This safety and rescue course is designed specifically for whitewater rafters and intended as a follow up to our Class III Rowing School. Attending our Class III Rowing School is not a requirement for taking this course but you should have experience rafting Class III rapids before enrolling.
This is also a great course for professional river guides looking for more safety education and rescue training.
River Safety
We will focus on safety and accident prevention. An emphasis will be on discussing good flotilla management to provide a safety net. This portion includes:
- Risk management
- Pre-trip decision making
- Pre-trip safety talks
- On river communication
- Proper dress (PPE)
- Boat order
- Boat spacing
- Whitewater swimming
- Setting safety
Throw bag practice
River Rescue & Equipment Retrieval
In this part of the course we’ll discuss techniques for rescue after an accident happens. This portion will be divided into two parts: rescue and equipment retrieval and includes:
- Rescue philosophy for whitewater paddlers
- Proper priorities
- Rescuing swimmers with boats
- Use of throw bags
- Knots
- Land and boat anchors
- Mechanical advantage pulling systems
- Techniques for flipping rafts
- Foot entrapments
- Big picture scene safety
Raft flipping practice