle Performance Outrigger and Dragon Boat Camps with Kamini Jain
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Canary Islands

Guadeloupe

• Team Woo

Hawaii

Puerto Rico

• Huracan Downwind Camps OC
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Ra'iatea (Raiatea)

In French Polynesia

• PaddleSports Downwind camps for OC and SUP
  • Sometimes on Mo'orea
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