River Safety & Rescue Courses

This one day river rescue course is geared toward recreational rafters, kayakers, packrafters and other river users. You will learn the basics of river awareness and rescue to get you feeling confident as you progress your river skills.

Prerequisites:

• Basic swimming skills

• Drysuit / Wetsuit and appropriate river gear for spending multiple hours in and around the water

• Prepared mentally and physically to be active all day

Course Objectives:

• An introduction to rescue theory

• Identifying hazards

• Risk Management for yourself and others

• Basic knots and an introduction to ropes

This class meets all requirements for the ACA Level 2 Swiftwater Rescue Certification.

Knowing your own limits is essential to be a safe boater and rescuer; and is highly respected by our Instructors.

A fast-paced, hands-on river rescue course designed for guides, private boaters, kayakers, packrafters, and other river users. Participants should already have basic river skills so the course can jump right into focusing on safety, hazard recognition, risk assessment, and both self- and group-rescue techniques. Emphasis is placed on thinking through rescue scenarios and building real-world decision-making skills.

This course meets Swiftwater Rescue certification requirements while allowing time for meaningful practice and skill integration. It is the first in a three-course progression and is strongly recommended for anyone running rivers. It is suitable for rafters, cat boaters, kayakers, canoeists, packrafters, riverboarders, and SUP paddlers. An American Canoe Association (ACA) Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue certification option is available upon request.

Student Expectations

Be prepared for extended time in the water—proper thermal protection is essential, with drysuits recommended. When not in the water, students will remain active on shore, so plan for varying weather conditions. The course requires a full two-day commitment, including evening coursework.

Active participation or observation of all activities, along with a completed skills check-off, is required for certification. Students may opt out of any activity if uncomfortable—understanding personal limits is an important part of safe boating and is fully respected by instructors.

This class meets all requirements for the ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Certification.

**If you’re a professional river guide or kayak guide and have already received your RRC certification, you can upgrade to the River Rescue Certification - PRO

RRC-PRO: 

An internationally recognized, advanced swiftwater rescue certification built by professional boaters for professional boaters. This fast-paced, scenario-driven course builds on foundational skills with a focus on making effective decisions during complex rescue situations.

Training emphasizes advanced techniques such as scene management, technical entrapment rescues, evacuations, rope systems, and team-based response. The curriculum is physically demanding and designed to improve reaction time, decision-making, and efficient use of available resources—including night operations.

Skills assessment focuses on teamwork, technical rope proficiency, and the ability to execute rescues while recognizing personal limits. The course concludes with a task book outlining options for maintaining certification through continued training and evaluation.

This intensive 2–3 day program is widely recognized as an advanced-level certification and meets all requirements for the American Canoe Association Level 5 Swiftwater Rescue Certification.

Prerequisites

Participants must:

• Have completed a River Rescue Course (or equivalent) within the past 3 years

• Be strong swimmers in Class II/III rapids

• Demonstrate proficiency in:

  • Swiftwater access methods (wading, swimming, live bait rescues)

  • Throw bag use (both ends)

  • Essential knots and hitches (figure 8, water knot, munter, butterfly, prusik)

  • Basic mechanical advantage systems (e.g., 3:1, vector pulls)

  • Self-rescue and boat handling (including a whitewater roll for kayakers)

  • Rescue roles and progression (spotters, backup, leader, rescuer, medic)

  • The LAST framework: Locate, Access, Stabilize, Transport

  • Entrapment stabilization techniques

This course is typically delivered in a 2-day (16-hour) format for well-prepared students. A 3-day (24-hour) option is available for those who need a skills refresher or prefer a more in-depth review.

RRC-ADV: 

This course is the next step for students who have completed a River Rescue Course (RRC) or similar formal training. It builds directly on existing skills with minimal review, focusing instead on advancing technique, decision-making, and real-world application through scenario-based learning.

Participants will tackle more complex rescue situations, including advanced scene management, entrapment scenarios, evacuations, and expanded rope systems. The curriculum is physically demanding and emphasizes quick reactions, strong judgment, and effective use of available resources.

This course meets requirements for American Canoe Association Level 5 Swiftwater Rescue certification and Rescue 3 International WRT Pro/Advanced certification.

Prerequisites

Students must have completed an RRC (or equivalent) within the past three years and demonstrate solid competency in:

• Defensive and aggressive swimming

• Swiftwater access methods (wading, swimming, live bait)

• Throw bag use (both ends)

• Key knots and hitches (figure 8, water knot, munter hitch, butterfly, prusik)

• Basic mechanical advantage systems (e.g., 3:1, vector pulls)

• Self-rescue techniques

• Rescue roles and progressions (including spotters, backups, leadership, and medical roles)

• The LAST model: Locate, Access, Stabilize, Transport

• Entrapment stabilization techniques

• Safe river travel, including risk assessment and downstream safety

This course is designed for experienced river runners ready to elevate their rescue capabilities in demanding, high-consequence environments.

We offer rescue courses from Rescue 3 International as well as the American Canoe Association. The Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Tech 1 class is the first of two classes needed for personnel to meet the requirements for the Technician level NFPA 1670 Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Rescue Incidents and the NFPA 1006 Standard for Rescue Technician Professional Qualifications in the area of water.

If you are looking for an American Canoe Association skill or assessment class, we offer these for both Swiftwater Rescue and Rafting (Paddle & Oar.)

If you require trainings or assessments with these organizations specifically, please feel free to reach out and we can work together to get you what you need!