WHITEWATER GUIDE TRAINING
Share our passion for adventure & love of rivers
Rafting guide jobs in Oregon and Washington are a great way to live and work in the outdoors while building lifelong friendships.
Our guide training is designed primarily for those seeking employment as professional river guides with River Drifters; however, we are confident that our training will enable you to contribute positively to the river community at large. Our guide school will cover training in guiding a paddle raft, whitewater safety, & multi-day river trip basics. We then conclude our guide school with a CPR class, a swiftwater rescue course, and a wilderness first aid course, all of which are foundations for becoming a professional river guide.
We offer training only at our Maupin, OR, location, including the Deschutes day stretch, multi-day trips, and occasional Clackamas River trips. If you are specifically interested in the White Salmon or Clackamas rivers, please note that we only hire experienced guides and do not provide housing for those locations.
Our company’s growth over 45+ years has been driven by our team’s hard work and relentless commitment to our core values. We are a work in progress and find the hard work it takes to build an effective and trusted team extremely rewarding. We believe we are better as a team than we are as individuals.
Likewise, we invest extensive time, energy, and ongoing resources into our guides and their training so that we can share our passion for adventure and love of rivers with as many people as possible here in the amazing Pacific Northwest! Our guide school is longer than nearly any other in the area. Our goal is to have students ready to guide very quickly out of the program. We want our guides to have the confidence, skills, and experience from the outset to take guests down the river professionally.
Please review all information carefully before applying.
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions regarding guiding on any of our rivers. Below you will find information for new guides looking to begin their careers.
LOCATION:
River Drifters Outpost in Maupin, Oregon
RIVER:
Deschutes River, Oregon
DATES:
2026 FULL
COST:
$600 per person
(waived with 3 year commitment)
INVESTMENT:
$995 per person
TRAINING FAQS
Our training is very physically and mentally demanding. You should plan on investing much of your time and most of your energy into this whitewater jobs training program. Please be aware that your level of physical fitness may affect your success in training, so the more prepared you are the better off you will be. If you have any question about your level of fitness, please have an honest conversation with us prior to accepting a position. The goal is to maintain safety for you and our guests.
Guide training is mentally demanding as well. You’re training for a job that can be at times a high stress / high pressure environment. Those with anxiety may want to address this during the interview process so you feel comfortable with the job expectations.
The initial 7 days of training will include a multi-day trip of at least 3 days in length, as well as plenty of on-river time.
Our goal is to foster a positive work and living environment with a team of conscientious and hard-working individuals. To achieve this, understand that not everyone invited to training will be the right fit and will not move on to become a raft guide.
If necessary, we will cut those trainees with negative attitudes, poor work ethic, or who are seriously struggling with the physical demands of guide training.
Topics Will Include (but are not limited to):
- River terminology, river etiquette, and river communication.
- Whitewater rescue techniques with emphasis on safety awareness for sound decision making on the river, on land, and in common river guiding scenarios.
- How to organize/rig a boat and safely secure it at camp with LNT ethics and mindset.
- Water hydraulics (river reading to include ferrying, catching eddies, and the basics of how to read water).
- Rope techniques, river safety, and critical thinking for risk management.
- Equipment and gear care, sanitization, and maintenance required to maintain quality.
- How to pack, prepare, present, and professionally (4P’s) deliver hearty meals on the river.
- Swiftwater Rescue and Wilderness First Aid courses
You will take away the knowledge, skills, and confidence to guide a river trip in a professional manner that delivers positive and oftentimes transformative experiences for guests.
Keep in mind that your participation, attitude, and performance in our guide training school could open up not just summer employment opportunities but also year round leadership opportunities.
Since you will not be paid to train with us, all funds necessary for living expenses should be secured in advance of training.
If you receive an invitation but cannot commit to more than 1 season then you will be required to pay a $600 non-refundable fee at least 14 days before the first training day to secure your spot.
You should also be prepared to purchase some personal rafting gear. The cost of these materials can range from $400 to $450, depending on what you choose to buy. More information regarding costs and detailed equipment lists will be made available to you should you be invited to training.
Please note that River Drifters covers the cost of all certification classes. Consequently, River Drifters retains ownership of these certifications.
While you are training for our white water rafting jobs, you are not considered an employee and are not eligible for workers compensation. Therefore, we strongly suggest you have your own health insurance so you are covered for the duration of training.
Raft guide trainees must be 18+ and are selected by meeting the following criteria:
- You are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit to handle the responsibilities and duties of participating in professional river guide training.
