California Whitewater Guide School
The essential first steps for the potential professional river guide! Train on multiple California rivers - some of the best whitewater in the West - O.A.R.S. California Whitewater Guide School provides the knowledge and experience for participants to be able to maneuver rafts in intermediate whitewater, and most of those who complete the course need only a few more trips with a baggage boat before they are skilled enough to begin work as a professional guide. We teach both oar rig and paddle raft captaining. You will be given an in-depth general knowledge of whitewater rafting from A to Z.
Course Content:
The following list is an example of the various subjects taught:
| Swift Water Navigation Oar & paddleboat techniques Route selection Hydraulics Strategies (momentum, ferry angles, bump, runs) Boat spacing and river etiquette Paddle & Oar boat safety talk reviews |
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| Swift Water Rescue Swimming in whitewater Ropes, knots, slings, and anchors Dealing with flips Dealing with wraps Basic "Z" rigs Swift water crossings Throw bag rescues Strainers Hand signals Foot entrapments Dealing with an accident Evacuation strategies and planning |
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| Load Placement Strategies Rigging frames Gear rigging strategies |
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| Proper Care of Gear Boat patching - valve repair, jammed valves Rolling & lifting a boat Inflating / Deflating boats properly |
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| Camp Tying up / Anchoring boats overnight Camp talk (client guidelines for camping) Portas & porta placement Minimum impact strategies (firepans, sumps, etc) Hand wash system / Dish wash system Lions & Tigers & Bears (critters & camping) Food preparation |
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