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NWRC Whitewater Education & Safety Training

Northwest Rafting Company Rowing and Guide SchoolWe are very proud of our whitewater rafting training programs that help build a community of safe, knowledgable, and responsible boaters. These classes are designed primarily for private boaters looking to improve their boating and safety skills.

River Rafting Training Courses

Our Whitewater Rowing Schools

We’ve spent 10 years developing a curriculum that improves rowing skills and develops safety knowledge. The list below has some key details about our courses.

  • Each student rows their own boat
  • Video review to assist with difficult concepts
  • Open to both rafts and catarafts
  • Designed for oar boats but paddle rafts and inflatable kayakers are welcome
  • A heavy focus on safety
  • Enthusiastic instructors who are also experienced private boaters

Class III Rowing School

Five days of river rafting training on the Rogue River to introduce technique and proper safety for rowing rafts and catarafts. We bring enough rafts so each student will get a plenty of time “behind the sticks” and be able to try out a few different raft sizes and oar options.

Class III Rowing School on the Rogue River
Class III Rowing School on the Rogue River

This is a five day wilderness trip on the wild section of the Rogue River. We’ll camp each night along the river and enjoy delicious meals prepared by the instructors.

Learn more about the Class III Rowing School >>

Class III Saftey & Rescue

This course is designed as a bridge between our Class III Rowing School and our Class IV Rowing School. We’ll spend the first half of the course diving into important safety precautions that help rafters prevent common accidents on the river. The second half will focus on common rescue techniques specific to whitewater paddlers.

Learning to Responsibly Work with Ropes is and Important Part of this Course
Learning to Responsibly Work with Ropes is and Important Part of this Course

This is mainly a land based course with one day on the water. We’ll be assessing physical fitness and swimming ability needed for students to be successful in our Class IV Rowing School.

Learn more about the Class III Safety & Rescue Course >>

Class IV Rowing School

Our Class IV Rowing Schools are based in Hood River, Oregon where we have access to various Class III and IV rivers for training.

Group Class During our Class IV Rowing School
Group Class During our Class IV Rowing School

This course is designed for people with solid Class III experience who are looking to expand their abilities. Our main focus is safety and team boating needed for running difficult rivers. You will also run challenging rapids under the supervision of our rowing instructors.

Scouting a rapid on the Hood River during our Class IV Rowing School
Scouting a rapid on the Hood River during our Class IV Rowing School

This whitewater rafting course is designed for oar boats and catarafts but inflatable kayakers and paddle teams are also welcome.

Learn more about the Class IV Rowing School >>

Rafting Private Instruction

Our private instruction classes are a great option for many people. Most of these classes are two days and offered near our global headquarters in Hood River, Oregon. We will select rivers to fit your needs and experience.

Private one-on-one whitewater rowing instruction
Private one-on-one whitewater rowing instruction

We can cater a private instruction course for your needs. Here is a short list of private instruction courses we commonly do:

  • Introduction to whitewater rowing
  • Preparation for rowing the Grand Canyon
  • Swiftwater Safety and Rescue
  • Inflatable Kayaking
  • Packrafting
  • Transitioning from Class II to Class III
  • Transitioning from Class III to Class IV
  • Introduction to overnight trips

Learn more about Private Rowing Instruction >>