The Types of Raft Guides
In the rafting business, there are all kinds of rafting guides. Rafting is an extreme sport that takes quite an extreme person to lead a group of people, children included, down the river. It takes a person with skill and agility to give the best guided tours. The guide has to have good knowledge of their surroundings so they can read the water and decide which paths to take. Guides tend to fall in one of four buckets: The Expert, The Avid Rafting, The Guide Who Never Left and The First Timer. Here is a breakdown of the four types of raft guides.
You have The Expert. Skilled and knowledgeable and a by-the-book kind of guide. This guide has a ton of experience, not only inside the raft, but also out in the outpost. This can also be known as the management level and who has the final word on any obstacles that may arise. These guides don’t raft too often, but still can.
Next you have The Avid Rafter. This guide has made it not only a habit to raft all the time, but has now turned it into his career. This guide began his rafting career early and made it his life goal to be one of the best rafters there is. This guide can provide a great personal feel on the rafting trip with tips and insights. This guide gives a sense of comfort and guides a super fun trip. Can take on even the most advanced rapids.
Then there is The Guide Who Never Left. This guide is someone who decided to try rafting and just never stopped. This guide was only in it for a summer gig, not even to make money but just to do it, and decided it wasn’t a bad gig at all. This guide was between a passion and a career move and had decided to just stay put. This type of guide is energetic and caring.
Last but not least there is The First Timer. This guide is on their first year and is either overwhelmed by the intensity but sticks it out or is underwhelmed and is ready for more. This guide is just learning but has some amazing training. This guide will most likely be the most excited on every trip just because it is a new fun experience for them on a daily basis. Cannot raft the advanced trips YET, but makes the introductory trips feel like the best trip there is!
At AVA Rafting, we require three times as much training for our guides three than the state required amount. When you raft with AVA, you are truly in the best hands in the business.
