Raft Guide Training
Now accepting applications for 2008.
Please apply by March 31, 2008.Available downloads:
Guide School 2008 Application Form
Guide School 2008 Draft Itinerary
How to apply
Send resume and completed application form to Mark Bond, General Manager at mark@reorafting.com, mail to 845 Spence Way, Anmore, BC, V3H 5H4 or fax 604-461-4436. Call 604-461-7238 or 800-736-7238 if you have any questions.2008 REO Guide Training Programs
Whitewater Guide School Program
Details:- May 28 to June 18, 2008
- Course Fees: $2,500 CDN + 5% GST and 3% LWAF = $2,700
- Non-refundable deposit of $500 due by March 1, 2008 - balance due March 31, 2008.
- Maximum of 12 seats available
- Prerequisites: min 17 years old, good swimming ability, able to communicate clearly in English
- 12 days intro and advanced paddle & oar rafting and whitewater skills (including mock exams and skills testing) on up to 3 rivers
- 1-day mock exam skills
- 1-day skills testing with BCROA approved rafting examiner
- 3-day Rescue 3 WRT certification course
- Meals, beverages and snacks
- 18 nights camping in own tent
- Use of REO equipment and resort amenities
- Minimum 5:1 student to instructor ratio
- Work Experience component (5 days)
Work-study Option (May 2008)Work-study options are available prior to the 15-day program for those wishing to reduce course costs and who meet the eligibility requirements.
Details:
- Ten day work period during May 13-May 27. If you have been selected for work study, the optional dates of arrival are Sunday May 11 or Monday May 12.
- Completion of 80 hrs reduces course costs by $700. This will be refunded to student after the completion of the work.
- Work-study is to be completed prior to the start of guide school in May 2008.
- 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).
Instructors:Tyler Dinsdale - instructor and REO's Assistant River manager.
Mark Bond - instructor and REO's General and River manager.
Tannah Chernove - instructor and REO's Resort manager.
Exams:
Guide certification exams will be given to those participants who are selected to work at REO for the 2008 season. Exams will take place when students are ready to commercially guide clients, which will likely be some time after the completion of the program.
Equipment Needs:
REO does have equipment for trainees to use but you should plan to get your own gear. Guide trainees should provide their own wetsuit, lifejacket, helmet, river knife and whistle. Also, 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).
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.
Our course includes an Intro to Whitewater program, Advanced Paddle/Oar Rafting Skills, and a Rescue 3 WRT certification program. Our Intro course focuses on paddle rafting on the Nicola, Coquihalla, Thompson and Nahatlatch rivers.
Our advanced paddle rafting skills take place on the Nahatlatch River 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.
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).
Your classroom is the great outdoors.
REO's guide training program includes 80 hours of work-experience in which trainees will acquire hands-on experience in at least 3 of the following areas: resort maintenance, trip planning and preparation, vehicle and logistics management, kitchen and meal preparation and customer check-in and accommodations.
Working for REO
Each year REO does hire graduates of the guide training 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.2008 will be our 23rd 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: $225 CDN plus 5% GST and 3% LWAF per day
- $500 non-refundable deposit is required by March 1, 2008 - balance due prior to arriving at REO
- 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.Course fees: $225 CDN plus 5% GST and 3% LWAF per day per student. Group rates are offered with 10 or more participants. 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.