River Rafting Guide I
2 June 2027
River Rafting Guide I exam
> Requirements Profile River Rafting Guide 1
Date: 2 June 2027, 08:00
Location: Interlaken*
Meeting point: OUTDOOR Interlaken, Industriestrasse 17, 3812 Wilderswil / Google Maps
Course language: German, English, French
Course coordinator: Manuel Weibel, Head of the SOA Rafting Section
Email: info@sotc.ch
Mobile: +41 79 778 40 45
Price:
SOA members CHF 395
Non-members CHF 495
Registration deadline: 23 May 2027
(For registrations after 23 May 2027, we charge an additional CHF 100.00 per participant)
*Additional information: Depending on the number of registrations and where the candidates come from, the exam will be held in Interlaken or Ilanz. The SOA reserves the right to cancel the exam if the minimum number of participants is not reached.
Exam content
The SOA Rafting Guide I exam lasts 8 to 9 hours. The following are tested in theory and practice:
- Rafting technique and navigation on WW III
- Flip
- Whitewater swimming
- Throw bag
- Rope work
- Theory
The detailed exam content is defined in the requirements profile:
> Requirements Profile River Rafting Guide 1
Required equipment
Clothing:
- complete personal guide equipment
- Wetsuit or drysuit
- Whitewater shoes
Technical equipment:
- Water sports helmet EN 1385
- Buoyancy aid EN ISO 12402-6 (with rescue harness)
- 2 karabiners, 1 pulley
- Prusik loop for friction hitches
- personal waist-mounted throw bag
- Rescue knife
- Flip line (min. 4 m)
- Whistle
Miscellaneous:
- Small first aid kit
- Writing materials
Only wetsuits, jackets and shoes can be hired on site.
Prerequisites
- Minimum age 18
- Good swimming skills
- Recommendation from a trainer*, not older than 2 years
- At least 5 assistant runs* as a trainee (see training on the right)
- First aid and BLS-AED-SRC complete courses (not older than 2 years) or First Aid Level 1 IAS (IVR)
- Private accident insurance
Supporting documents
- Certificates for first aid and BLS-AED-SRC complete courses (max. 2 years old) or First Aid Level 1 IAS (IVR)
- Proof of experience: at least 5 trainee runs recorded in a logbook *
- Exam recommendation from the person responsible for training
Copies of the supporting documents can be sent to the course leader by email in advance or handed in on site on the day of the exam. SOA cards and certificates are only issued once all documents have been received.
Courses/exams are only considered passed once all documents have been submitted; certificates are issued only then. Missing documents (e.g. BLS/AED, first aid, logbooks) can be submitted up to 3 months after completing the course/exam – after that, any claim to certification of the training/exams/courses lapses. The same applies to any resits, which must also take place within 3 months of the exam date. For later certification, the training/exams/courses must be repeated in full. This rule applies from the 2024 course year onwards.
* Guides with professional experience (e.g. abroad) may instead provide proof of their professional experience (e.g. employer references, logbook).