Training
Swift Water Rescue and Wilderness First Aid classes sponsored by Oregon Whitewater Association
Proper training and practice of river saftey, first aid and rescue is a core value of the Oregon Whitewater Association. We believe that all of our club members should be prepared for the types of scenarios that they may experience during their boating adventures. To the end the OWA provides a number of training sessions for our club members.
A Feburary pool session in Clackamas to introduce and practice river rescue such as throw bagging, raft flipping, knots, mechanical advantage, anchors and more. This is a great session to attent to practice and learn some new tricks from seasoned boaters. It takes the place of our club meeting and lasts a few hours.
The River Saftery Training is offered every year in April. This is our signature safety event for the year. The course is taught by three certified swiftwater instructors and lead/coordinated by Sam Drevo of eNRG Kayaking. This is a fast paced, fun weekend course that teaches and strengthens skills needed for safe operation in and around whitewater. The cost of instruction is highly subsidized by the OWA Safety & Training program. Accidents happen and whitewater is inherently dangerous. The RST course is designed to help you mitigate danger by giving you tools/skills to assess the situation and then act/react. Sign up or find out more here.
In the fall the OWA puts on a Wilderness First Aid course to give our members the training to assess, treat, and/or evacuate injured boaters. With a focus on mock scenarios and each participant practicing the lessions taught, WFA builds the skills and habits you need to be successful in first aid while in the back country. Sign up or find out more here.
The OWA also regularly teaches saftey training at our club meetings and our newsletters include stories and new knots for members to practice with at home.
