Teaching Friends & Family How to packraft (or bikeraft)
By Lizzy Scully, photos by Steve “Doom” Fassbinder from a family trip we did summer 2020 on another river. Updated April 18, 2024.
How to Teach your Friends how to packraft Tip #1: pick an easy, local river
A handful of miles up from a small town near my hometown of Mancos, Colorado, there’s a perfect stretch of river for teaching beginners how to packraft. The put in is hard to find. There’s an inconspicuous turn off to a parking lot with a tiny sign that I drive by every time.
The parking lot sits in a slice of forest of Douglas fir and ponderosa pines. And the river is lined with willows and thin leaf alder, a deciduous shrubby tree.
No one’s ever at this put in. The turnoff is easy to miss, you have to practically bushwhack through the woods to get to the river. And you won’t find it on any whitewater rafting/kayaking websites.
I’m being vague for a reason. I’m sure the locals want to keep it a secret. I respect that. My point is that you likely have a run just like it within an hour or two of your town. Ours happens to generally be Class I or II- at most, but can be Class III at peak runoff. But at low levels it’s the perfect entry-level run to teach beginners how to packraft or bikeraft.
Please note, we’ll primarily be referring to packrafting in this article. But you’ll need all these same skills, plus bike and bike maintenance skills, to teach your friends how to bikeraft. We’ve got tons of YouTube videos on bikerafting, plus thebikeraftguide.com if you want more info specifically on bikerafting. So let’s get on with it!
How to teach Your Friends how to packraft Tip #2: Pick a Good Run (one with easy rapids & lots of pretty scenery will get them hooked 😉
We are lucky. Our local (to Mancos) stretch of river can be pushy and splashy. Plus, fun waves allow for easy surfing even for the newest of newbies. But there are also long stretches where you can kick back and check out the ubiquitous Great Blue herons, Bald eagles, ducks and American dippers. And while most of the river corridor is private, until you are closer to town it still has a wilderness feel. I love it. And I love sharing it with friends. Just don’t get our of your boat if you live in Colorado–land owners own the land under the water.
I’ve taken more than a dozen people on this stretch of river, teaching them everything from how to hold their paddle to how to tighten their PFDs to how to blow up their packrafts. One of my great joys in life is sharing my love of the outdoors with family and friends. And one of my ulterior motives has been to convert my former climber friends to packrafting.
It worked! December 2020, my friend Jason did the Grand Canyon with me, and February 2021 I convinced another friend, Haley, to do the 225-mile BIG water trek with me and Doom. Score! New packrafting partners. (Click here to check out my Grand Canyon gear list).
How to teach your friends how to packraft tip #3: Get Qualified!
“Packrafts allow people the freedom to just be free and explore,” the mother of modern packrafting, Sheri Tingey, once told me. “They are an incredible exploration tool. I rarely see people in packrafts that aren’t smiling. It’s just a giggle toy.”
Yes! So true. While I appreciate new partners, my ultimate ulterior motives in taking friends and family packrafting is seeing their perma-grins all day. The transformations are incredible. And more often than not tha adventures lead to to a packraft purchase, generally from our local manufacturer, Alpacka Raft. An anchor business, Alpacka supports 50 employees in the town of Mancos.
So what qualifies me to teach my friends how to packraft?
Take a swiftwater rescue course! And some…
For me, getting qualified means knowing what my guides know. You don’t have to acquire as many skills as we do. But you definitely need to learn from people who know what they are talking about. Look for an American Canoe Association-trained instructor. The American Packrafting Association and the ACA worked hard the last few years to implement a standardized training program for instructors. So you know anyone with an ACA certification has been through the paces.
Also get certified in first aid and CPR at the very least, Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder if you have the time and want to take it to the next level.
And take a certification or non-certification swiftwater rescue course so you have the skills you need to help people should something go wrong.
Finally, learn your paddling. river-reading and group management skills (among others) from an experienced and accomplished mentor or a professional guide.
