Rogue River Rowing Clinic

Learn to guide an oar raft down Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue River with the company twice named the “The Best River & Sea Outfitter On Earth” by National Geographic Adventure magazine. You need no prior outdoor or whitewater rafting experience to participate in the O.A.R.S. Rogue River Rowing Clinic. Our experienced river guides will teach you rafting and camping techniques that will be useful throughout your entire life.

This 6-day floating whitewater clinic is appropriate for:

• Anyone interested in working as a professional whitewater rafting guide
• Parties interested in guiding their own private river trip(s)
• Anyone who appreciates experiential learning and is interested in whitewater and river safety
• Adventurers seeking an active vacation experience in a beautiful forested canyon filled with wildlife

Our professional guides, all with whitewater rescue training and extensive guiding experience, will share with you their outdoor and river knowledge. We’ll spend each day progressing down river; learning and practicing newly acquired skills, and set camp at a different location each night. Instruction and hands on learning occurs both on the river and in camp.

Why sign up for a whitewater rafting guide school with O.A.R.S.?

• Outside magazine, National Geographic Traveler, MSNBC, Good Morning America, Condé Nast Traveler and Men’s Journal have all recognized O.A.R.S. as offering some of the "Best Trips" on the planet.
• We keep our trips small, with 1 guide for every 4 guests (1:4) participants receive plenty of personal attention
• O.A.R.S. has been guiding people on rivers and coastlines worldwide since 1969
• More than 450,000 guests have trusted us to escort them on some of the most spectacular wilderness destinations worldwide
• We use top-notch, well-maintained equipment and set the gold standard in safety

One price includes:

• 6 days of whitewater rafting on Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Rogue River
• Guide training
• 5 nights of riverside camping and a 2-person shared tent (You may bring your own sleeping bag/pad or rent them from O.A.R.S.)
• Meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 6
• All rafting and expedition equipment, including helmet and PFD (personal flotation device)
• Transfers from Galice Resort to the river and back

An example of course content taught during the Rogue River Rowing Clinic:

• Reading whitewater
• Maneuvering oar rafts in Class III whitewater
• Route selection
• River hydraulics
• Knot tying
• Raft rigging/de-rigging
• River signals
• How to communicate with your crew
• River logistics management
• Camp skills - setting up a safe/comfortable camp, food handling/preparation, minimum impact strategies
• 7 Principles of Leave No Trace
• Tying up and anchoring boats, so you know they’ll be there in the morning
• Wildlife encounters - what to do about those pesky critters
• Multi-day group dynamics
• Team problem solving
• Basic River Rescue
• Equipment Maintenance

Raft Guides for Hire

Don’t want the fun to end? If you do well in our Rogue River Rowing Clinic, we just might consider asking you to stay on as an O.A.R.S. guide. (We do give preferential consideration to our guide school graduates.)

As the paddle sports industry evolves (smaller companies are disbanding, guide retention rate is shrinking due to fewer opportunities) working within the rafting industry has become increasingly competitive. O.A.R.S. requires skilled guides and seeks a higher proficiency rate of its crew. This guide school is a critical first step to river guiding and may provide an opportunity for you to get your foot in the door with a well-established organization with itineraries spread throughout North America, South America and Fiji.