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California Whitewater Guide School

California 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

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

Load Placement Strategies
Rigging frames
Gear rigging strategies

Proper Care of Gear
Boat patching - valve repair, jammed valves
Rolling & lifting a boat
Inflating / Deflating boats properly

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEVEN WHITEWATER WONDERS

Seven Whitewater WondersHave you run the wild ones? Join O.A.R.S. on seven of the wildest rivers in the world.

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