My Experience
I guide infrequently, sometimes assisting when needed, and in 2024 I am leading or assisting FCG’s women’s trips. I am generally too busy running the business to be in the field. However, I take my job as CEO of a guide service seriously. And I need to be as skilled and experienced as my guides. So I have my Level 2 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor certification. And I will work toward Level 3 and 4 in 2025.
Why do I need to be as skilled as my guides? Because…
- I need to be able to talk with clients about what they will learn in courses. And I need to be able to answer client questions fluently.
- I need to know how to talk to guides and guests alike about safety and skills.
- I need to be current in all my certifications in case anything happens at Scullbinder Ranch, on the way to the Ranch or to put ins and take outs, let alone on the water if I am guiding or assisting.
- And, in case of an emergency, I need to know how to communicate with my guides and rescuers about where the group is on a stretch of river, what they are doing, and what specifically happened.
So, I have put in many hours on many rivers since 2018, often under the tutelage of my business partner and head guide, Doom (aka Steve Fassbinder). And I organize and partake in yearly spring trainings for my guides, including packraft instruction training and risk management training.
As well, I have taken four packraft-specific Swiftwater Certification Courses, plus the first Learn Advanced Paddling Skills course. On that course, I not only learned advanced paddling skills, but also how to better make decisions with a group of packrafters. I tell you all this not to brag, but rather so you understand the committment required to teach othres. Don’t take it lightly! Be on a constant quest to learn more, to be safer and to have more fun!
Qualifications: learning from better boaters
Finally, I invite packrafers who are better than me to go on trips, or I take courses with them. Dan Thurber is one of the most prolific packraft-specific safety instructors in the world, along with Luc Mehl, who wrote the definitive book on packraft safety, The Packraft Handbook. I’ve taken two courses with Dan, and invited him on my first Grand Canyon adventure. Lucky for me, he went!
I’m never going to be a Luc, Dan or Doom. I’m too busy running the business. But I aim to share my love of packrafting with as many people as possible. So I want to be as dialed in as possible.a
How to teach your friends how to packaft Tip #4: never forget to do the Safety Talk!
And then, of course, you and your crew should practice all the techniques you just taught them in the safety talk!
For me the best way to share what I love is to ensure the people I love stay safe on the river. So I always start out my day with a complete run through of the safety talk I learned in the Swiftwater Rescue courses and have since honed for the guide service. I always do a complete safety when:
1) I haven’t boated in a while with someone who is on the trip;
2) Someone in the group is less experienced or hasn’t boated in a long time;
3) There’s one or more brand new or relatively new person/people on the trip, or;
4) If I am nervous about the water levels, weather conditions or someone’s mental state.
My goal is to prepare people for emergencies that might happen.
If I have boated regularly with someone for awhile and/or I know for sure they are more experienced than I am, I may run through an abridged version of the Safety Talk.
What do I tell people? A lot, but not too much. I want them to be safe, but I’m not going to try to teach them all of packraft safety in one afternoon. To me the most important things include:
Commands
I share signals that I’ll regularly use on the water, such as those for eddying out, stop, go, etc. I’ll also talk about how I will use my whistle: one blow to get their attention, two blows to get them to stop and three blows to signal there’s an emergency and everyone should get to the side of the river.
Spacing
I discuss how far apart people should be on rapids and in general.
PFDs
Always double and triple check your PFD (personal flotation device) to make sure it’s snug and on correctly. And always wear your PFD on the river when you’re paddling, scouting a rapid or setting safety.
Swimming
Float on your back, downstream, feet up. Push off rocks and obstacles. Don’t lock your knees. Backstroke at an angle to the current to get to shore or an eddy, or roll over on your stomach and swim aggressively to avoid dangerous obstacles.
Partner Rescue
Don’t try to rescue another inexperienced person if the water is fast moving and you are also inexperienced.The more experienced people on the trip will do this. However, if you fall out of your boat and another packrafter approaches you to help, you have a few options.
1) Grab the length of cord or webbing often on the back of a person’s boat and let them drag you (very hard for the person helping you), or;
2) Wrap your arms and legs around the front of the boat like you’re hugging it (a bit easier for your friend). But only safe in deeper water. Shallow water means you might hit lots of rocks with your back. Bad news.
