Swiftwater Rescue Skills Comprehensive 2 & 3 day courses teaching hands-on rescue scenarios in river environments. Learn & practice safety techniques & methods specific for packrafters, but also applicable for other crafts: rafts, kayaks, canoes. Beginner Level (2 day) & Intermediate Level (3 day)
BEGINNER'S INTRO TO SWIFTWATER SAFETY COURSE (NON-CERTIFYING)
ACA LEVEL 2
Length: 2 days, 16 hrs
River Difficulty: Class II
Who this is for: Beginner & entry level recreational river users
Certificate: No
Cost: $375
DESCRIPTION
Our Intro to swiftwater safety course is designed primarily for beginner & entry level packrafters or anyone (ie: kayakers, SUP, rafts & canoers) with the desire to gain more experience & “situational awareness” within class II moving water environments.
Intro course curriculums are framed around individual participant needs as well as group desires & requests for safety practice & rescue scenarios they are most likely to find themselves in.
As a beginner, you “don’t know what you don’t know.” This 2 day course is ideal for anyone who has had little or no formal river safety training, taking students from ‘start to finish’ through the process of risk management, decision making & realistic rescue scenarios in class II swiftwater settings on day or overnight/multi-day trips
This course exposes you & shed the light of awareness on what could go wrong, ideally avoiding it in the first place, while also aiming to strengthen actual rescue skills while practicing what to do when things don’t go as planned. This is not a paddle skills course, but a 2 day workshop focusing on hazard assessment, risk management & increasing your self & group rescue tool box & safety techniques.
This class is tempered for any paddle craft user, want to be a team player & active participant in their personal river pursuits & trip planning. We discuss & explore several different topics of importance to private boaters traveling within remote & cold Alaskan waterways.
If you are a recreational boater with substantial experience - or have previously taken a swiftwater rescue course, our next level 3 day PRO/INTERMEDIATE Swiftwater Rescue Certification ACA Level 4 course, where more advanced rescue skills, mechanical advantage techniques & rope systems are introduced & practiced.
COURSE CONTENT & DELIVERY
Beginner/Intro courses are delivered in a 2 day, 16 hr total format (9am-6pm w/ 1 hour lunch break) Instructors begin each day with a classroom session, discussing the day's learning objectives & rescue methodology concepts. Expect a judgement free experiential learning environment co-created by students & instructors. Practice makes perfect, but we don’t always master these skills immediately, it takes years of refinement & training.
As we do not need to check specific certification boxes for this training, students have a lot of say regarding learning outcomes with guidance & support from a professional instructor team.
Day 2 is framed around participant desires & personal requests for training. Building on the previous day’s curriculum, we’ll do scenarios & drills taking all levels through the process of hazard identification, risk management & decision making in class II scenarios.
Recreational courses are suitable for a wide range of skill sets & backgrounds- essential training & rescue practice opportunities for anyone looking to get out & explore fast & cold AK rivers.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for river environments
- Appropriate packraft gear & rescue essentials
- Group communication & river signals
- Hazard identification & avoidance
- Risk assessment & harm reduction
- River wading & crossing techniques
- River swimming techniques: defensive & offensive
- Wet re-entry methods & swimming with gear
- Rescue priorities (self & others)
- Self & group rescue techniques
- Throw bag techniques & drills
- Vector pull as mechanical advantage
- Gear Retrieval: runaway boats, paddles, etc
- Contact swimming rescues
- Foot entrapment extrication
- Basic knots
- Problem solving with limited gear & resources
- Overall emergency assessment
- Post incident de-briefs
NOT COVERED
**As student requests & desires to learn steer the curriculum of this course, it’s possible these topics will be touched on (ie: demonstrated by instructor), but not covered in depth, as time is limited. If the following topics interest you, consider a 3 day training**
- Tethered rescues (AKA “Live Bait”)
- Intermediate knots for rescue
- Anchors
- Mechanical advantage (3:1 & other systems)
- Basic (horizontal) technical rope systems
- Tensioned diagonals
INTERMEDIATE / PRO SWIFTWATER RESCUE COURSES
ACA LEVEL 4
Length: 3 days, 8 hrs = 24 hrs total
River difficulty: Class II/III
Who this is for: Experienced packrafters & outdoor professionals requiring swiftwater rescue training with SWR certificate (upon successful course completion/skills assessment)
Certificate: Yes
Cost: $495
This 3 day course is for seasoned recreational whitewater packrafters & outdoor professionals. Open to the public, it’s designed for guides/outdoor educators seeking professional level swiftwater rescue training focusing on gear & techniques specific for packrafting. It’s ideal for those requiring certification as a term of employment in a professional capacity.
