a guide to help you figure out which course you should be in.

Beginner Packrafitng Course27_143232

Beginner Courses (B)

If you have zero packrafting experience, very little river boating experience in general and you don’t understand how to navigate a boat in a river, please sign up for a beginner course.

Beginner/Intermediate Courses (B/I)

We recommend this level to people who have some river boating experience in a single-person craft, such as a kayak, packraft, canoe or duckie AND if for those who have a basic understanding of rivers. For example, without doing a Google search, answer these questions:

  1. What is an eddy?
  2. Why is it important for me to know what an eddy is?
  3. What is the hand signal for, “Are you OK?” and “Yes, I am OK.”
  4. Where do you point if notifying someone of an obstacle in the river?

Furthermore, by “some experience,” we mean you have navigated a single-person craft on your own at least 6 to 10 times in a river that has at least Class I to Class II rapids. This is also an appropriate course for people who have taken our beginner courses, and who have practiced at least a half-dozen times on their own.

Intermediate packrafting courses by Spencer Harding of the Radavist

Intermediate Courses (I)

If you are solidly boating up to Class II+ and starting to boat Class III AND you have more than a basic understanding of rivers, we recommend this course. Can you confidently 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 always roll your packraft or re-enter your boat after you flip?
  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?
  6. Do you have your own whitewater packraft?
Advanced Packraft Paddling & Expedition Planning Course

Intermediate/Advanced Courses

If you confidently paddle up to Class III+ at both high and low water on 6-10 rivers without significant swims, you have taken one or more swiftwater safety courses, you paddle regularly and you can confidently answer, “yes,” to all these questions (without looking up the answers), we recommend you take this course.

  1. Can you re-enter your boat after flipping (or roll it) 5 times in two minutes?
  2. Can you explain why each of these hazards–strainers, sweepers, undercuts and low-head dams–are dangerous?
  3. Can you confidently ferry around any obstacle in Class III rapids?
  4. Can you confidently catch an eddy in the middle of a fast-moving Class II-III rapid?
  5. Do you know how to brace and do bow and sculling draws?
  6. What are some important components of a proper, powerful forward stroke?

We’re not providing the answers. And if you don’t know the answers to all of these questions, then please take our Intermediate course.

Advanced Packraft Paddling & Expedition Planning Course

Advanced Courses

For people who paddle Class V and beyond. We rarely run these courses, as demand is low. If you want to take one, please email us to schedule a private course with Jeff Creamer.

Swiftwater rescue courses.

Swiftwater Rescue Courses

Certification

For people who want the full breadth of swiftwater safety skills to enhance their existing skills sets, who work professionally in whitewater situations, who are packraft guides or instructors. These courses are run through the Swiftwater Safety Institute, but are specifically for our clientele and run through our permits. You must have your own equipment, and you must at least have some experience in a packraft. This course is not for beginner boaters. Please consider taking one of our beginner courses first.

Non-Certification

For people who want the full breadth of swiftwater safety skills to enhance their existing skills sets, but don’t need/want the cerfication. Plus, Non-Cert courses are 100% Packraft-focused. So you won’t learn useless big-raft swiftwater rescue techniques that are required in the certification courses. Instead you’ll learn Packraft-specific techniques, taught by die-hard packrafters. You must have your own equipment, and you must at least have some experience in a packraft. This course is not for beginner boaters. Please consider taking one of our beginner courses first.

Guayas Glacier, Patagonia, Chile. Photo by Waldo Aguayo.

Expedition Courses

For people who want to learn all the backcountry and navigation skills necessary for backcountry packrafting travel. These courses include a backpacking and a packrafting component. Some are loops adventures whereby you return to the place you started, while others are point-to-point whereby you cover significant and varied terrain. Generally, depending on the level of these courses, you’ll be required to take a pre-requisite training day to hone your packrafting skills, as you will be too busy during the 

MIxed levels

Please note that if you are a more advanced boater, but you want to bring your partner boating. You will be placed in the course appropriate to the least-experienced boater. Or, you may schedule a private course, for which we can better tailor your experience to your collective needs.