- You have a strong work ethic, are service-oriented, and our core values resonate with you.
- You are hungry to learn from senior guides who enjoy teaching and sharing the river experience with enthusiastic learners.
- You have a growth mindset and the notion of life-long learning and teaching what you learn is not foreign to you.
- You work well under pressure and long hours and are not subject to burnout and moodiness.
- You have a positive, can-do attitude when it comes to navigating interpersonal and river challenges (much like navigating river obstacles) because problem-solving is required.
- You are detail-oriented, creative, friendly, and most importantly, hungry to contribute to a team so that we deliver experiences that exceed guest expectations.
- You are a professional, reliable team player who models cooperation and care for all life.
- You are a solution generator who naturally troubleshoots, thinks preventatively, and runs toward problems when they occur (not away from them).
- You value quality rafting gear, quality equipment and vehicles, quality facilities, and quality of people and staff you work with.
We also consider how you follow application directions, your submitted application information, and phone interviews. After interviews and reference checks, you may be offered a spot in our program.
All prospective guides need to remember that an invitation to join the whitewater raft guide job training program does not necessarily guarantee employment. The hiring of trainees from the training class will be based on training performance and growth, ability to perform essential job skills, work ethic, and ability to work in a team setting.
Due to the time and monetary investment we are both putting into training we will require you to work at River Drifters for at least two seasons if you are hired. Please do not apply if you only plan to be a rafting guide for one season.
You do not need to already have certifications to become a raft guide. You are welcome to arrive with certifications, but if you prefer to take a course with us it will be offered after training.
We host CPR, a wilderness first aid class, and swiftwater rescue class at our office following raft guide training. Ask us about this during your phone interview if you are interested. Please note that River Drifters covers the cost of all certification classes. Consequently, River Drifters retains ownership of these certifications.
You will be provided with a personal floatation device (PFD) for the duration of training, as well as a used wetsuit, fleece layer, and splash jacket for use during the program. You will be responsible for bringing any additional clothing/ gear necessary to keep you comfortable on the river, as well as camping gear if you are camping with us. Those applicants accepted into the program will have several pro-deal programs available to them for river gear and apparel that will need to be purchased after training.
We provide all necessary boating equipment including rafts, paddles, oars, frames as well as all transportation to and from the current training locations. We will also provide lunch each day of training.
*If there is sufficient timing for an overnight trip, meals will be served. An overnight trip allows us to cover kitchen packing, set-up, organization, and meal management (4Ps: packing, preparation, presentation, and professionalism).
Free camping in Maupin with flush toilets and showers starting the first night of training. Once the first week of training is complete and you have been invited to continue, you will move into guide housing.
35 hours or more a week of actual time on the river, including both oar and paddle boat training.
When you have completed your whitewater rafting training you will have an abundance of documented on-water time before your check-out run. Once you have checked out you will be added to the schedule. Work may seem slow at first, but once the summer vacations pick up, so will your schedule.
We love animals, too, but you have to leave your pet at home for the summer. Dogs and other pets are not allowed in guide housing. We live in a hot desert environment and keeping a pet in a mostly outdoor environment is not kind to your animal friend.
EXPENSES
$600 to secure your spot if you cannot commit to 3 seasons
$200 for monthly rent once you start working full-time
$450 or so to purchase personal rafting gear
PAY
$70+ per half day trip
$100+ per full day trip
$5000+ a season for first-years based on average student commitment, but if you stay past labor day it will be more
$1,500+ in gratuities for those who work the full season
JOB DETAILS
- Runs half-day, full-day, multi-day river trips on all River Drifters WA and OR Rivers.
- Performs occasional safety boat responsibilities.
- Pack all trip food.
- Cleans guide area, refrigerators, bathrooms, and kitchen.
- Packs equipment
- Unpacks, cleans, and puts away all trip gear after the trip.
- Stacks and ties down boats.
- Washes and hangs out trip rental gear and lifejackets.
- Puts away all dry gear each morning (i.e., wetsuits, booties, splash tops, PFD, etc.).
- Expects to be given and completes assigned tasks while waiting for guests to arrive for trips.
- Fits lifejackets, wetsuits, and other rental gear for guests.
- Informs management of food and equipment resupply needs.
- Repairs or replaces equipment damaged or lost due to gross negligence that was specific guide’s responsibility.
- Completes and turns in incident and accident reports when necessary immediately following the incident or accident.
- Sees that post trip meetings address any issues from the day.
- Completes all camp chores on multi-day trips.
