At Northwest Rafting Company, we pride ourselves on creating more confident and skilled boaters through professional instruction. From rowing schools to International Rafting Federation guide workshops, we instruct beginners and professionals alike year-round.
Which Course is Right for Me?
One of the most frequent questions we receive is, “Which course is right for me?” The answer depends on your background, skillset, and goals. To help summarize the differences between courses, we developed this guide to help sort through course details.
If one of the categories below seems like a good fit, click it to see which course may best suit your needs!
- Beginner looking to build a solid foundation in rafting skills
- Beginner to intermediate rafter looking to refresh their skills
- Rafter of any background needing a quick skills refresher before another trip or course
- Confident Class III rafter wanting to be challenged as a boater
- Professional rafter looking to boost their confidence as a trip leader or guide
- Trained guide wanting to learn advanced topics in whitewater rescue
Class III Rowing School
Our Class III Rowing School is popular among rafters of all skillsets. The purpose of the course is to create more confident and skilled whitewater rowers. Topics covered in this course help lay a solid foundation of skills for students as they improve individual rowing techniques.
In our Class III Rowing Schools, we combine instruction with a multi-day rafting Rogue River trip. This gives students the opportunity to row independently while still having the support and camaraderie of classmates. This course is perfect for:
- Beginners building foundational skills in rafting
- Rowers who have spent time away from the sport and want to participate in a multi-day course for consistency
- Advanced rowers looking to work on foundational skills before continuing on to more advanced rapids
Class III Safety & Rescue
This course is designed for graduates of our Class III Rowing School looking to learn more about responsible techniques for safety and rescue. We generally spend 2 days on and and one day on the river.
We highly recommend taking this course prior to the Class IV Rowing School.
Class IV Rowing School
The Class IV Rowing School focuses on team boating with a strong emphasis on whitewater safety skills. Topics covered on this course focus on safety and include scouting rapids, raft flipping, boating as a team, and a taste of swiftwater rescue skills.
These courses take place during the spring in the Columbia Gorge. This means that waters will be chilly and rapids will be challenging. We require that all Class IV Rowing School participants have prior Class III experience. This course is perfect for rowers who:
- Are confident at the Class III level and want to challenge themselves
- Want to build confidence working with a team on the river
- Want to develop safety and rescue skills
IRF Guide & Trip Leader Workshops
Our rowing schools are geared towards recreational rafters, but the IRF Guide & Trip Leader Workshop is for experienced river guides. The main goal of this course is to enhance careers in rafting by addressing guiding skills that need improvement.
This workshop tests river guides through a series of practical, hands-on tasks designed for experienced commercial river guides. In order to earn an IRF Guide Certification, participants must submit a logbook, first aid certification, and CPR certification.
Though challenging, the course offers an invaluable opportunity to hone in on professional guiding and leadership skills. In summary, this course is good for:
- Professional rafting guides or instructors looking to learn the best global practice for handling challenges on river rafting trips.
Online Rowing School
Want to learn to row from home? Regardless of your rafting background, our online Whitewater Education and Safety Training is an excellent option for anyone seeking instruction. Plus, you can access the course indefinitely and complete it at your own pace!
In this course, you will learn the basics of river safety, techniques for navigating whitewater rapids, and basic rescue skills from the comfort of your home. Go through a couple of the videos, get out on the water and practice, and repeat.
This course is best suited for:
- Rowers who are unable to attend one of our in-person courses
- Rowers who would prefer to learn at their own pace without time constraints
- Students who are enrolled in an instructional course, but want a refresher before and/or after the course
Private Instruction
Private instruction is best for those who want to work on a specific aspect of whitewater rafting. The “curriculum” for private instruction is unique to each rower and built on personalized lesson plans. The students who get the most out of this option are those who:
- Create a set list of skills they want to focus on for their lesson
- Are interested in trying new raft styles before purchasing a new one
- Have purchased a new raft and want to practice using it with professional guidance
When scheduling private instruction, we don’t have a set schedule of dates and times to choose from. Instead, we offer it on a semi-flexible basis. From February to March, private instruction occurs near Hood River, Oregon.
During the summer our instructors may be available to teach on the Rogue River. However, the summer is our busy multi-day Rogue River trip time so scheduling can be tricky. The best days are typically prefer that lessons take place from Sunday to Tuesday.