I once took a brand new packrafter through three rapids in Durango’s Whitewater Park on the front of my boat. I kept telling her calmly, “Hold on. One more rapid. You’ll be fine.” She was cold and shaken up, but thankful for my calm and the fact that she had something to hold onto.
It’s also helpful to just stay calm, look in the person’s eyes and tell them specifically what to do. In the chaos of rapids, they may not be able to see what is coming or where they should be going.
Self Rescue
Hold onto your boat and paddle if you can, and pull yourself back into your boat WITHOUT pushing off the ground.
If you can’t get back in your boat, still try to hold onto it. Your boat offers extra flotation and will keep your head above water if you end up swimming a rapid.
And you certainly don’t want to be left up the creek with no paddle, so don’t let go. However, if you are in any danger whatsoever, take care of yourself first and swim to shore or an eddy.
Foot Entrapment
“Never stand up or put your feet down in the water, unless the water depth is below your knees or the water is calm.” My first instructor impressed upon me the need to remind people of this repeatedly.
It’s easy to die even in shallow water if you get your foot caught on a root or rock.
Read this excellent article on foot entrapment on the NRS website.
Listen to your trip leader
One of the more difficult things to convey with good friends is the need for them to listen. I once took a group of my very Alpha female friends on a three-day packraft trip. Everyone thought they knew what was best, though no one had any packrafting experience.
At one point on the river I finally told them in no uncertain terms that they had to listen to me whether they liked it or not because I knew what I was doing and they did not.
I don’t care if the river is Class II and “feels” easy, if the group is not listening to the more experienced trip leader, I will end a trip immediately. If they aren’t listening when things are calm, they will be less likely to listen when s**t hits the fan. I’d rather walk home.
Packrafting is a friendly, easy sport. But it can be dangerous, especially if you don’t take it seriously. Remember Luc Mehl’s #CultureofSafety.
How to teach your friends to packraft Tip #5: know all these important little things (and more)
It’s not a bad idea to write all these things down if you’re taking your friends out for the first or second time.
- Don’t tie yourself into your packraft.
- Don’t use non-locking carabiners anywhere on the outside of your boat or your person.
- Likewise, lock any locking carabiners you are using.
- Always wear your helmet in whitewater.
- At all costs avoid strainers (i.e. piles of wood debris or trees/bushes hanging in the river). This is the time to aggressively swim away.
- If you hit a rock, lean into it instead of away from it. If you lean away from the rock, the river will immediately flip you over.
- Only “Point Positive.” I.e. don’t point at dangerous obstacles.
- Stay hydrated and use sun protection, hats and/or tech hoodies.
- Be careful when getting in and out of your boat on slippery, riverside rocks or moss.
Tip #6: learn the APA’s P.A.C.K.R.A.F.T Safety Code
Though it’s being updated in 2024, the APA’s safety code still offers some great guidelines to follow for planning and actualizing packrafting adventures. Learn more by clicking here.
Teaching Professionally
If you are keen to become a professional packrafting guide, we highly recommend you take a course with Four Corners Guides, Luc Mehl, Dan Thurber or Jule Harle from the Alaska Packrafting School. Or, sign up for one of the American Canoe Association’s packrafting accreditation courses.
Plus, you’ll also need to get Swiftwater Rescue certification, preferably a packraft-specific course. You can do this through the Swiftwater Safety Institute, the ACA and a few other places. And certainly you need to read Luc’s, “The Packraft Handbook.” Finally, paddle often, on a wide variety or rivers and with safety in mind.
Other Companies That Offer Packrafting Courses
- If a Colorado or Utah trip doesn’t line up with Four Corners Guides, Packraft Colorado teaches basic and intermediate courses in the Roaring Fork Valley.
- Backcountry Scot teaches the full gamut of Swiftwater Certification to bikerafting courses, and they rent gear.
- Packraft Europe sells packrafts and teaches a wide variety of courses in Europe.
- Kennicott Wilderness Guides rents out packrafts and runs tours and courses in Alaska.
- Backcountrypackrafts.com rents out the full spectrum of packrafts and gear.