Our 3 day courses meet the needs of professional river guides as well as many positions with state & federal outdoor field related employment contracts; upon successful completion graduates receive an Alaska Packraft School & American Canoe Association Certificate of Completion, valid for 3 years.
This swiftwater course teaches basic & intermediate rescue techniques with regard to limited remote travel & packraft specific resources in a variety of class II & III river settings.
All courses focus on personal safety, decision making, risk reduction & hazard management strategies- self & group rescue, hazard avoidance & recognition are key components in any swiftwater course. In addition to the “entry level” 2 day curriculum, our 3 day courses introduce & integrate more complex problem solving with other team members having limited rescue resources or communication with outside parties- ie: self-supported & remote rescue scenarios in more challenging or demanding river environments.
This course is designed to meet varying student skill levels for anyone using water travel for work or who might benefit from learning & practicing more advanced swiftwater safety skills or is responsible for group safety & scenario management Professional guides, paddlesports instructors & seasonal contractors will benefit from the “big picture, small picture” concepts & rescue techniques explored in this course. Additionally, this course is open to highly seasoned recreational river users wishing to train with those who have swiftwater experience/feel the recreational level courses won’t suffice their needs.
COURSE CONTENT & DELIVERY
Expect a judgement free experiential learning environment co-created by students & instructors.
Each morning starts with a classroom session answering questions & discussing that day’s learning objectives. All 3 days will be spent in the water working & refining safety skills, rescue concepts & both an individual as well as an active participant in group scenarios/drills. Assessment is on-going, with more skills “check offs” occurring on the final day. The last day instructors will “check off” student comprehension with ongoing individual skills assessments & group participation: ability to identify, distribute & share leadership and/or active participant rescue roles are essential in successful & timely rescues.
For a certificate of completion, we require students to understand key rescue components & by the end of the course be capable of either the Level 3 or Level 4 ACA course certification criteria. (see attached PDF’s for L3 & L4 skills assessment criteria)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Whitewater Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Appropriate packraft gear & rescue essentials
- Group communication & river signals
- Hazard identification & avoidance
- Risk assessment & harm reduction
- River swimming techniques: defensive & offensive
- Wet re-entry methods & swimming with gear
- Rescue priorities (self & others)
- Self & group rescue techniques
- Gear retrieval: runaway boats, paddles, etc
- Human retrieval: contact “in water” rescue strategies
- Tethered Rescues
- Throw bag techniques & drills
- Foot entrapment extrication
- River wading & crossing techniques
- Knots for rescue
- Anchors
- Mechanical advantage (3:1 & other systems)
- Basic (horizontal) technical rope systems & vector pulls
- Tensioned diagonals
- Boat pins / flips
- Problem solving & remote rescue with limited gear/resources
- Overall emergency assessment
- Incident command (IC) systems
- Post incident de-brief
INTERMEDIATE / PRO SWIFTWATER RESCUE COURSES (CERTIFYING)
May 9-11th (Fri-Sun) 3 day - ACA L4 certificate
May 16-18th (Fri-Sun) 3 day - ACA L4 certificate
ACA LEVEL 4
Length: 3 days, 24 hrs
River difficulty: Class II/III
Who this is for: Experienced recreational packrafters or outdoor professionals requiring swiftwater rescue training & certificate
Certificate: Yes
Cost: $465
DESCRIPTION
This 3 day course is for seasoned recreational whitewater packrafters & outdoor professionals. Open to the public, it’s designed for guides/outdoor educators seeking professional level swiftwater rescue training focusing on gear & techniques specific for packrafting. It’s ideal for those requiring certification as a term of employment in a professional capacity.
Our 3 day courses meet the needs of professional river guides as well as many positions with state & federal outdoor field related employment contracts; upon successful completion graduates receive an Alaska Packraft School & American Canoe Association Certificate of Completion, valid for 3 years.
This swiftwater course teaches basic & intermediate rescue techniques with regard to limited remote travel & packraft specific resources in a variety of class II & III river settings.
