This course is aimed at all those who want to access to the workshop to become rafting guides, trip leaders or safety kayaker for the International Rafting Federation.
- Duration
- 4 days of lessons, during which will be treated all relevant information to become a rafting guide, a good trip leader or a safety kayaker. It is a professional course that entitles to work as a technician, during the lessons will be treated topics such as: navigation techniques, emergencies management, assistance with or without the raft, trip leader management, safety kayaker’s role. During the first 4 days will be released all of the licenses, and in order to acquire the IRF guide license it is required to take 2 more days under exams.
- Beneficiaries
- all those who need to improve their navigation technique on raft and their management of safety during navigation to become rafting guides. It is an intensive course, during which will be treated specific procedures and techniques of commercial raft guide.
- Prerequisites:
- It is required to have a good physical health and previous experiences on river as a guide of at least II level. Basing on experience and skills, it may be possible to access at the IRF exam to acquire the IRF license from II to IV level. A participant must also know the basis of an efficient first assistance and rescue. The course is highly advanced and it’s therefore requested to be well-prepared and experienced. For example, to become a safety kayaker, it is necessary to be able to navigate in kayak and to do the eskimo both on the left side and the right side. The course leads to the IRF exams. For those who haven’t got any previous experience and skill it is suggested to start with a pro guide course to learn the basis.
The course of formation for aspiring rafting guides, safety kayakers or trip leaders, has the objective to implement the techniques of conduction of a raft, with an integration of procedures in case of overturning, dovetail, fall into water and so on. Both basic and advanced topics will be treated. A very important part is about navigation techniques and correct use of paddle to be an efficient guide, increasing safety and quality of raft management.
A safety kayaker needs to learn how to rescue a person in any conditions, how how to cope with emergencies, how to surf onto holes, he has to be able to create a “bridge” between rafts to pass through, he has to make people feel safe and at ease on a raft. Kayaking techniques will be enhanced.
A good trip leader must learn how to behave, how to manage the guides, how to do an efficient briefing and de-briefing. The role of the trip leader will be enhanced during lessons.
Any theme related to river navigation will be treated, improving participants’ techniques of a safe navigation, with one or more rafts. There will be simulations of flipping and overturning, also to learn how to behave and how to get back on the raft. It will be taught how to salvage clients and equipment, how to fix a raft and how to get back to a regular navigation; procedures of intervention and precautionary maneuvers will be explained. Information about first aid and management of trauma will be given. BLS-D in arduous environment will be part of the program. The program is a starting point that can be modelled depending on the technical level and preparation of participants.
What will be released:
- Natatory skills certificate
- Whitewater technician rescuer 1
- Certificate of correct use of personal protection devices
- Information and formation oh raft’s usage
- BLS-D course in arduous environment
- After the 4 days, those who have already acquired IRF license or Firaft guide, will receive the commercial guide license. All of the others, will receive the commercial guide license after the IRF exam.
NOTES
- It is possible to rent personal protection devices, swimsuit, homologated helmet and lashing
- You can ask for support in finding your accommodation nearby our site
