ACA Swiftwater
Rescue Courses
ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Skills Course
$325
Nothing builds confidence like developing your rescue skills! You can take this American Canoe Association (ACA) curriculum in many places, this Swiftwater Rescue Course is designed to meet the needs of river paddlers and paddling instructors.
We’ll help you learn to read rivers carefully in order to identify hazards, develop rescue and prevention strategies and build a tool kit of skills to help you and your paddle partners manage risky situations. While using ropes, rescue vests, and other tools of the trade, students and instructors take turns swimming through rough rapids and practicing techniques in a controlled environment, which will help develop a rescue mindset and the hard skills needed for rescue. This may be the most valuable paddling class you’ll ever take!
Completion of the 2-day course entitles students to an ACA participation certificate, accepted by most river outfitters, kayak schools, and outdoor programs.
Pre-requisites: Class II boating skills
WHAT TO BRING
Personal paddling equipment, any throw ropes, rescue vests, or other safety gear you already own. Gear lists and a welcome letter will be sent out prior to the course. The instructor will provide a cross-section of rescue gear for you to experiment with.
WHO IS THIS CLASS FOR?
Kayakers, Rafters, SUPers, Packrafters, and Whitewater Canoeists
AVAILABLE DATES
April 19-20, 2025 (Sat-Sun) Course in Durango April 26-27, 2025 (Sat-Sun) - Course in Durango May 10-11, 2025 (Sat-Sun) Women’s Only Course
May 17-18, 2025 (Sat-Sun)
July 12-13, 2025 (Sat-Sun)
Aug 9-10, 2025 (Sat-Sun)
Private class dates available
ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Course
$650
Want to teach others how to deal with rescues on the river? This intensive course is for experienced boaters and rescuers who want to become certified swiftwater rescue instructors. Instructor Candidates will learn industry standards for teaching Swiftwater Rescue and are assessed throughout the course on teaching skills, technical knowledge, rescue ability, and group management skills.
This course helps you work on personal and interpersonal development and pushes you to build skills and knowledge through peer feedback, scenario development, and lectures. We combine practical on-water demonstrations and presentations with real-world scenarios that will equip you to deal with teaching this multifaceted discipline as a professional. This course sets the industry standard for instruction in swiftwater rescue.
The ACA instructor certification process is broken up into two core components: the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW), and Instructor Certification Exam (ICE). The IDW presents students with the skills and knowledge that are required to become an instructor. The ICE is an opportunity for each candidate to demonstrate his/her proficiency in the presentation (logical progression) and demonstration (proper modeling) of the skills, and knowledge necessary for certification.
The American Canoe Association is the governing body for this swiftwater rescue instructor course. For more information on becoming an ACA Certified Instructor, visit www.americancanoe.org.
INCLUDED
ACA Swiftwater Instructor Training Workshop
ACA 2-4 Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Certification pending successful completion of workshop
RESOURCES
ACA Instructor Criteria
DATES
May 13-16, 2025 (Tues – Fri)
Gunnison, CO
PREREQUISITES
18 years of age or older
Previous participation in an ACA L4 or equivalent Swiftwater Rescue Course
Must be an ACA member: become a MEMBER
Once certified as an instructor you must pay your ACA Safety Education & Instruction Committee (SEIC) dues to hold any level of Instructor Certification.
ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Update
$300
This course is for those who are already certified as an ACA Swiftwater Instructor but need to complete an update course to maintain and renew their certification. You will need to complete a 2-Day Instructor update every 4 years as one of your instructor requirements. This may also be a good time to bump up your level of certification.
DATES
Any 2 days of the full instructor course
May 13-16, 2025 (Tues – Fri)
Gunnison, CO
INCLUDED
Accredited continuing education and professional development for ACA Certified Instructors
Renewal or Upgrade of ACA 1-4 Kayak Instructor Certification pending successful completion
