Packrafting Leadership Course

The Packraft Leadership Course is a practical, river-based leadership training designed for experienced paddlers who organise, influence or lead group trips on moving water.

Strong paddling skills are only part of leading well. This course focuses on the often invisible aspects of river leadership: decision-making under pressure, managing group dynamics, holding reserve capacity, and building systems that reduce risk before problems escalate.

The course begins with a 2-hour pre-course Zoom session covering leadership frameworks, human factors, planning, margin and decision-making. This ensures our on-water time is focused on application rather than theory.

Over two full days on the river, participants rotate through leadership roles while practising practical river-running systems, including:

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  River signals and communication protocols

  
  


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  Probe systems

  
  


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  Rolling cover

  
  


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  Truck-and-trailer strategy

  
  


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  Positioning, spacing and downstream safety

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This is not a rescue qualification or paddling technique course. It is leadership development for river environments.

Who it’s for:

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  Packrafters leading trips for PRANZ or other community groups

  
  


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  Recreational paddlers who regularly organise river missions

  
  


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  Emerging trip leaders stepping into more responsibility

  
  


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  Outdoor professionals expanding into river-based leadership

  
  

Participants should be comfortable paddling Grade 3 rivers and operating independently in backcountry environments.

By the end of the course, you will have clearer frameworks for making difficult calls, practical systems for managing groups on the river, and the confidence to take responsibility for what happens next.