Adventure & Sporting Tour Guides

Most whitewater rafting companies hire cooks, drivers, and base camp workers who need little if any previous experience to get hired. These workers can then gain enough experience over the summer to become guides the next year.

Alternatively, you can take guide courses from various outfitters during the spring and be certified in time for the summer season. Many companies actually hire directly from the pool of their own guide school graduates, so be sure to check out any companies offering these schools if you lack raft experience. Many eco-tour companies are quite small and hire only a few guides. While our Job Center lists a number of the raft guide and other adventure guide employers, check with a travel agent for names of companies specializing in your area of interest.

The tour guide listings include a number of employers who conduct more outdoor-related tours, and therefore need whitewater rafting guides and bicycle tour leaders. Many states require raft guides to be certified with the state rafting guide association, which usually entails a simple written test or completion of a guide course. For this reason, many companies only want experienced rafters, but there are alternatives for those with no experience.

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