If your love of white water rafting is putting thoughts in your head of becoming a rafting guide, then it would be worth pursuing that dream if you have the passion for it. Rafting doesn’t require you to quit your day job since it’s a seasonal job and it allows you to do what you love while having the opportunity to pursue other goals or have a job that pays the bills.
Being a rafting guide is a lot more convenient for those with a more open job schedule like teachers, firefighters and EMS, personal trainers, or people who work part-time, and students. Some are rafting guides during the summer and work at ski resorts during the winter. It is still possible though to have a regular full-time job and work as a raft guide during the weekends.
When seriously considering the idea of becoming a rafting guide, these are the things you should know.
Step 1: Applying for the Job
Essentially, don’t worry about not having experience before applying, you will get on-the-job training. Next, ask yourself if you are up for the biggest part of being a rafting guide besides playing on the river each day—am I up for entertaining and educating guests regularly? Guests expect to have a great time rafting and it is up to the guide to provide that great experience.
With Wilderness Aware Rafting, we require a two season commitment and are a drug-free environment. We are also specifically a tobacco-free company. Be sure to thoroughly read through the application before filling it out and remember that even though it is a fun job, professionalism is important.
The next step involves a phone interview. If you are chosen to move on after the phone interview, then you will have a 5-day interview river trip.
Interview River Trip
The interview river trip is a working interview for 5 days where you learn rafting and camping techniques and get the opportunity to do them. This helps us see how well you take working in that environment and allows you to get a real feel for what the job is actually like. This requires you to pay for your trip to Arizona and get to our location on the Salt River and also pay for the cost of the 5-day rafting trip, which is at a steep discount. We do provide meals and rafting gear.
Before coming out on this trip, it would be helpful to condition yourself physically since rafting and camping are physical activities. Working out your arms and core muscles will go a long way to making it a fun trip, especially for 5 days. If you can go through the 5 day interview with a great attitude and do well, then likely we’ll ask you to join us during the Guide Training Course.
Guide Training Course
The guide training course is three weeks long and free. The normal cost of the course is valued at $1,500. There are a couple things to keep in mind though. Trainees must be CPR and First Aid certified so get that before coming to this. Since you’ll be with us for three weeks, we provide housing that requires rent and you’ll be assigned a unit with 2-4 roommates.
Here, you’ll learn in more detail what it takes to be a rafting guide from paddle techniques to rope tying to water safety and rescue. Everyone who completes this course is guaranteed employment.
Hiring & Working
Once hired as a rafting guide, you’ll get to enjoy many days on the river and find out how much fun we have and why we love being rafting guides. Expect the workload at the beginning of the season and end to be lighter. Many rafting guides love rafting season because it’s like play and we all have a good time together. You get to meet new people every day and create lifelong memories for them as their rafting guide.
If you’re interested in a whitewater rafting guide job, then check out our Guide Hiring Process and apply. More interested in whitewater rafting trips? Start planning your next rafting and adventure trip with us today.