Wed am – Sunday pm.  Registration will be through Ozark Safety and Rescue Educators (OSRA) and taught by Tom Burroughs.  We will post here when registration is open.

This five-day (40 hours min) course prepares participants to be able to teach and model the paddling skills, technical knowledge, rescue ability, teaching ability, group management, and interpersonal skills needed to teach river or whitewater kayaking.  L3/4 students say that their kayaking skills are greatly elevated by the ability to demonstrate and instruct.

Course Prerequisites – the skills described in the ACA Level 3 & 4 Kayaking Skills Assessment, which include:

1. A reliable river roll that works in Class II/III water;

2. Completion of (a) the appropriate level kayaking skills course or equivalent kayak skill AND (b) assessment by an ACA L3 or L4 instructor using the following list:

• Level 3: River Kayaking
• Level 4: Whitewater Kayaking

The teaching venue will be Missouri’s St. Francis River.  L3 candidates have the option to portage any rapids of the lower St Francis River River beyond their ability.

3. An ACA SWR class is strongly suggested, but not required.

See Course Curriculum – ACA (americancanoe.org), “River Kayaking” for the above Assessments, Instructor Criteria, and sample skills course content that successful L3/L4 instructors will be prepared to teach.

Registration will be open exclusively for MWA and Missouri Team River Runner (TRR) members until 60 days prior to the course (then wide open to all).  Full refunds will be issued by the instructor in the event of course cancellation.

Taught by Tom Burroughs, SwiftwaterRescue@gmail.com, 479-595-1655

ACA Safety and Rescue Committee Chair

ACA L-5 Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer Educator

ACA L-4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor Trainer Educator
ACA L-4 Whitewater Rafting Instructor Trainer

2015 ACA “Excellence in Instruction” National Award Recipient

ITRA Level 3V Swiftwater Rescue Instructor

NREMT/EMT-W/MPIC – Wilderness Medicine Instructor

Team Leader- Washington CO AR Search and Rescue team
Director, Ozark Safety and Rescue Educators / Clear Creek Paddlesports

Member- Wilderness Medical Society

Location: The course will be based out of Cinco de Mayo Campground – Riverside RV Park in Farmington and the St Francis River, Millstream Gardens.

Reach out if you have any questions, to Tom Burroughs about the course (see above); for other logistics, to Sally Haywood <haywood.sally@gmail.com> 314-374-9206; to Jojo Newbold about the campground <FlyAKayak@outlook.com> 573-326-9008.  Post-registration, please study the letter that the instructor will send you.

Cost: $600. Minimum registrants 4 (for course to happen); Maximum 10.

See MWA Training Reimbursement Policy for MWA members.  MWA reimburses members for certain trainings after completion of an MWA volunteer commitment. You need to fill out a web-based reimbursement request after you volunteer.  If you need a scholarship to participate in this course, please communicate with an MWA Board member.  MWA is developing a scholarship policy.

For military service members or veterans, Team River Runner (TRR) has a grant that will enable them to reimburse you after the successful completion of this course.  If interested, please contact Tom Cooke, the StL TRR Chapter Coordinator, at stltrr@teamriverrunner.org or 314-707-0150, in advance of the course.  The expectation is that you would use your new skills as a future volunteer with TRR.