US Coast Guard Training

All volunteers who are interested in kayaking the Chicago River must complete a kayak safety training session led by the US Coast Guard before participating. These free training sessions cover a wide variety of topics, including best paddle practices, environmental and water traffic hazards, safety equipment usage, and more. The US Coast Guard sessions are offered a couple times per month and last for roughly 90 minutes. If you have been trained in a previous year AND have completed at least one shift in the past, you do not need to complete a training again this year. 

With the cooling weather we've completed our last training of the 2025 season! Sessions will return in Spring 2026.