- Cooks meals, does dishes, leads hikes, rigs boats, etc.
- Looks for ways to better serve the guests and the company.
- Brings new ideas to management if it involves policy change.
- Maintains a good sense of humor and cooperative attitude in dealing with co-workers and guests.
- Communicates well with head trainer, owners, managers, and co-workers.
- Is expected to behave in a professional manner at all times.
- Learns about the natural environment and human history of the area and shares knowledge with guests.
- Treats guests in a manner that makes them feel respected, valued, liked and cared for.
- Performs other responsibilities as assigned.
- Acts as trainer for new guides – participates in all training activities.
- Conducts river orientations and distributes guests into boats.
- Contacts guests a week in advance of the scheduled overnight trip to check in, get missing information, and answer any questions the guests have about the upcoming trip.
- Determines exact equipment needed for multi-day trips.
- Sets meeting time to rig multi-day trips and communicates that to guides at least 24 hrs in advance.
- Ensures that the trip leader reports are accurate and complete.
- Coordinates the duties of guides on the trip and initiates post trip meetings.
- In the event of an accident, take full charge of the scene or delegates that duty if necessary.
- Makes the final call on minor decisions in the event that a consensus cannot be quickly reached.
- Brings issues that cannot be quickly resolved to the attention of the manager on duty.
Evaluated on thoroughness in performing duties, attitude, punctuality, dependability, ability to operate as a team player, initiative, mature judgment, relationships with co-workers, management and guests, flexibility, and willingness to learn.
Reports to the manager on duty.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Email your resume, cover letter, all contact information, 3 work-related references, 3 non-work related references, and a photo of yourself enjoying one of your favorite outdoor activities to office@riverdrifters.net
We will reach out to schedule a short phone interview
We will let you know if there is a spot for you in our training program
Training fee paid 14 days before training begins (if you can’t commit to 3 or more seasons)
Arrive at training in May to meet all your new friends!
APPLICATION FAQS
College students, Grad students, individuals in-between college and a real job, teachers, average ordinary individuals who started out as a guest and fell in love with white water rafting.
Aside from submitting your online application we do request you email us a recent photo of yourself participating in a hobby, sport or outdoor activity you love. We like to establish a personal connection with our staff members, and there’s no better time to start getting to know you than when we initially ‘meet’ you with your application submission. We can put a face to a name. We can’t require you to submit a photo, but we appreciate it when we receive them. Photos, cover letters, resumes, and references should be directed to office@riverdrifters.net.
Guides are able to live in River Drifter’s designated guide housing in Maupin, OR for $200 a month once you start working full time; payment will be deducted from your monthly paycheck. Pets are not allowed on company property or in guide housing.
While you are training for our white water rafting jobs, you are not considered an employee and are not eligible for workers compensation. Therefore, we strongly suggest you have your own health insurance so you are covered for the duration of training. Since you will not be paid to train with us, all funds necessary for living expenses should also be secured in advance of training.
If you receive an invitation we will need your non-refundable $300 training payment within 14 days to secure your spot. On or around day 7 we will cut those trainees with negative attitudes, poor work ethic, or who are struggling severely with the physical demands of guide training. Following the cut of trainees, an additional $300 will be due to continue the remainder of training.
You should also be prepared to purchase some personal rafting gear. The cost of these materials can range from $400 to $450, depending on what you choose to buy. More information regarding costs and detailed equipment lists will be made available to you should you be invited to training.
Please note that River Drifters covers the cost of all certification classes. Consequently, River Drifters retains ownership of these certifications.
The state of Oregon requires river guides must be at least 18 years of age for whitewater raft guide applicants.
We are currently accepting applications for whitewater raft guides for both raft guide trainees (no experience necessary) and experienced guides. If you are interested in a specific river that we run, please refer to those specific sections for experience requirements.
We can teach you the technical guiding skills; customer service skills you either have or you don’t.
Due to the conservative nature of our clientele, as well as the fact that we are a family-oriented business, we require that you observe the following rules: Drugs illegal in the state of Oregon and underage drinking will not be tolerated. Alcohol is not to be consumed on company time or prior to your performing duties for the company. There is no smoking or chewing allowed on company property or while working a River Drifters trip.
Guides must be dressed appropriately for the families and groups who comprise the bulk of our clientele. This means you are clean’ish and odor-free, and you’re approachable for guests.
Due to the physical aspects of guiding, body piercings must be such that they do not pose a risk to you or others on the raft. We can discuss specifics over the phone with you.
Are you ready to learn how to guide on a whitewater river?