Step up your rafting game to the next level!
This guide school is ideal for those that have already completed a professional guide school that are looking to step up to the next level of instruction and experience.
This course is designed for individuals with prior experience guiding rafts in at least class II-III whitewater. It is preferable that you have had some experience paddling (but not necessarily guiding) class IV-V rivers but this is negotiable. We have had a wide range of students come through this course, from second year guides to professional guides who already work guiding class IV rivers, and they have all benefited greatly from the experience.
The Curriculum
This workshop will cover the more advanced elements of whitewater navigation. Instruction will be primarily in the medium of paddle guiding a raft. Students will be encouraged to develop the ability to read chaotic river currents and a dynamic approach to navigation.
Many skills will be demonstrated and practiced, including:
- The dark art of using rocks instead of avoiding them
- The troubling art of planning for the best and expecting the plan not to work
- The fine art of thinking of every paddle stroke as unique
- Planning out and successfully executing unconventional lines within rapids
- Navigating a river uncontrolled by dams and being comfortable with daily and yearly changes in flow and obstacle placement
- Intentional and unintentional rock slipping and pivoting
- Controlled and uncontrolled raft surfing
- Catching microeddies in a larger craft (it’s not just for kayakers)
- Pinballing and shaboinging
- Lowsiding (and highsiding)
- Running rapids without the luxury of calling a get-down
- Intentional and unintentional swimming of rapids
- Avoiding man-made obstacles, like bridges and pipes
- Negotiating strainers and foliage-choked passages
- Intentional and unintentional scenarios involving rafts pinned on rocks and rafts being surfed in holes
- Treating a river trip as an expedition
- Rescue on the Run
- Downstream safety
- River safety triage
- The joy of R2ing
This course's curriculum is not designed for aspiring commercial raft guides. For professional guide school information, please check out our professional guide school page here.
Quick Facts
- Location: Kaweah River - Three Rivers, CA
- Schedule: TBD – May
- 5 days of whitewater rafting instruction from professional class IV-V river guides
- 5 nights of camping (Sunday through Thursday nights)
- Rafting equipment (raft, life jacket, helmet, paddle)
- Minimum age: 18-years-old
- Trip cost: $500 per person
- All taxes and fees are included
Booking Notes
- Arrival: After 4 pm the night before the course begins
- Departure: Around 2 pm on the last day of the course
- No meals provided. Students are responsible for their own breakfasts and dinners throughout the course.
- Camping: Please bring your own tent and sleeping gear.
- Campsite provided includes tables, drinking water source, flush toilets and hot showers.
Personal River Gear
At minimum you need to have a wetsuit available, we can help you rent one if you do not own one.
Any other boating layers that you own. It can be hot and it can be cold.
If you have an appropriate PFD bring it. We will have them available for you if you don’t.
Any safety equipment that you typically wear on your person and know how to use. You will not be permitted to bring any dry bags or gear into the raft that is not connected to your body. If you have medication, epipens or any other medical items please advise us.
Check out our FAQ’s for commonly asked questions about our guide schools, or call, text, or email to speak to an expert!
Sound right for you?
Please fill out this application and we will get back to you soon. Places are limited to a maximum of 16 students per class.