1/2 Price Local’s Only Learn to Packraft Course, Levels 1 & 2
Learn Whitewater Packraft Paddling, River Reading & Swiftwater Rescue Skills.
This is a mixed Level 1 & 2- course to be tailored to the skills of the people who sign up. Due to likely low water levels, we’ve moved this course from July to May. Please note, this course is for locals only, so you’ll need to provide proof of permanent residence in La Plata or Montezuma counties.Â
Course Overview
Start whitewater packrafting the right way with this entry-level paddling skills and swiftwater safety skills course. This course is only for people who live in La Plata and Montezuma Counties, Colorado.
In this hybrid padding and swiftwater rescue skills course we cover the same hands-on skills taught in Rescue 3 International Whitewater Rescue Technician – Recreational course and in the American Canoe Association-accredited packraft instruction curriculum.
We teach these courses on the Animas River, and you’ll be guided by certified ACA Packraft instructors. We’ll be keeping the courses small with a 4 participants to 1 guide ratio in order to more effectively tailor the course to participants’ needs.Â
This Packraft Instruction course is for adventurers wanting to learn basic packrafting skills, from paddling and reading rivers. Additionally, we will cover boat and gear use and maintenance, self and partner rescues, among other things. Scroll down to book.
Email us for details. Sign up below.
Price: $335.00
You must pay in full for this course. You will not be able to get a refund for this course. In case of extenuating circumstances, we may grant you a credit for future courses.Â
Please review our cancellation policy, which you will find on our Terms, Conditions & Cancellation Policy Page.
What's Included
This course includes an open packraft, PFD, paddle, helmet.
What's Not Included
Food and lodging, transportation are not included. You need a car or to carpool. We do not have a shuttle. Finally, we do not include: whitewater boats, drysuits, river knives, whistles or throw bags.Â
You will need a drysuit for this trip. Rent drysuits online with a 15% discount at BackcountryPackraft.com (we will give you the discount code once you pay your deposit). Or rent through 4Corners Riversports for a 10% discount.
Instructors
Steve Fassbinder
Steve, aka “Doom,” is one of the country’s first Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructors. And he is a certified International Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (WRT-PRO) and IRF Whitewater Packraft Guide. Steve is also certified in Advanced Swiftwater Safety and 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.
Thad Ferrell
Thad is a Level 4 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor. He additionally has advanced Swiftwater Safety training and he is a certified Wilderness First Responder. An early adopter of packrafting and life-long cyclist and bikepacker, Thad has accomplished some ground-breaking, multi-week climb-bike-packraft adventures in the desert Southwest. He is also an expert fly fishing guide.
Krista Beyer
Krista spends most of her days thinking about water. This lifetime curiosity was cultivated as a child in the wet climate of the Pacific Northwest. At an early age, she would pull on a pair of muck boots and some trusty foul-weather gear to explore the tidepools of the Puget Sound. Krista’s curiosity has since taken her to the study and exploration of the aquifers of northeast Arizona, the river corridors and fisheries of the Colorado River Watershed, the snowpack of the San Juan Mountains, and the glaciers of Alaska. To this day, muck boots are her favorite shoe, and her favorite days involve a dry suit or a durable rain jacket. Krista is certified in Swiftwater Rescue and is a Wilderness First Responder. She’ll be working toward her Level 2 American Canoe Association Packraft Instructor Certification spring 2025.
What You will learn
We base this instructional courses on confidence and skill progression. The course starts with the basics. And then we push you a little harder as the days progress, tailoring the experience to your own personal abilities.
Beginners will learn basics paddling skills and river reading techniques such as:
- âś“Equipment (use and care)
- âś“Swimming and general water confidence
- âś“Self-rescue & buddy assistance
- âś“Dealing with currents
- âś“Aggressive & defensive swimming position
- âś“Decision making
- âś“Hazards & river dynamics
- âś“Basic paddle strokes
- âś“Using eddies
- âś“River commands
- âś“Spacing on the river
