How do I become a Hudson River Gorge Raft Guide for Wild Waters?

February 9, 2022
Girls on their kayak

Everyone that guides on the Hudson River Gorge must have a NYS Guide License.


The minimum NYS requirements are: (not listed in any order)


Certified in CPR, 1st Aid and basic water safety.


Take and pass 2 written test that NYS administers several times a year (one test is focused on your basic knowledge of the outdoors and the other is whitewater focused).


Train with a NYS approved whitewater rafting outfitter, which Wild Waters Outdoor Center is, and receive a letter from the outfitter stating that you have made at least 5 trips down the river with 2 of those trips being in complete control of the raft.


Pay a $100.00 fee for a 5 year license.


Get a Physician statement using the NYS form.


Depending on your whitewater experience you may have enough knowledge to take the written exams before you start your training. Don’t have much or any Whitewater experience? No worries!


ome of our best guides joined our team with little or no experience. Because, when you train at Wild Waters Outdoor Center, you will receive all the info you need to take the test and be a top notch guide!


It may take you more than 5 trips down the river before Wild Waters Outdoor Center will write you a letter stating you are skilled to guide. Here is the link to the NYS DEC website for guide requirements: www.dec.ny.gov › docs › legal_protection_pdf › guidesappl2020 License Guide Application & Exam Locations (PDF)  If you are interested in becoming a guide for WWOC please give Doug a call at 518-744-9430.

Water splashing while paddling

What if rains during my Whitewater Rafting Trip?!

February 9, 2022
This is another question that is often brought up. The short answer is – You get wet! No matter which trip you pick you will get wet even if the sun is shining. Most days are rain free but sometimes they are not. With all our trips the river is so exciting I have had many guest tell me they did not even know it was raining! But what about T-storms? Since we are located in the Adirondack Mts. this is not as much a concern as in other areas of NYS because it takes so long for the air to heat up and cause the instability needed during the early part of the day to form T-storms. We do get T-storms in the evening and overnight sometimes but it is rare to get them before 4:00 pm which is typically the latest any of our trips finish. During the Spring and Fall Seasons wetsuits are provided to help you stay warm and during the Summer Season you can rent wetsuits and/or splash jackets that will help keep you warm and dry. So don’t worry about the rain. What would you rather do? Go shopping, to the movies or go Whitewater rafting in rain! The Whitewater rafting trip makes for a much better story to tell your friends when you get back from vacation.  And just like the river levels, we monitor the weather constantly so we are always prepared. If, however, we feel the weather and or river levels will become dangerous and we decide to cancel the trip then you will receive a full refund. So don’t worry! The worst that can happen is you will get wet!
Group of people paddling in river

How do I become a Whitewater raft guide on the Sacandaga River for WWOC?

February 9, 2022
The Sacandaga is a fun 3.5-mile trip that features class 2-3 whitewater with fun waves, hydraulics and great swimming spots. The Sacandaga River has daily dam releases starting in June and continues till Labor Day weekend. WWOC trips run daily at 10:00, 12:00 and 2:00 from our Sac base at 1115 lake Ave Lake Luzerne NY 12846, about 10 minutes from Lake George NY. River time is 1-1.5 hours per trip. Unless you are a guide on another river you will need to complete our challenging yet fun 5-day training course. This course will cover whitewater terminology, safety and rescue skills, customer outfitting and communication, how to steer the raft, how to load and unload rafts from buses and CPR and 1st aid certification. It is a lot to learn but if you are energetic, enjoy working with people, like water and the outdoors you will absolutely have a blast. During training, WWOC will provide all gear but once you complete the training and are hired you will be responsible for the following gear: PFD, knife, whistle, throwbag, ouch kit, carabiner, good footwear and guide paddle. All these items can be purchased through pro deals WWOC has set up for guides. WWOC has positions for full time and part-time guides. If you have any questions please give Doug a call at 1-800-867-2335 or email him at raft@wildwaters.net .
Group of people paddling while almost sink to the river

When should I raft the 17 mile Hudson River Gorge? Spring or Summer?

February 9, 2022
This is a great question that guests often asks. The short answer is if you like big and challenging cold water then spring is your best bet but if you like warm water with fun playful rapids then summer is your best choice. But let’s delve a little more into the different seasons. Between the end of March and mid April the Adirondack Mts start to warm up and all the snow that has collected over the Winter starts to melt and fill the lakes and rivers. Also, it is typical for us to get more rain than other times of the year and this combines to make the rivers run high. When this actually happens is never the same each year and something we monitor daily as soon as we see signs that Spring is on it’s way. For the past several years it seems that the 3rd weekend in April to mid May has been the time when the river is running the highest. So if you would like the challenge of big water that is thrilling yet cold then this is when you should book your trip. After mid May most of the snow is gone from the Mts and the river slowly drops in level for about a month untill it reaches our Summer levels. It is not uncommon for the Adirondack’s to continue to get good rain storms and for the river to stay up higher much longer into the season. When this happens everyone at Wild Waters is excited because the river warms up dramatically in May.  While the Spring trips feature large waves and holes with plenty of Class 3-4 and sometimes 5 whitewater the Summer is filled with warm class 3-4 whitewater that allow the guides to “Play” (surf) on the river and plenty of opportunities for guest to swim in the river if they choose.
Group of people paddling through whitewater

WWOC Sanitation and Social Distancing Guidelines

February 9, 2022
We are very excited to get our guests on the river and enjoy the beauty and excitement of the Hudson and Sacandaga Rivers. With this in mind, we have enhanced our sanitizing program that we currently use to reflect the current needs of the Covid-19 pandemic. WWOC Sanitation and social distancing guideline for the 17- mile Hudson RiverGorge Raft Trip Our Commitment to our guests All staff will have his/her temperature checked each morning and will wear mask while engaged with guest and other staff. Hand sanitizing stations will be provided at a variety of areas for staff and guest use. All equipment will be cleaned and sanitized after each guest use. High touch areas will be sanitized several times a day. Buses will be sanitized before and after guest load and unload. Bus seating will be based on group size. Buses will be loaded from back to front by groups. Each group will be assigned a check-in time and a designated outfitting point. Commitment we respectively request from our guest All guest will wear a mask while in the outfitting area, while riding in WWOC vehicles and while staging at the put-in and take out. Baggies will be provided for masks during your raft trip. Guests will not raft if they are showing signs of covid-19, tested positive for covid-19 and have not yet recovered or has someone in their household that has tested positive for covid-19 and have not recovered. Respect other guest and staff social distancing space. Wash hands and use hand sanitizing stations.
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