What is the minimum age to join?

Minimum age is 16; participants should have prior paddling experience or be comfortable in moving water.

Do I need my own gear?

Basic gear may be available through eNRG Kayaking, but bringing your own PFD, helmet, and footwear ensures fit and comfort.

Will I get a certification?

This course focuses on practical guide skills and river safety; check with organizers about any formal certification options or follow-up courses.

How advanced are the rapids we’ll run?

Training covers Class II–IV rapids depending on flow and group ability, with instructors choosing runs that match progression goals.

What happens in bad weather or high flows?

Instructors adjust curriculum and run choices for safety; extremely high flows may prompt schedule changes or alternate sites.

Where do we meet and park?

The meeting point is eNRG Kayaking in Oregon City; organizers will provide check-in details and parking instructions upon booking.

Two-Day Raft Guide School on the Clackamas and North Santiam Rivers

On the edge of the Portland metro, Raft Guide School runs two intensive days of whitewater instruction on the Clackamas and North Santiam rivers, launching from eNRG Kayaking in Oregon City. This course compresses core raft and river-safety skills into back-to-back river time: paddling technique, brush-and-eddy lines, ferrying, boat-scouting, and basic rescue drills. Guides stack progression with short classroom refreshers before each run, so you spend most of the day in moving water under expert supervision.

The Clackamas and North Santiam are contrasting classrooms. The Clackamas drops through granite and basalt chutes, with tight holes, sweeping eddies and lush riparian corridors that shelter Douglas fir and western redcedar. The North Santiam trades narrow benches and clear pools for longer ledge drops and riffled runs carved by Cascade volcanics. Both rivers host seasonal runs of salmon and steelhead and frequent river otter and osprey sightings; geology and ecology are part of the lesson.

What makes this Raft Guide School a standout is its focus on transition from recreational paddler to competent trip leader. Small cohorts (max 12) mean personalized coaching and repeated practice on critical moves. Instructors teach decision-making under flow—reading currents, choosing lines, rigging for swiftwater—and simulate common guide scenarios so participants leave confident running Class II–IV rapids and managing rivergroup safety.

Practical details matter: the school is open to ages 16 and up, runs two full days, and meets at eNRG Kayaking in Oregon City. Expect early check-ins, wet exits, and heavy river time; bring a dry bag with layers, a sturdy personal floatation device if you have it, and footwear that won’t float off. The course is seasonal—high spring flows push skill development, summer lowers water for technical finesse, and fall offers clear cool days and salmon runs.

For visiting paddlers this school doubles as an orientation to northwest rivers: it’s close enough to Portland for a weekend trip yet gives access to Cascade-fed whitewater most urban centers never see. Whether you want to lead commercial raft trips, run big rivers safely with friends, or simply sharpen strokes and rescue skills, this two-day immersion delivers structured practice, solid coaching, and real river hours. By course end you’ll have practiced rescues, guided boat commands, and run a sequence of rapids with an eye for safety and efficiency—skills that translate to every river you’ll chase next.

Participants typically cycle between coached river runs and onshore drills—practicing throw-bagging, tethered swims, boat-to-boat transfers, and basic patient management after cold-water immersion. Instructors assess each paddler and give take-home feedback. Graduates commonly return to run larger stretches of the Clackamas or book guided trips elsewhere in Oregon. Bring a sense of curiosity, patience, and willingness to get wet and sharpen leadership skills afloat daily.