Motorized Boat Handling Courses

jet boat handling rescue training river operator Overview

The following courses are designed for professionals or recreational enthusiasts who want to improve their river reading and boat maneuvering skills.

Wave Trek Rescue will be offering motorized boat handling courses from our rescue facility in Index. We will be offering the use of state of the art I.R.B.’s. These boats are made by AMI boats in Everett Washington. They are made with a tunnel hull and have excellent tracking and turning ability. They require less horsepower to get them onto a plain. They will be excellent for rescue in the swift water environment.

Motorized Boat Handling 1

Motorized Boat Handling 1 is a three-day (24 hour) course designed to introduce rescue personnel to handling motorized boats on moving water. The course includes one day of classroom learning and two days of hands on exercises. During the classroom portion, students will be exposed to a number of topics including:

A review of the rescue philosophy in swift water
The application of motorized boat in the dynamic swift water environment
The types of motorized boats that can be used in swift water
hydrology
Basics of boat handling

During the field portion of the course, students will be shown commonly used rescue boats, as well as gain experience reading the water and operating boats. Basic boat handling skills such as eddying out, peel outs, and ferrying will be practiced in class I-II whitewater. Students will then apply the skills they have learned to up-run, down-run, and perform rescue scenarios.

Prerequisites include being in good physical condition and a basic ability to swim.
Required equipment includes full wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, and booties or tennis shoes. Gloves and fins are optional.
* Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability.
*Students are encouraged to bring their own craft to practice with where applicable.
Course Cost: $400
Course Dates: Feb 4-6 & May 23-25 , 2008
Location: Albany, Oregon

Motorized Boat Handling 2

This two-day (16 hour) course is designed to refine the skills learned in Motorized Boat Handling 1. Advanced scenarios such as flood, car rescue, and SAR will be discussed, as well as a review of paddleboat handling. Students will then practice up running and down running in class III and above whitewater. Other exercises include night operations scenarios, two boats on tether, victim pick-offs in rapids, and rescuers on tether.

Prerequisites include being in good physical condition and a basic ability to swim.
Required equipment includes full wetsuit or drysuit, a USCG approved life jacket, whitewater helmet, booties or tennis shoes, and headlamp. Gloves and fins are optional.
* Students are encouraged to bring their own personal gear, however Wave Trek Rescue has some gear available for classes—check availability
*Students are encouraged to bring their own craft to practice with where applicable.
Course Cost: $275
Course Dates: May 26-27th & May 31st, 2008
Location: Albany, Oregon