ACA Swiftwater Rescue Course - 2 Days

• Promote proactive prevention of river accidents and injuries
• Develop and practice key self-rescue skills
• Identify and avoid river hazards by understanding hydrology, hazards, and river features
• Focus on fast, low-risk strategies for early management of river accidents
• Develop and practice methods for recovering swimmers and loose boats and equipment
• Develop and practice more advanced rope-based and in-water skills
• Gain experience using the rescue PFD, and understand its strengths and weaknesses
• Utilize rescue scene management principles needed within a paddling group

• Age 14+
• Good overall health and fitness
• Solid swimming ability and comfortable swimming in moving water 
• Participants should dress appropriately for weather and temperature and expect to be in the water for extended periods of time

• 2 days (18 hours) of swiftwater rescue training 
• Use of rescue PFD if needed

Helmet (must be specifically rated for whitewater), type III or V (rescue) PFD (consider a rescue PFD if you don’t already own one), throw rope (recommend 70-75 feet of 5/16- or 3/8-inch polypropylene or Spectra/Dyneema), two 12-20' lengths of 1-inch tubular nylon webbing, one 6-8' piece of 5-6 millimeter nylon prusik cord, two oval-, pear-or “D”-shaped locking carabiners, paddle, closed-toe water shoes (no sandals, must cover the whole foot), river clothing suitable for the conditions (e.g., polypro or fleece upper and lower body, IR Thinskin or Thickskin, drytop, drysuit, wetsuit—we will be spending a lot of time in the water so err on the side of caution), sunscreen, rain jacket (weather dependent), gloves (optional), paddle craft (if you have one), craft-specific accessories as appropriate (e.g., sprayskirt, flotation bags, SUP leash, etc), camp chair, paper and pen to take notes, food, snacks, water

**NOTE REGARDING THROW ROPES: Many people have a hard time accurately throwing a 70’ 3/8” diameter rope due to its size and weight, especially when wet, so if you’re unsure you may want to consider a 70’ 5/16” diameter rope; if you feel confident that you have the arm strength to accurately throw a 70’ 3/8” diameter rope then by all means go with that

We will meet at USA Raft. Directions can be found here. Specific meeting location will be sent out separately.

Food and  lodging are the responsibility of participants. Riverside lodging and camping is available onsite and can be reserved directly with either USA Raft  or Nolichucky Gorge Campground.

"More than anything else, I appreciated Scott Fisher's professionalism and content knowledge. While this course's overall information can be gleaned through club days or occasional on-river practice, the NOLI set-up and delivery made the course much easier to understand, more thorough in details, and more memorable for possible employment. Because the seriousness of the topic, having a professional like Scott instruct created the right amount of gravitas and touch that the material warranted. I look forward to practicing the skills I gained and will continue to work with NOLI in future courses."

~ Scott H.

I certify that all registrants meet course prerequisites as defined in the course description, meet the minimum age requirements and do not have any medical conditions or limitations that would prevent their ability to safely participate in the activity.

NOLI activities go rain or shine. If you cancel or decrease the number of participants in your party the following applies:

Cancellations 30 or more days prior to your activity will receive a full refund.
Cancellations 14-29 days prior to the activity date will receive a full reservation booking voucher.
Cancellations 0-13 days prior to the activity date are not extended a refund or voucher.
No Shows are not extended a refund or voucher.