Whitewater Rafting Schools

We love whitewater rafting--its the roots of our business. We started

guiding many years ago, and the hook was set. Guiding commercial trips led

to running the shop and setting up gear for trips with friends and family.

But rafting is a skill and gear intensive sport. Many of our customers began

rafting as commercial guides, thus giving them the skills to do trips on

their own. When they settle down a bit and get “real” jobs, the funds become

available to buy their own set of gear.

But what if you’ve never been a guide, and don’t want to become one? We can

help set you up with the appropriate gear to get you down the river, but the

necessary skills are another thing. Fear not, there is a way to get the

river skills--a commercial whitewater school. It used to be that these were

primarily oriented to training future guides, but many are now tailored for

the general public as well as future guides. If you’ve been rafting with a

commercial company before, or with self-outfitted friends and would like to

try it on your own, consider signing up for a whitewater school. Here are a

few of our friends and associates that run whitewater schools:

Kern River Outfitters: www.kernrafting.com <http://www.kernrafting.com>

All-Outdoors: www.aorafting.com <http://www.aorafting.com>

ARTA river trips: www.arta.org <http://www.arta.org>

ECHO: www.echotrips.com <http://www.echotrips.com>

Zephyr: www.zrafting.com<http://www.zrafting.com>

A number of other companies run whitewater schools--you’ll want to be sure to ask

them how their school is structured, i.e, is it done primarily in paddle

boats or oar boats, or both? Is it done from a base camp, or is it

expedition style? Many companies will be happy to send you their

instructional outline or curriculum before you commit.

Just be careful. This rafting stuff is highly addictive. And the staff at

Clavey is ever so happy to feed and enable your addiction.