IRF Guide and Trip Leader Workshop Reviews

thank YOU Zach for hosting such a kick ass class. i really appreciated you and Mark’s style and how you guys tag teamed running the class. There was very little fluff and i loved how we quickly got down to business each day after our morning brief. another thing i wanted to point out was you do a nice job asking people to explain or repeat what they just heard you say - as a way of confirming understanding. keep doing that dude ✅. thank you.

Mark and Zach presented information in the most efficient and simple ways. They have the ability to present you with fair and direct constructive criticism that made it clear on how to improve ones abilities. After several days of skill testing & refinement with leading professionals, I left this course with an international high standard comprehensive skillset.

As a new guide, I was amazed by how well the instructors responded to a wide range of ability. It was such a fantastic course, well run, creative and rigorous. I learned a ton and I imagine I will take it again next year.

The IRF workshop was top notch. It was a wonderful learning experience and broadened my perspective on rafting standards. The trip leader scenarios were exciting and a fun way to learn.

I appreciate the way Zach and Dustin frame their knowledge as dynamic. Despite guiding and teaching for so many years they see themselves as still learning. Because of this attitude I could trust that the opinions they offered had been considered carefully and possibly amended in the past.

This course cemented in my mind that the IRF course should be considered essential continuing education for organizations that value professionalism among their guide staff.

This course is an incredible opportunity. It is a rafting-specific course which gives guides the opportunity to solidify their skills, and see where you measure up. The IRF Trip Leader class especially not only gave me an important certification for future international guiding, it also allowed me to learn from other great guides, scenario-based situations, and improve my own skills in the process.

This was an exceptional course that made me rethink many of the safety practices I've been using for over 20 years. Mark Hirst is an incredibly knowledgeable and adept instructor. The IRF assessments and scenarios helped me fine tune skills and make me better prepared for the coming season. I look forward to participating in IRF courses in the future.

This class exceeded expectations. The level of professionalism and knowledge the instructor, Mark Hirst, had was world class. I really enjoyed not only the review of safety principles and procedures on the river but also being assessed on these skills. We were give tests with time limits for a variety of tasks such as throw bagging, setting up a z-drag and flipping a raft over. Being tested with a pass or fail grade gave these tasks a more realistic feel for if you had to do them in an emergency situation. Each TL candidate also got a chance to practice leading a very realistic, chaotic scenario with flips, wraps, swimmers, etc and was assessed on their ability to perform under pressure. Overall, this was the best course I have ever taken. I gained a lot of confidence in my guiding and improved my knowledge of river safety, rope work and personal gear. I am excited to continue to learn from the high standards the IRF has set.