# Now Hiring Raft Guides - summer 2007



## CRG

We are gearing up for this spring & summer. We are looking for trip leader qualified guides and a head guide. Good pay, good company. Family oriented, upper Colorado & Eagle River permits. We also need a good fishing guide. We will also be hiring first year guides through our guide training school - May 14-24. 970-638-9742


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## Turner

What company and where are you located?


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## CRG

*Raft Guides*

We are Colorado River Guides - www.raftcolorado.com. Our boat shed is at State Bridge Landing, right on the Colorado River at Highway 131, between Vail & Steamboat Springs.


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## liquidchaos

CRG not your style, check out Lakotariver.com/employment. we hire about 50-60% of our guide school, and gosh darnit, we are fun people! ohh and we make some of the best wages in the state, and possibly the country!


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## Redpaddle

stealing someone's post..... that's low..... 

maybe you should do a bidding war for TL qualified guides! 

Turner will work for $65 a day I hear...


what do you pay for a raft guide/fishing guide with an MS in fisheries and can tie flies on the raft?


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## Turner

Better be some damn fine customers ALL the time, beer supplied by rookies every day, and the season has to last at least six months for me to work for $65 a day.....probably some other requirements I can't think of right now.


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## farp

Regarding the solicitations for jobs, I would recommend that any prospective employees do some research. 

Check out the owner. Sometimes they are a little out of whack to put it mildly. If an owner has a poor reputation with his/her peers or subordinates, beware. And there's more...

Unfortunately it is quite common for raft companies to require their prospective employees to pay for training without guaranteeing employment upon successful completion of the training course. 

When a company says they hire a certain percentage of trainees, it often means they steal a percentage of prospective rookie's money. I do not know if anybody posting any information on this thread requires prepaid training nor do I know their hiring practices, but any raft company that requires money for training without insuring employment is disreputable and their training practices, boarder on thievery. Use your head, and dont let unscrupulous outfitters take advantage of you. 

Ive seen too many young people spend $200-$400 for two weeks of river training, for a job at the local fast food joint. But even if a company promises you job, that doesnt grantee a blissful summer. 

Some raft companies arent hiring new employees this spring because last years employees are returning. Others are hiring a disproportionate amount of first-year guides. The difference between the two is a conspicuous indicator of a companys regard. Being on the river is only part of your experience. Your owner, your outfitter and his/her attitude will either make or break your love of the job. Pick wisely young grasshopper for your future depends on it. 

Oh yeah, if you want fun and excitement, guiding rafts is for you. If you want money, go work at McDonalds.


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## CRG

Good grief, you are a tough bunch!

We pay more than $65/day, even for first year guides. We did training last year and one other year in the past for no charge. The first year we did that, about 6 years ago, not one of the 10 people we trained wanted a job. I'd enjoy free rafting for 10 days myself ... so we started charging! Last year, another free training, we were able to hire 2 new guides who will be returning this year. One of the guides we trained last year actually wanted to work for another company, he was very up front about it & was the only trainee that paid.
We are looking for trip leader qualified guides, and plain old qualified guides and would love to talk to anyone with experience, no training or money required. We will want to go boating with you though.
Two of our top guides (both have worked for us for 4 or more years) will not be returning. One is moving, one got a full time year round job, both are married and one of them is growing up.
If you are a Lakota trainee that doesn't get hired, please give us a call, we'd love to talk to you.


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## liquidchaos

sorry to poach yout thred CRG, we also charge for training for the simple fact that a lot of people want to go through the training for guiding thier own boats. The training does cost the company money to put on, do do supply some food, and a great overnight ender as well. We are working on an incentive for coming back a second year to reimburse the cost of the training. WE are also going through the phase of people moving on to the real world, so we must hire. great comments though, keep em' coming!


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## Andy H.

What's the latest guide training that anyone knows of? I've got a nephew that's graduating from HS in late May and who's interested raft guiding so he'll need a training course. He's already a solid Class III paddler, knows how to read water, and has a lot of the skills he'll need for guiding (great social skills, witty, etc.).

