RiverReady
Montana
World class instruction to prepare
for your next river adventure
Our approach
At River Ready Montana, our mission is to contribute to a stronger and safer river community through fun and engaging raft handling and river rescue courses. Our goal during each and every course is to ensure students are ready for their next exciting river adventure or their next deployment as a rescue team.
We bring almost 20 years of professional international raft guiding experience and river rescue instruction to a hands on learning environment for the local community. We have taught to students ranging from under 18 youth, recreational boaters and professional river guides to fire fighters, SAR crews and military special forces operators.
We have the ability to teach a variety of internationally recognized river rescue curriculums, so recreational boaters will never find themselves in a class designed for firefighters, and fire fighters will be in a course that meets NFPA standards.
The rafting courses we teach are not a “one size fits all” format like other courses. You won’t find yourself in a “rafting guide school” (unless that is your goal!), but rather a course geared toward your current skills and where you would like to take them.
We take pride in working with you to customize a course to match your needs!
Providing you with a welcoming space to learn and train
All trainings take place on local rivers, based on what our students are looking for and on current river conditions. We take time to focus on fundamentals and build foundations in a low pressure but engaging learning environment. Student experience and goals are built into each course to ensure you are getting what you need, with the ability to make adjustments on the fly as your skills progress.
Located in Missoula, Montana
We primarily run courses on the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers with the possibility to run courses on the Lochsa river depending on conditions, student experience and goals.
Our services
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River Rescue Courses
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Rafting Courses
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Custom & Family Courses
Meet our lead instructor
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Taylor Carlin - Founder and Lead Instructor
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Taylor became a whitewater rafting guide in 2007, taking a course through his university. What was meant to be a summer job turned into a lifestyle and career. He finished a 4 year degree and began guiding rafts around the world, chasing summer from hemisphere to hemisphere. Guiding or teaching has taken him to places like Norway, Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Morocco and the rivers of California and Montana. Taylor currently is a certified instructor to teach American Canoe Association (ACA), Sierra Rescue International and Rescue 3 International curriculums and truly enjoys teaching and sharing knowledge and experience from almost 20 years on the river.
In addition to river instruction, Taylor is a Registered Respiratory Therapist working at a local hospital in the Pediatric and Neonatal ICUs.
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FAQs
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We’d love to hear from you! Please use the contact form and let us know what course you are interested in and for how many people. We’ll get in touch with you within 48hours and set up a time for a phone call or send you a link to book depending on what you are interested in.
This process allows us to ensure students are booking the right course for them and allows us to better cater courses to our students needs.
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Apart from a positive attitude and a sense of adventure you’ll need:
Proper thermal gear for swimming in the river (drysuit/wetsuit/splash jacket)
Correctly fitted helmet, PFD, River shoes
Lunch, snacks, water
Personal medications needed for the day
Dry clothes to change into after the course
Ability to swim in moving water and to maneuver unaided on river banks
An informational document giving more detail about the course you have booked will be sent out after booking. We are also available via email with any questions about how to prepare for a course!
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We know plans can change. Here’s an overview of our cancellation and rescheduling policies:
14-Day Cancellation Window
Cancel 14 days or more before your course start date to receive a full refund (minus any clearly stated processing fees).
Cancellations made within 14 days of the start date are able to be refunded, minus a USD$100 per person service fee to cover non-refundable course costs.
Weather-Related Changes
If unsafe weather forces us to cancel or postpone a course, you’ll be offered:
A full refund, or
A transfer to a future course date at no extra cost.
Your safety always comes first, and we’ll notify you as soon as possible.
Minimum Enrollment
Some courses require a minimum number of participants.
If a course is canceled due to low enrollment, you may choose:
A full refund, or
A transfer to another course.
Provider Cancellations
If we cancel or significantly reschedule a course for any reason, you’ll receive:
A full refund, or
A transfer to a future course date.
Special Circumstances
Medical emergencies or other serious, documented situations may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
How to Cancel
All cancellations must be submitted in writing (email or text message directly to Taylor).
The date we receive your message determines eligibility.
By registering, you agree to these terms. Our goal is to be fair, transparent, and respectful of your time and investment.
