Swiftwater Rescue Course, American Canoe Association Training & Certification
LEARN LEVEL 2-4 AMERICAN CANOE ASSOCIATION SWIFTWATER RESCUE SKILLS
Course Introduction
We designed this 3-day course to teach whitewater packrafters fundamental river rescue skills. We teach the American Canoe Association (ACA) curriculum, with some modifications to reflect Four Corners Guides protocol and its packraft focus. Whether or not you get certified relies on your ability to master these skills. To take this course, you must meet certain prerequisites and review the ACA’s River Safety & Rescue Terminology guide.
Objectives
The first day of this swiftwater rescue course we will focus on teaching students how to recognize and avoid common river hazards, execute self-rescue techniques, and execute simple rescues of paddlers in distress. We emphasize both personal safety and simple, commonly used skills. We’ll also teach fundamental techniques for dealing with hazards that carry greater risks for both victim and rescuer, such as entrapments, and pins.
On days 2 and 3 we build on and practice the skills we learned on day one. And we dive into 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. Scenarios will provide an opportunity for participants to practice their skills both individually and within a team/group context, as well as give guides the opportunity to evaluate your skills.
Overview
- ✅Promote proactive prevention of river accidents
- ✅Develop and practice key self-rescue
- ✅Identify and avoid river hazards by understanding hydrology, hazards, and river features
- ✅Focus on fast, low-risk strategies for early management of river accidents
- ✅Practice methods for recovering swimmers, and loose boats and equipment
- ✅Skills Course Prerequisites
- ✅Acknowledgment of personal compliance with the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)
- ✅Agree to comply with the ACA Code of Conduct
- ✅Develop and practice more advanced rope-based and in-water skills
- ✅Gain experience using the rescue life jacket (PFD), and understand its strengths and weaknesses
- ✅Utilize rescue scene management principles needed within a paddling group
Please note a few things
This is NOT a course for beginner packrafters, and you will not be learning paddling skills. We expect you to already own and be familiar with your equipment and to have paddling skills and the ability to comfortably run up to Class II/II+.
Additionally, we run a 1:6 guide to participant ratio for our Swiftwater Safety Courses, which makes them less expensive than our other courses, where permits and safety requires we run a 1:4 guide to participant ratio. Please see the Packraft Swiftwater Rescue Training curriculum page for details.
Price $695
A 50% deposit is required when you sign up. The remaining balance will need to be received through 90 days prior to your course. The remaining balance is due immediately if you are registering inside of the 90 day window.
Please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
Instructors
Steve Fassbinder
Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. He will soon also be a Swiftwater Rescue Trainer instructor. And he is a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide. Steve is also a certified Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting, he has guided or instructed bike-packrafting to kids and adults for over a decade. And he has done remote packrafting expeditions around the world for over a dozen years.
Annie Bussell
After moving to the southwest in 2013, Annie found a deep passion for backpacking into remote wildernesses and floating wild rivers. As a raft guide since 2014 and a Level 4 ACA-certified packraft instructor since 2025, she has long held a love for navigating and immersing herself into river corridors. After starting work at Alpacka Raft in 2021, she discovered packrafts. These tiny inflatable boats have allowed her to merge her love of backpacking and paddling and find new ways to access the remote wildernesses she loves. When not paddling or hiking, Annie makes art, including stunning murals you can find on the outside of the Alpacka Raft factory and at the La Plata County Airport.
Requirements To Take This Course
Skills, Gear, Etc
Four Corners Guides courses are exclusively for packrafters. Paddlers need to be able to competently maneuver their packrafts in Class II rapids, be in good health and overall fitness, possess solid swimming ability, and be comfortable swimming in moving current during river drills. Participants need full drysuits, they should dress appropriately for weather and temperature and expect to be in the water for extended periods of time.
Minimum Personal Equipment for Class
PFD (aka life jacket) designed for whitewater use, whitewater helmet, protective clothing suitable for extended swimming in cold water, protective footwear, boat, paddle, whistle, throw rope, 15+ feet of one inch tubular nylon webbing, and 2 locking carabiners.
Curriculum
Please see the Packraft Swiftwater Rescue Training curriculum page for details.