Thanks,

--AH


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## CRG

*Hiring guides 2007*

Also, we are a very small company. If we have to do training this year, we will train 4 - 6 folks that we think will work out for us. Our training costs ($300) are reimbursed at the end of the season as a bonus. Again, email, [email protected] & check us out on the web at www.raftcolorado.com.


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## WhiteLightning

I work for Lakota and went through their training last year as private kayaker and rafter looking to work on the river, and I can vouch as a regular, non-manager type guide that Lakota's is a great program, and great people. I also have met Brenda and Paul at CRG and see them and their crew on and around the river quite a bit, and they are always very friendly and courteous people.

As for paying for training, while this does suck for first year guides, it is sort of the nature of the beast. If you want to be a pilot for Delta, you can't just show up with no experience, expect them to get you your pilot's license for free, and then expect them to gaurantee employment. Same thing here. You have to get certified, it costs money to train you, and not everyone wants to work for the company they train with, or is able to. Gauranteeing employment would be a nightmare. Believe it or not, you can make it through guide school, and totally suck ass as a guide. The state requirements are that you receive a certain number of hours of training, but they don't require you to pass a test or anything. Each company wants to hire people that are good boatmen/women, they fit in with the other guides, and would work well with their particular customer base. I've never been to a job interview that gauranteers me a job. Like Brenda says, if you area already certified, it doesn't cost you anything to apply.

I think it is fair to have to pay, but would be nice if you were reimbursed some of it later, if you are hired and stick it out with your company for a season or two. 

Anyways, most guide schools are going to require payment, or a deposit or something. If they don't, then they are probably expecting some kind of work commitment from you. For me, the $300 or whatever it cost was worth it- now I can work one of the coolest jobs out there! I would agree that you should talk to the people who own/manage the place you are going to train at, or want to work for. Go ask to talk about their program, and you will get a feel for if it is a place you want to work/train at.

Liquidchaos can give you all the info on Lakota if you decide to go that route. 

Sorry for the rambling post, but I'm already getting excited for river season. Hopefully it will snow up here some in the high country before spring!


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## farp

WhiteLightnings post is mostly accurate except for three points. There are raft companies that guarantee employment as long as a guide can pass the State-required check out run, which is in fact a test. Also guaranteed employment is not a nightmare because you have first-year guides helping each other and not competing against one another. They bond quicker, learn faster, and are more open to accepting criticism.

I just want to clarify that I am not opposed to paid guide training; I am opposed to a company accepting training money from 20 people when they are only going to hire seven. That, in my opinion, is underhanded. In addition I am not speaking specifically of any company either mentioned here or in the realm of anybodys wildest imagination. 

When are they going to put a Casino in Oak Creek?


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## Paul the Kayaker

Why raft, learn to kayak and safety boat for money!! Plus it may be your only option if you like to party and are not welcome back as a rafter.


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## liquidchaos

good stuff everyone!  I love the smack talking, its waht the internet is all about. oh and we are highering one or two full time safety boaters as well, and there is definatly a test for that, mayby even two test's!


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## mania

so farp - you want to guarantee employment to someone who might be a slacker, mean to custies, barely able to guide? that would make me pretty nervous. on the other hand you want me to take 6 days and spend lots of money to train people for free? i am up front with the cost and that there might not be employment, however that said, all of our graduates who wanted to work got work - we had a few privates who just wanted the training and some who wanted to guide very part time cause they made more money as a massage therepist or whatever.


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## Paul the Kayaker

Where do you need safety boaters? And a test? How about a loop attempt over tunnel, I think that would cover both of your tests.


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## WhiteLightning

I think the test is to do a loop over tunnel with 5 Texan gapers hanging onto your stern or something, hehe.


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## Paul the Kayaker

I like that test!


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## gapers

How bout a rafter with a short fuse who doesn't mind putting the tourist in their place,and loves hitting on the teenage hotties. Did i mention i'm an EMT?


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## WhiteLightning

If putting them in their place means in the water...


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