Rafting Guide Certification
In order to become a proper rafting guide, a person must go through training. Most of the time, training for rafting guide certification will be over the course of several days. Different states have a different amount of minimum hours training before a person can become a rafting guide. Of course, even after a person has gotten his or her rafting guide certification, years of practice will be needed in order to become the best whitewater rafting guide. There are several levels of certification a person can get as well. We will discuss what rafting guide certification is and why it is important.
A good rafting guide will have years of practice, even after certification has been obtained. The training courses a person has to go through include basic river navigation, river hydrology, and different forms of oaring or paddle strokes. Usually training will take place over the course of four to six days, depending on the state. There are three main types of courses: introductory, advanced, and commercial raft guide.
Introductory courses are made to help people learn how to captain their own raft. This is the minimum level a person can get rafting guide certification from, and it does not include commercial rafting. Advanced classes cover the more advanced aspects of rafting, and it will usually be between three and four days. Finally the commercial raft guide course is made for people who want to learn how to be a professional rafting guide. This is the longest and hardest course a person can go through, but it is well worth it, as a person can be employed as a rafting guide with this form of certification.
It is vital that a person gets a rafting guide certification before becoming a rafting guide. Someone without the proper certification may not know all the parts of a raft. He or she may take unnecessary safety risks. When someone has certification, he or she will be known as a good rafting guide. Many states have different laws about rafting, but they all require some form of certification before acting as a guide.
Being a guide for rafters can be quite fun, but it requires having a rafting guide certification in order to legally become one. The courses taken in order to get certified differ from state to state, but they all cover the basics as well as some more advanced techniques in rafting. Introductory courses are for people who only want to captain their own raft, advanced courses are designed so people can get some more experience as rafting guides, and finally the commercial raft guide courses are made so people can train to become professionals. A professional rafting guide can be employed, whereas the other courses only prepare someone for rafting with family or friends.