All Qualifications

NZRA Grade 3 Raft Guide

Assesses the competency of a raft guide at the Grade 3 level. Candidates must hold a current River Rescue qualification.

Enrolment fee

$750.00

Assessment units

19

Assessment Units

You will be assessed on the following competency areas.

1. River & Industry Knowledge

Verbal assessment of river conditions, industry standards, and regulatory requirements at Grade 3 level.

Water catchment & weather for trip section
How is flow info accessed, and what are min/max cut-offs?
River section info (entry, exit, hazards, consents)
Emergency exits and first aid protocols
Comms equipment and blind spots
Process of logging intentions
Role of WorkSafe/auditing, accident/incident reporting
NZRA's role and scope of this Guide Award
Role of an Auditor

2. Trip Prep & Equipment Management

Pre-trip preparation and equipment management at Grade 3 standard.

Pre-trip guide meeting (health forms, weather/flow check, SMS limits)
Gear selection (Rescue Equipment, Guide Equipment, Client Equipment)
Trailer Loading (Safely Loaded, Secured)

3. Trip Briefing & Client Screening

Client briefing and screening at Grade 3 standard.

Run Introductions
Outline Trip
Set Expectations
Checks Clients needs/Abilities
Brief on gear
Risk/Hazard disclosure

4. Safety Briefing

Safety brief covering all required information at Grade 3 standard.

Foot Entrapments
Swim Positioning (positive/defensive)
Throw bagging
Flip Potential and actions
River signals
Swimmer Recovery (T-Grip Rescue, lapel rescue)
Specific River Hazards

5. Client Training

Client training at Grade 3 standard.

Client Positioning
Rafting Skills (holding paddle, commands, strokes, weight shift)
Practices, checks for understanding, and gives feedback

6. Guiding Skills

On-water guiding skills at Grade 3 standard.

Guide paddle strokes
Ferry glides (forward/backwards)
Catching eddies and emergency stops
Rapid lines
Raft control (with and without crews)
Crew commands (High-sides & Low-sides, clarity and timing of calls)
Client Safety (Timing of Hold On's Get Downs)
Wrap avoidance / dislodging stuck raft
Technical manoeuvring
Maintain spacing/order
Communicate with other guides (Whistles, Signals, Talking)
Placement of raft for rescue

7. Hazard Management

Hazard identification and management at Grade 3 standard including scouting and cover strategies.

Identify river hazards & risk
Explain line choice
Scout rapids
Plan boat order/spacing
Manage Cover Strategies - rolling cover, truck & trailer, land-based and boat orders
Portage if needed

8. Professionalism

Professional conduct including cultural and social awareness at Grade 3 standard.

Demonstrated courteous/professional conduct
Cultural and social awareness
Environmental care
River etiquette
Effective group communication: clear timing, group position, language, concise info
Demonstration and checking understanding

9. Post Trip

Post-trip procedures at Grade 3 standard.

Rounding trip off with clients
Equipment check/storage
Lost/damaged gear report
Explain/demo raft maintenance/repair
Join debrief
Report incidents/hazards as per SOPs
Reflect on feedback

10. Raft Flip Management

Raft flip management at Grade 3 standard.

Client Safety during flip
Communication with clients and the guide crew
Re-right of raft
Clean up of raft flip
Assisting with other flipped raft

11. Emergency Management

Emergency management competency at Grade 3 standard.

Emergency management competency

13. Guide Equipment

Personal safety equipment check — all items present, in good order, and candidate knows how to use them.

PFD with releasable tow line
Clothing suitable to river environment
Helmet (whitewater appropriate)
Shoes (appropriate footwear)
River knife (pointed end)
Flip line / long length of webbing
Throwbag
3x Locking carabiners (minimum)
2x Prusik or non-toothed mechanical ratchet
Watch
Whistle (without a wooden pea)

14. River Signals

Knowledge and correct use of river signals.

Stop
Go
Left / Right
OK (Are you OK? / I'm OK)
Swimmers (Multiple)
Whistle for Attention
Eddy Out
Cover / Safety
First Aid
Come to me
Look
Don't know
Last craft
Foot Entrapment
Rope required
3x Whistle for emergency
Flipped Raft

15. Knots, Bends and Hitches

Demonstrate required knots and explain their applications and limitations.

Bowline
Tape or water knot
Follow through figure eight
Figure eight on a bight
Alpine butterfly
Fishermans knot
Double Sheet bend
Prusik hitch
Truckers hitch
Half hitch
Clove hitch
Italian hitch
Over Hand Bend

16. Rope Systems

Anchor building and mechanical advantage rope systems for river rescue.

Raft Anchor (3-point equalising)
On shore anchors (wrap 3 pull 2, basket anchor, no knot)
10 person pull with progress capture
Vector Pull
2:1 mechanical advantage
Z-Drag (3:1)
Pig Rig (4:1)
Discuss loading and max limits

17. River Access

Swimming and river access skills in whitewater.

Shallow dive entry
Enter water from height
Support (mutual support and support lines)
Swim in eddies
Access mid-stream boulders
Aggressive head-up swimming technique
Safe defensive swim techniques
Swim through turbulent whitewater and/or wave trains
Swim a rapid and be rescued with a throwbag

18. Throwbagging

Throwbag deployment, belay techniques, and contact rescue.

Accurately and effectively throw to a swimmer (full length of throw bag)
Accurately and effectively throw a 10-metre recoil
Demonstrate a static belay
Demonstrate a dynamic belay
Discuss selection of access and retrieval point
Contact swim towing (live bait, strong swimmer rescue)
Unconscious victim support

19. Entrapment Recovery

Entrapment recovery and victim management techniques.

Maintain and/or establish victim's airway (stabilisation line)
Perform a tethered swimmer rescue
Contact rescue techniques (victim attachment)
Extract the victim from entrapment with lines

20. Tethered Raft Rescue

Tethered raft/craft rescue techniques.

Connection of rope systems
Correct orientation of raft/craft
Use of communications and effective use of teams
Movement of body to assist with movement of raft