Raft Guide Training
2010 Raft Guide School, "Learn to Raft", and Apprenticeship Program
How to apply -
Download the guide school application form (or PDF version), fill it out, and mail or email the application to Mark Bond, mark@reorafting.com, 845 Spence Way, Anmore, BC, Canada, V3H 5H4. Once you have submitted a resume and the application you will be notified as to whether or not you have been accepted. Once acceptance has been confirmed please call 604-461-7238 or 1-800-736-7238 with a Visa or MC to pay your $300 CDN deposit. This is the only way to secure your spot in the guide school or "Learn to Raft" program.
NEW for 2010 - "Learn to Raft" Family Adventure Vacation
Call 604-461-7238 or 1-800-736-7238 to find out if this is the right program for you and your family. Minimum age 15.Watch our Guide Safety Training Video
2010 training and employment opportunitiesGuide School and "Learn to Raft" Details:
- Dates - June 27 to July 2, 2010
- Course Fees - $1250 + 8% tax
- Deposit - Non-refundable deposit of $300 CDN due by May 1, 2010. Want to reduce course fees? Looking for work prior to the start of the program?
- Prerequisites: minimum 15 years old, have good swimming ability and able to communicate in English
- Please note REO is a smoke-free environment.
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| Tyler Dinsdale - Instructor |
Guide School and "Learn to Raft" includes:
- 6 days intro to paddle & oar raft guiding skills and whitewater safety
- All meals (dinner Sat, June 26 to lunch Fri, July 2), beverages and snacks
- 6 nights shared cabin tent lodging; or camping in own tent
- Use of REO equipment and resort amenities
Tyler Dinsdale - Instructor and REO's Assistant River manager.
Mark Bond - Instructor and REO's General and River manager.
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| Mark Bond - Instructor |
Jamie Wright - Instructor and REO Senior Trip Leader.
Apprenticeship Details (for guide school only):
Graduates of our 6-day whitewater school who are serious about guiding professionally may be eligible for our Apprenticeship program. REO will select up to 4 participants to remain at REO for the one-month apprenticeship after the completion of the guide school program. After completion of the apprenticeship you may be hired on to work at REO from mid-July to mid-September rafting season. However, we will not guarantee this prior to completion of the apprenticeship as we have no idea how well you will do until we see you in action. The apprenticeship does not cost anything but in exchange for room & board and training during the month of July, you are expected to work 30 hours a week around the resort.
- Dates - July 3-25, 2010
- Prerequisites - must be 19 years old by July 31, 2010; must have valid BC drivers license or prove that you can legally drive in BC; must be legal to work in BC; hold a minimum of standard first aid (2 day) & CPR C; and must have done extremely well in the raft guide school.
- Non-residents - Many of our guide school attendees and apprentices arrive from outside Canada. If you wish to be considered for employment with REO you must arrange your own work visa or working holiday visa prior to arriving in Canada.
- REO is planning to hire 2 guide school & apprentices for guiding work this season. Interested in other work opportunities for the summer?
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| Jamie Wright - Instructor |
Apprenticeship Includes:
- 8 days of intensive guide training over the 3-week apprentice
- 1-day mock exam skills (included in 8 days)
- BC raft guide certification exams with BCROA approved rafting examiner (included in 8 days)
- A minimum of two supervised guiding runs with our river manager and a senior trip leader; part of examination process (on own time)
- A minimum of three fam trips with guests on commercial rafting trips (on own time)
- Meals, camping, equipment and use of the resort for the duration of the apprenticeship
Work-study Option (June 1-26, 2010)
Work-study options are available prior to the guide school for those wishing to reduce course costs and who meet the eligibility requirements.
Details and Eligibility Requirements:
- Work-study terms are available in June. Arrival dates between June 1-26, 2010.
- Each week of work (40 hrs) performed will reduce course fees by $350. This will be refunded to student after the completion of the work. All work must be completed prior to the start of guide school.
- Eligibility requirements: skills to work at REO for the early season resort set-up or office (construction, carpentry, auto mechanics, landscaping, or marketing, sales, office/clerical work). To be eligible for work-study you must have solid skills in one or more of these areas.
Pre and post guide school work opportunities:
May - REO is planning to hire two full-time resort/kitchen workers for the month of May. Compensation is $1400 and includes camping, meals when guest meals are prepared, use of the resort & kitchen and rafting & activities when available.June - Work-study is available to those who are taking the guide school but want to work off the course fees. Each week of work (40 hrs) performed will reduce course fees by $350. If you work-off more than the course fees you will be paid whatever the difference is.
July, August, September - REO will be taking on 2 to 4 guide school students to do a guiding apprenticeship, which is unpaid and runs through the month of July. Apprenticeship students will receive ongoing training and should be guiding customers near the end of July or beginning of August. Other guide school students have the option of applying for other resort jobs that REO has available. These are Trading Post worker (resort office), kitchen helper, housekeeper, resort maintenance worker, safety kayaker and videographer. Guide trainees are given priority for these jobs and is a good opportunity to work at REO, continue to gain rafting experience and work towards full-time guiding next season.
Please note - REO is a smoke-free work place for all trainees and staff.
