Whitewater River Guide

Posted by O.A.R.S. on 12/28/2020

Job Basics

Industry Sector: Action, Outdoor, WaterSports

Job Categories: Guide (raft,fish,bike hunt,horse etc.), Outfitter- Adventure Travel Staff

Company Type: TravelandTourism

State: CA, ID, OR, UT

City:

Country: United States

Required Experience:

Job Type: Seasonal Full Time

Salary:

Required to Relocate:

Required to Travel:

Employee May Telecommute: No

Job Seeker Must Live Within:

Job Description & Requirements

GUIDE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Have the skills and knowledge

• Safely navigate rivers, lakes, trails, or roads in watercraft, vehicles and on foot.
• Be familiar with OARS menus, prepare delicious meals, practice safe food-handling including attention to dietary restrictions, and artfully present food.
• Care for and maintain OARS equipment and personal equipment; mark and set aside broken equipment when it cannot be fixed.
• Complete all written documentation using required technology.
• Good lifting techniques and attention to all areas of worker safety.
• Assist with food packing, shuttle driving, repair and preparation of boats and other equipment as required.
• Whitewater rescue of persons and equipment, give care and facilitate evacuation when needed.
• Securely and safely rig all boats and vehicles for whitewater or road travel.
• Set-up and break-down camps; load and unload trips at the warehouse; pack, unpack and clean-up.
• Give effective and demonstrative safety and intro talks.
• Be familiar with and maintain contents of first aid kits.
• Know and comply with regulations set by governing management agencies.
• Know location of emergency plans, all reporting forms, and other warehouse and office resources.
• Be proficient in use of satellite communication devices and have knowledge of evacuation routes.

Create Trip Experience

• Seek to provide our guests with the best outdoor experience of their lives.
• Know and follow OARS policies regarding use of alcohol.
• Instill confidence and a sense of shared adventure with passengers.
• Provide a positive role model for children and facilitate kid-friendly activities.
• Know your role on each trip.
• Be familiar with trip logistics and passenger rosters.
• Share job related concerns and ideas with crew, trip leaders and managers.
• Enthusiastically assist guests providing unexpected help.
• Engage with clients during meal or down times making them feel welcomed and hosted.
• Learn passengers’ names.
• Deal professionally with challenging clients.
• Be on schedule according to Trip Leader and manager directives and client needs.
• Regardless of client behavior, refrain from cannabis use or personal nudity.
• Take care of themselves and others in difficult wilderness situations and environments.
• Ensure that everyone participating (going on a hike, running a rapid, trying an IK or SUP, etc) is aware of the difficulty involved and is physically and emotionally ready for it. Dissuade those not ready and offer an alternative to them.

Demonstrate work ethic

• Address and resolve conflict in a timely and mature manner.
• Gives and receives feedback in a positive, constructive and professional way.
• Complete the tasks of the job from start to finish; finish the task completely including putting things away and cleaning up work areas.
• Solve problems when they arise using good judgment and creativity.
• Participate in pre/post-trip meetings.
• Work long hours with a good attitude and practice necessary self-care to avoid burn-out.
• Be an ambassador and representative of OARS in the field: promote other OARS trips; wear clean and professional clothing especially OARS wear; do not promote competitors’ trips or wear articles of competitors’ clothing; be courteous to all other groups; keep conversations professional at all times.
• Evolve with changing protocols, industry standards, additional responsibilities and new tasks.
• Don’t badmouth other companies, OARS management or policies, reservationists, pay, equipment, other guides on the trip or the decisions of the trip leader.
• Understand and follow OARS risk management policies and procedures.
• Report any witnessed misconduct to managers.

Provide Interpretation

• Present facts about the region’s natural and human history.
• Lead interpretive talks, walks and hikes.
• Adhere to Seven Principles of Leave No Trace at all times.
• Be a steward of the natural areas in which we travel.
• Stay abreast of and enhance others awareness of political and environmental issues concerning the areas you work in.
• Continually strive to grow in interpretive skills; support fellow guides in interpretive efforts.

Qualifications 

 

 

• Minimum of CPR, Swiftwater training (for whitewater guides), WAT,  First-Aid level as follows:
  • Wilderness First Responder or greater is required for multi-day guides
  • Wilderness First Aid or greater is required for one-day guides
• Communication, Customer service, and People skills
• Understanding of natural history
• Leadership qualities
• Ability to work with a wide array of demographics including varieties in age, race, culture, etc.
• Willingness to work all aspects of the job
• Capable of working long hours
• Physically fit-water based guides must be able to self-rescue back into boat
• Team player
• Fluent English
• Safety conscious
• Competency in all above duties and responsibilities
• Camping and outdoor cooking skills
• Self-Starter
• Appropriate training and experience for the river or trail, water level and type of craft used on the trip.

About O.A.R.S.

A leader in the whitewater rafting and travel industry, in 1969 OARS became the first exclusively oar-powered rafting company permitted to run trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Now the largest and most geographically diverse rafting company in North America, OARS offers first-class rafting and multi-sport vacations with desitinations and unparalled experiences.