If you’re struggling with some of the nuanced answers to these questions, please consider leveling down. There’s no rush! You’ll learn plenty of skills in all of our courses. And with our 1:4 guide to guest ratio, you’ll get plenty of one-on-one attention. 

LEVEL 1: BEGINNER

Please don’t be offended if we decide you should be placed in a beginner course. We all have to start somewhere! 🙏🏼

Please answer these questions (without doing a Google search):

  1. Have you been river packrafting or whitewater kayaking at least six times in the last few years?
  2. Do you know how to ferry a packraft or kayak, catch an eddy or do a wet re-entry into your packraft?
  3. What is the hand signal for, “Are you OK?” and “Yes, I am OK.”
  4. What does the “defensive” swimming position look like?

If you cannot answer all these with 100% confidence, please sign up for our beginner course!

LEVEL 2: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

Courses for people with some river boating experience in a single-person craft (kayak, packraft, C1 or duckie) AND who have a basic understanding of rivers. Please answer the following:

  1. What is an eddy?
  2. Why is it important for me to confidently catch eddies?
  3. Can you describe 3 important hand signals to ensure safety while on the water?
  4. What does point positive mean?

By “some experience,” we mean you’ve navigated a single-person craft at least 6 to 10 times in a river with up to Class I/II rapids. This course is appropriate for people who have taken our beginner courses, and who have practiced at least a half-dozen times on their own.

LEVEL 3: INTERMEDIATE

If you are solidly boating up to Class II+ to III on any river, you can self-rescue (i.e. wet re-entry) almost every time, you have boated Class III or IVs (sometimes comfortably and sometimes not) AND you have more than a basic understanding of rivers, we recommend you take an intermediate course. Though not required, most people who take our intermediate courses already have taken a swiftwater rescue course.

To better ensure correct placement, please answer these questions:

  1. Is a Class III-rated rapid the same difficulty if the river is at 8,000cfs versus 2000cfs?
  2. Can you roll your packraft or re-enter your boat after you flip in both flat and moving water? How about mid-rapid?
  3. Do you know how to surf your packraft?
  4. How often do you practice catching eddies?
  5. Why is it important to be able to catch eddies?

If you can answer these questions confidently without a Google Search and you have your own whitewater equipment and regularly use it, then an intermediate course is probably the right course for you.

LEVEL 4: intermediate/ADVANCED

We recommend you take an Intermediate/Advanced course if:

  • You confidently paddle up to Class III+ at both high and low water, and you have done so on 6-10 rivers without significant swims;
  • You have taken one or more swiftwater safety courses;
  • and you paddle regularly and can confidently answer, “yes,” to all the following questions.

Please don’t look up the answers!

  1. Can you re-enter your boat after flipping (or roll it) 5 times in two minutes? If unsure, go test yourself.
  2. Can you explain why each of these hazards–strainers, sweepers, undercuts and low-head dams–are dangerous?
  3. Can you confidently navigate around any obstacle in Class III rapids? If so, what are some of the techniques you might use?
  4. Can you confidently catch eddies in Class II-III rapids?
  5. Do you know how to brace and use bow and sculling draws?
  6. What are some important components of a proper, powerful forward stroke?