BC Raft Guide Certification Exams:
Those who are selected for the apprenticeship program will have the opportunity to take the BC raft guide certification exams. This certificate is required to guide in British Columbia. Exams will take place during the apprenticeship with the final component taking place when student is ready to commercially guide clients, which will likely be some time near or after the completion of the apprenticeship. Exams include a variety of on and off river skills, finishing with the candidate actually guiding clients with a BCROA approved examiner supervising. Exams are pass/fail. |
| Corey - one of our guide school graduates |
Equipment Needs:
REO provides all equipment for the 6-day guide school. However, trainees should plan to get your own gear. if they wish to take the apprenticeship program and if they are serious about becoming a professional guide. Aprentices should provide their own wetsuit, life jacket, helmet, river knife and whistle. Also, all trainees must provide their own tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow, and personal needs. REO offers wetsuit and river equipment at wholesale rates and cabin tent upgrades. Please talk to Mark (mark@reorafting.com) about specific gear that you should get before going out to buy anything.
Text Book: The Complete White-Water Rafter by Jeff Bennett
(please try an obtain a copy prior to the start of the program - they can be hard to find so start looking early).Training details.
The REO Whitewater Guide School is your ticket to adventure. Join REO President Bryan Fogelman and our most respected and experienced training trip leaders for an exciting and hands-on learning vacation.
Training takes place on the Nahatlatch, Nicola or Coquihalla Rivers subject to river levels and includes training on wickedly fast whitewater. The Nahatlatch River has an average gradient of 85 feet per mile, making this one of the most continuous and exciting rivers on which raft training is provided anywhere.
Your classroom is the great outdoors. Our mission is to prepare trainees for excellence in guiding and to develop professional standards of customer care and service. The specific goals are to provide the skills training, on-river experience, and practical knowledge to safely guide rafts through Class 3 and 4 rapids (intermediate to advanced). In addition, all trainees will acquire practical hands-on experience in resort maintenance, trip planning and preparation, vehicle and logistics management, kitchen and meal preparation and customer check-in and accommodations. This training and experience will provide a sound foundation for working with any rafting company in the world.
Working for REO
Each year REO does hire graduates of the guide school and apprenticeship program. However, completion of the program does not guarantee employment. REO policy is to hire graduates of the program who achieve a high rating in each of three areas: river skills, work performance, customer service skills. REO usually hires the top 2 to 4 trainees. Each of REO's training trip leaders are involved with program and in the rating process.
2010 will be our 26th year of training guides in Canada, the longest continuous provider of raft guide training programs in the province. The average number of years that our program graduates work at REO is 4 years with several making a career of guiding by working around the world in our off-season. We look after our guides very well which is why we have such a low turnover of guides.
Becoming a raft guide.
Learning river skills is relatively easy. Becoming a professional river guide is not. REO offers one of the most comprehensive guide training programs in North America. Our course instructors will earn your respect. They are focused and committed to your success. Each instructor is a raft and kayak expert and certified as a Swiftwater Rescue Technician. They are confident, easy-going, and friendly. Our experience makes the difference. Bryan Fogelman, REO's President and Founder, started REO's training school in 1985. He is still involved in setting course standards, selecting and monitoring instructors, and handpicking program participants.Professional raft guiding, the ultimate job.
Few jobs can compare. Where else can you get an incredible adrenaline rush, live and work outdoors, and share good times with guests from around the world? Guests will often ask, "You get PAID to do this?"A guide license is a ticket to travel. Many of our guides travel the world working as a white water rafting guide during our winter months, including such exotic destinations as New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, Nepal, Austria, and Africa. REO's high standards will prepare you to guide almost anywhere in the world.
BC Rivers require high standards.
British Columbia is a whitewater mecca with over 200 commercially rafted river sections. Many of these rivers are in remote wilderness settings, where operating and safety standards must be high due to time and distance from assistance. BC rivers are natural, free-running and typically cold-water rivers. Many of the world's most popular river runs are below dams where water flows are controlled and the water has been warmed unnaturally in reservoirs. Natural rivers have many seasons and require more diverse guiding skills. Although REO's guide training program sets high standards, previous experience is not required. The only qualifications you need are good swimming ability, an outgoing personality, a good work ethic, and the desire to learn and live outdoors. The REO Rafting Adventure Resort is located in British Columbia Canada near Vancouver, Whistler, and Kelowna BC and Seattle and Bellingham Washington. Nearby paddle rafting rivers with ideal whitewater rapids include the Nahatlatch, Thompson, Fraser, Stein, Coquihalla and Nicola. Raft guide and whitewater rafting training schools, Rescue 3 WRT Whitewater Rescue Technician certification courses and river rafting with oar and paddle rafts begin each year in May and June. We start paddling and kayaking Class 3 to 5 rapids and rivers in April.Custom Whitewater Guide School Programs
- Course Fees: $250-$300 CDN pp per day plus 5% GST and 3% LWAF, subject to group size and number of days; lower rates apply to larger groups
- $500 non-refundable deposit upon reservation - balance due prior to arriving at REO
- Average Student/Instructor Ratio: 5:1 (5 students per instructor)
Custom Adventure Training Courses for Military, Cadet & Corporate Groups
REO can customize programs for participants wishing to take parts of our Whitewater Guide School training including learning to row rafts, rescue and swiftwater training, whitewater dynamics, rock rappelling and safety & risk management. REO has provided training for military, cadet and corporate groups from around the world. REO can customize programs for dates specifically requested by participants (depends on availability of REO's training trip leaders). We require a minimum of 4 students to run custom programs.
Courses include: instruction, use of REO equipment, meals with beverages and snacks, use of resort amenities, and camping for the duration of the program. The length of the program is determined based on the needs and requirements of the students.