2 Week Raft Guide Course

2023 Official Colorado State River Guide Certification Course

Our Guide Certification Class will begin at 9:00 A.M. on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023 and run through Wednesday, May 31st.

We have been training top quality river guides since 1977. We limit the class size to ensure a great learning environment and plenty of personal attention. We will be on the river all day, every day, and cover all aspects of river running and commercial guiding. The course will cover all topics required by the State of Colorado for commercial guides including:

Rigging and maneuvering, River currents, eddies & waves, River Hazards, Types and causes of rapids, Running & scouting rapids, River rescue & emergency procedures, Minimizing outdoor recreation resource impacts, proper fit, wearing, and use of personal flotation devices. Full certification in First Aid & CPR is also included in the course.

This is a physical course, running class I through IV rivers. You will be required to carry rafts, flip boats, swim in the river, and be generally active. We will provide all necessary equipment including PFD’s, wetsuits, helmets, etc. We will provide transportation and take care of all shuttles. If you have personal boating gear, bring it with you and we will determine its’ suitability. You will need shorts, shoes suitable for rafting, and a lunch every day. Dry clothes for the end of the day are also a must. The course runs Monday thru Friday each week, and if anybody wants to train on the weekends, boats will be available.

Scenic River Tours exclusively offers a full third week of training and practice. While you will have learned all your new skills in the first two weeks, and you will have enough hours to be certified as a rafting guide in the State of Colorado, we think another week on the river really hones your skills and makes you a better raft guide.

There is no extra charge for the third week!

While completing our course does not guarantee employment, we will be hiring several more guides for the upcoming season. Usually, if you want to work for the summer, it works out. As appreciation to you for successfully completing our guide course, we have a cash rebate program. Pretty simple, run 50 trips for us, get 50% of your course fee back.

Our company’s goal is to provide the best customer safety and enjoyment possible, so we are looking for service oriented individuals.

The cost of the course is $375. A $225 deposit is required to secure a spot in the course. Once the deposit has been paid, it is non-refundable. There is no extra charge for whitewater training, we include everything you need to guide Class I thru III upon completion of this course. This course fills up fast, so we recommend you sign up soon. We work for you during this course and we will show you why the magic of the river is so contagious! We look forward to seeing you on the river! Please call us at 970.641.3131 or email us at info@scenicrivertours.com if you have any questions.