All courses focus on personal safety, decision making, risk reduction & hazard management strategies- self & group rescue, hazard avoidance & recognition are key components in any swiftwater course. In addition to the “entry level” 2 day curriculum, our 3 day courses introduce & integrate more complex problem solving with other team members having limited rescue resources or communication with outside parties- ie: self-supported & remote rescue scenarios in more challenging or demanding river environments.
This course is designed to meet varying student skill levels for anyone using water travel for work or who might benefit from learning & practicing more advanced swiftwater safety skills or is responsible for group safety & scenario management Professional guides, paddlesports instructors & seasonal contractors will benefit from the “big picture, small picture” concepts & rescue techniques explored in this course. Additionally, this course is open to highly seasoned recreational river users wishing to train with those who have swiftwater experience/feel the recreational level courses won’t suffice their needs.
COURSE CONTENT & DELIVERY
Expect a judgement free experiential learning environment co-created by students & instructors.
Each morning starts with a classroom session answering questions & discussing that day’s learning objectives. All 3 days will be spent in the water working & refining safety skills, rescue concepts & both an individual as well as an active participant in group scenarios/drills. Assessment is on-going, with more skills “check offs” occurring on the final day. The last day instructors will “check off” student comprehension with ongoing individual skills assessments & group participation: ability to identify, distribute & share leadership and/or active participant rescue roles are essential in successful & timely rescues.
For a certificate of completion, we require students to understand key rescue components & by the end of the course be capable of either the Level 3 or Level 4 ACA course certification criteria. (see attached PDF’s for L3 & L4 skills assessment criteria)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Whitewater Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Appropriate packraft gear & rescue essentials
- Group communication & river signals
- Hazard identification & avoidance
- Risk assessment & harm reduction
- River swimming techniques: defensive & offensive
- Wet re-entry methods & swimming with gear
- Rescue priorities (self & others)
- Self & group rescue techniques
- Gear retrieval: runaway boats, paddles, etc
- Human retrieval: contact “in water” rescue strategies
- Tethered Rescues
- Throw bag techniques & drills
- Foot entrapment extrication
- River wading & crossing techniques
- Knots for rescue
- Anchors
- Mechanical advantage (3:1 & other systems)
- Basic (horizontal) technical rope systems & vector pulls
- Tensioned diagonals
- Boat pins / flips
- Problem solving & remote rescue with limited gear/resources
- Overall emergency assessment
- Incident command (IC) systems
- Post incident de-brief
ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Equipment & Gear List:
ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Equipment & Gear List
Course Outline:
Prerequisites
- Be able to independently participate in all individual skills and activities listed in the course outline while also maintaining an appropriate and safe body position
- Ability to hold breath while underwater while wearing a properly fitted rescue PFD
- Ability to independently turn from a face down to a face up position keeping their head above water
- Be able to effectively communicate with the instructor and other course participants
- Be able to manage all personal care independently, or with assistance of a companion
- Be able to manage all personal mobility independently, or with assistance of a companion
- Comfort in class II whitewater (recommended, but if you’re 100% new to river environments, that’s okay- just let us know so we can help you best prepare)
2 DAY BEGINNER INTRO TO SWIFTWATER SAFETY COURSE (Non-Certifying)
Dates
May 30-31st, 2026 (Sat/Sun)
Participants
10 Max, 4 Minimum
Cost
$375 (2 day)
3 DAY INTERMEDIATE / PRO SWIFTWATER RESCUE COURSES (Certifying)
Dates
May 8-10th, 2026 (Fri-Sun)
Participants
10 Max, 4 Minimum
Location: Eagle River
Cost
$495 (3 day)
Certification
ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Certificate of Completion
(3 day course only)
Trip Dates
Related Courses & Trips
Level 1: Foundations
Perfect for the “never ever” packrafter or those who have paddled a few times, but without formal instruction. This course exposes you to the essentials of packrafting- both the hiking & paddling skills aspects. You’ll leave with a strong foundation in packrafting basics & familiarity with self/group rescue techniques.
Level 2: Whitewater Essentials
For paddlers with previous packrafting experience wanting to strengthen their ability to read & paddle class II-III rivers. River safety, rescue skills & risk assessment is also practiced.
Week of Rivers: Class II
The “Week of Rivers” offers a blend of exploration & skill progression. This is a frontcountry tour, showing you a different river each day, a mix of roadside runs & others we hike into.