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Swiftwater Rescue Clinics in Massachusetts
Every kayaker, canoeist or rafter finds themselves needing help on the river from time to time. Whether you’re rescuing or being rescued, the skills you learn in a swiftwater rescue clinic are invaluable in situations when time is of the essence. Whose safety do you put at the top of the priority list? Should you wade in a rapid? Is it okay to tie off your rope in a given situation? How can you increase your mechanical advantage when pulling a raft off a rock? If you find yourself wondering about some of these questions, you should take a Swiftwater Rescue class. We offer 2-day Basic and 2-day Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Courses from our base in Charlemont, Massachusetts on the Deerfield River. These clinics are taught by ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructors. In these very hands-on workshops we work on getting comfortable swimming around in whitewater, understanding how to set up a variety of rescues, limitations of certain common rescue techniques, and managing a rescue, among other things. For anyone who spends a significant amount of time on the river, we highly recommend getting at least some basic river rescue skills under your belt, not only for your own safety but for the safety of the people with whom you paddle. We also offer a 5-day ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor's course. The American Canoe Association Safety and Rescue program offers instructor certification at 3 levels - Essentials of River Safety and Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, and Advanced Swiftwater Rescue. Each level requires a progressively greater understanding of swiftwater rescue concepts, as well as an ability to teach and execute those concepts in progressively more difficult rapids. This clinic will be taught by one of our guest instructors, Mike Mather. Mike Mather is an ACA certified Swiftwater Rescue instructor trainer with over 20 years of rescue experience in West Virginia, Colorado and around the country. He has taught classes around the world by request, has experience with teaching courses for the military and has set up high rise construction site rope safety. He is a wizard with ropes and provides some of the best river rescue instruction in the United States. |
Top 3 Reasons to Go:
 "First of all, a huge thank you for
your attention and effort during the River Rescue Clinic. I think
your focus on simplicity and functionality is well suited to your audience, and
particularly to the “average” paddler on the river, who needs to know some
basics (and have a throw rope). As a teacher of “diverse
learners” I enjoyed your manner and flexibility, particularly your effort at
validating the responses of the class members to some of your open questions.
Active listening is a cornerstone of successful interaction, as you
demonstrated." Justin
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