This two-day Wyld Heart evaluation is for current ACA Level 4 Raft Instructors—oar and paddle—who are ready to take their Level 5 Instructor Exam in one of the most iconic river canyons in South America.
Three day course on the Rio Grande near Taos, NM covers the essentials of swiftwater safety and rescue, including swimming, throw bagging & mechanical advantage.
We're excited to announce our first of many Worldwide Women of Whitewater's (WWoW's) affordable 2 day all women's swiftwater rescue course! This course is intended and geared towards those women that can't quite swing a normal class (thinking, but not limited to, the young & upcoming guides/those that are wanting to get into whitewater but money has always been a barrier).
Partnering with Canyon River Instruction in Salida, CO on the Arkansas River in our first domestic program. 20% percentage of the cost will go to the use of the river permit and utilizing Canyon River Instruction's facilities. The remainder will go straight to WWoW's 2026 programs! Instructor time will be donated.
Every registration to this event will bring us closer to achieving our mission. Together, we can create a brighter, safer, more compassionate world for all. We do not want money to be an obstacle for this one, so if the cost is a hurdle, please reach out to info@whitewaterwomen.org
Thank you for supporting our mission, your support is invaluable.
What You’ll Learn
This 2-day clinic focuses on assessing river conditions, making informed decisions, and handling swiftwater rescue situations with confidence. You'll develop essential skills to ensure both personal and group safety in a supportive learning environment.
Topics Covered:
River rescue techniques for real-world scenarios
Whitewater swimming and self-rescue skills
Effective throw bagging techniques
Planning and decision-making for swiftwater situations
Extractions and synches for complex rescues
Mechanical advantage systems for efficient operations
Through hands-on training in real river conditions, the course emphasizes practical application, teamwork, and effective communication under pressure.
Certification
Participants will receive an ACA Swiftwater Rescue (SWR) Certificate of Completion, recognized by raft guides, river professionals, and outdoor educators.
Who Should Attend?
Ideal for women raft guides looking to develop or refresh river safety skills and gain confidence on the water.
Cost: $100
We offer both two-day and three-day Swiftwater Rescue training courses. Both options include the same core curriculum and cover the ACA Level 4 material. The three-day course provides additional time to explore mechanical advantage in greater depth, including the 3:1 (Z-Drag) system. It also features more hands-on scenarios to practice these skills and allows for a more paced progression through the material.
Course Overview: The Swiftwater Rescue workshop teaches recognition and avoidance of common river hazards, execution of self-rescue techniques, and rescue techniques for paddlers in distress. Emphasis is placed both on personal safety and on simple, commonly used skills. Fundamental and more advanced techniques for dealing with hazards that carry greater risks for both victim and rescuer, such as strainers, rescue vest applications, entrapments, and pins, also are practiced. Scenarios will provide an opportunity for participants to practice their skills both individually and within a team/group context.
Course Objectives:
Promote proactive prevention of river accidents and injuries.
Develop and practice key self-rescue skills.
Identify and avoid river hazards by understanding hydrology, hazards, and river features.
Focus on fast, low-risk strategies for early management of river accidents
Develop and practice methods for recovering swimmers, and loose boats and equipment
Develop and practice more advanced rope-based and in-water skills
Gain experience using the rescue PFD, and understand its strengths and weaknesses
Utilize rescue scene management principles needed within a paddling group
Please review the Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC) and a basic gear list here.
Three day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida covers the essentials of swiftwater safety and rescue, from swimming to throw bagging & mechanical advantage. Offered for Poudre Paddler Club members.
Three day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida covers the essentials of swiftwater safety and rescue, from swimming to throw bagging & mechanical advantage.
Three day women’s rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater.
Full day beginner to intermediate playboating instruction and coaching.
Two day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida is perfect for commercial and private boaters looking to brush up on their river safety skills. No prerequisites required.
Two day advanced rowing clinic is designed for rafters who already have some experience to build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working in class III - IV whitewater. This class is designed for those who are comfortable in Class III (such as our Browns Canyon) and have a desire to increase their technical rowing skills.
One day intermediate canoe skills workshop will focus on progressing into more challenging moving water and whitewater situations.
Full day beginner to intermediate playboating instruction and coaching.
Continue your paddling progression in this 2-day course focusing on solidifying skills and gaining experience on more difficult class-III water.
Three day women’s rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater.
Three day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Take your Swiftwater Rescue skills to the next level with this Advanced SWR workshop Practice aggressive swimming, rope work, and accessing challenging locations. Up your rescue game!
The ACA Level 5 Advanced Whitewater Kayak Instructor Upgrade is for certified L4 Instructors who want to improve their instructional and boating skills.
This advanced kayak clinic is designed for paddlers who already have some experience to build on for kayaking technique, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working in class III - IV whitewater.
Full day beginner to intermediate playboating instruction and coaching.
Three day women’s specific clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida is perfect for commercial and private boaters looking to brush up on their river safety skills including swiftwater safety and rescue, from wading & swimming to throw bagging & mechanical advantage.
Three day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Two day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Two day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida is perfect for commercial and private boaters looking to brush up on their river safety skills. No prerequisites required.
Two day advanced rowing clinic is designed for rafters who already have some experience to build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working in class III - IV whitewater. This class is designed for those who are comfortable in Class III (such as our Browns Canyon) and have a desire to increase their technical rowing skills.
Three day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Three day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Five day “guide school” is specifically designed for the private boater. It is intensive and immersive just like a guide training program, but focuses on skills that private boaters need, as opposed to creating employees like a traditional guide school.
Three day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida covers the essentials of swiftwater safety and rescue, from swimming to throw bagging & mechanical advantage. Offered for RMCC members.
Two day women’s specific clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida covers the essentials of swiftwater safety and rescue, from wading & swimming to throw bagging & mechanical advantage.
Three day women’s rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater.
Two day clinic on the Arkansas River near Salida is perfect for commercial and private boaters looking to brush up on their river safety skills. No prerequisites required.
Two day course for current American Canoe Association L4 Instructors for both paddle and oar who intend to upgrade to L5.
Three day rowing clinic is a fun and immersive way to learn and build on rowing, water reading & scouting, and river safety skills, working up to class III+ whitewater. No experience necessary, for beginner and intermediate rafters.
Intensive clinic for river runners who wish to become ACA certified L4 Swiftwater Rescue instructors.
