To become an ACA Instructor, an Instructor Candidate must:

• Participate in an Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) and pass an Instructor Certification Exam (ICE). These courses are offered either as separate courses with time between for skills and presentation development and practice or can be offered concurrently (at the discretion of the Instructor Trainer) as an Instructor Certification Workshop (ICW).

• Perform paddling skills consistently with demonstration quality

• Demonstrate effective teaching skills

• Demonstrate technical knowledge of paddlesports

• Demonstrate appropriate safety & rescue ability

• Demonstrate effective group / course management and positive interpersonal skills

• Represent and promote the ACA and paddlesports in a positive manner

General Requirements for all Instructor Candidates:

• Be a full ACA member (Join Here)

• Be at least 18 years old

• All participants must acknowledge personal compliance with and demonstrate general knowledge of the purpose and significance of the ACA Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC)

• Understands and acts in accordance with ACA’s Code of Conduct

• Demonstrate general knowledge of inclusion initiatives

• Successfully complete an Instructor Certification Workshop (IDW and ICE)

• Upon successful completion, register with the Safety Education and Instruction Council

• Have and maintain first aid and age appropriate CPR

• Demonstrate a general knowledge of paddlesports and the ACA

• Demonstrate the ability to appropriately perform and teach all of the following material, unassisted, in the appropriate venue

• Instructors are expected to be able to demonstrate, teach, and model everything on the official ACA skills course and assessment course outlines which correspond to their level/craft and in the appropriate venue

ACA Level 5: Advanced Whitewater Raft Instructor

Paddle + Oar | Two-Day Intensive

Format: Instructor Certification Exam (ICE / ICW-style upgrade) Venue: Class III+/IV whitewater (feature-dependent) Group Size: 2–3 Instructor Candidates

Course Purpose

This two-day intensive is an evaluation-focused upgrade for current ACA Level 4 Raft Instructors seeking Level 5 Paddle and/or Oar certification.

This course is not a skills tune-up or workshop. Candidates are expected to arrive with strong technical proficiency and are evaluated on their ability to teach, manage risk, demonstrate judgment, and lead effectively in consequential whitewater environments.

Course outcomes may affect existing certifications and endorsements.

Primary Focus Areas

• Risk management as a continuous, dynamic process

• Judgment and decision-making under pressure

• Recognition and mitigation of heuristics and cognitive bias

• Teaching complex skills in moving, consequential water

• Using advanced maneuvers as decision tools, not tricks

Advanced maneuvers may include:

• Surfing for position and control

• Boofing for consequence management

• Side-slips and micro-adjustments for hazard avoidance

• Strong eddy-line control and precise angle management

Candidate Expectations

Candidates are expected to:

• Be familiar with the ACA Level 5 Rafting curriculum and relevant ACA policies

  • Oar

  • Paddle

• Demonstrate professionalism, preparedness, and effective communication

• Teach clearly and confidently in dynamic environments

• Make sound decisions that account for group ability, conditions, and consequence

• Manage time, energy, and instructional priorities appropriately

Assessment occurs throughout the course, including at the put-in, during scouting, on the river, and in group discussions.

Daily Overview

Day 1 — Risk Framing & Technical Control

Morning (Classroom / Shore)

• What Level 5 instruction requires

• Risk management as a teaching skill

• Heuristics, bias, and decision traps

• Advanced technical skills as risk-management tools

Afternoon (River)

• Surfing to maneuver and create decision space

• Side-slips and precision avoidance

• Boofing as risk reduction

• Scouting, line choice, and real-time judgment

Day 2 — Judgment Under Pressure & Rescue Integration

Morning (Classroom / Shore)

• Teaching risk in real time

• Instructional clarity in consequential terrain

• Rescue decision-making and restraint

• What “passing” looks like at Level 5

Afternoon (River)

• Complex line selection with multiple valid options

• Rescue scenarios with competing priorities

• End-of-day fatigue and stop/go decision-making

Final Assessment

Each candidate will receive individual feedback addressing:

• Risk management and judgment

• Heuristic awareness

• Technical execution (paddle and/or oar)

• Teaching presence and clarity

• Professionalism and instructional effectiveness

Final debriefs include discussion of certification outcomes, conditions, or development recommendations related to ACA Level 5 Paddle and/or Oar certification.

Bottom Line

This course evaluates how you think, teach, and lead in real whitewater—not just how you run lines. Candidates should arrive prepared to demonstrate instructor-level judgment, adaptability, and professionalism in dynamic environments.

Wyld Heart Co. courses are open to all individuals who acknowledge the ability to perform the following essential eligibility criteria:

• Breathe independently (i.e., not require medical devices to sustain breathing)

• Independently maintain sealed airway passages while under water

• Independently hold head upright without neck / head support

• Manage personal care independently or with assistance of a companion

• 
Manage personal mobility independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance 


• Follow instructions and effectively communicate independently or with assistance of a companion 


• Independently turn from face-down to face-up and remain floating face up while wearing a properly fitted life jacket


• Get on/off or in/out of a paddlecraft independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance


• Independently get out and from under a capsized paddlecraft


• Remount or reenter the paddlecraft following deep water capsize independently or with a reasonable amount of assistance


• Maintain a safe body position while attempting skills, activities and rescues listed in the appropriate Course Outline, and have the ability to recognize and identify to others when such efforts would be unsafe given your personal situation

ACA Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructor Trainer Educators are required to maintain appropriate First Aid and age appropriate CPR training from a nationally recognized First Aid and CPR provider throughout the term of their ACA certification. First Aid and CPR courses must include hands on practice and skills demonstration.

If an Instructor, Instructor Trainer, or Instructor Trainer Educator’s First Aid or age appropriate CPR certification expires during the period of his or her ACA certification, the ACA certification is no longer valid. Instructors, Instructor Trainers, and Instructor Trainer Educators whose certifications are not valid are not eligible for ACA insurance coverage. For additional details, please review the SEIC Policy Manual.

Oar Instructor Criteria

Paddle Instructor Criteria

ACA Raft Instructor Manual – English & Spanish

ACA SEIC Manual

ACA Code of Conduct

Equipment to bring to class. We are here to answer any questions and to help pair you with whatever gear you might need:

• PFD - Type III or V

• Whitewater Helmet

• Sun protection

• Fleece or Wool warm layers

• Wetsuit or drysuit

• Dry or splash wear

• River Shoes

• Rescue knife with locking sheath

• Whistle

• Sunglasses with retainer strap

• Water bottle

• Dry bag

• Lunch and snacks

A 50% deposit is due at registration. Of this, $325 is non-refundable and non-transferable. The remaining 50% is due prior to the course start date.

• More than 120 days prior to course start: Full refund of any payments made, less the $325 non-refundable portion of your deposit.
  

If Wyld Heart cancels a trip for reasons other than force majeure (natural disasters, political instability, pandemics, etc.), you’ll receive a full refund including your deposit. If cancellation is due to force majeure, we’ll make every effort to refund recoverable costs or apply your payment toward a future trip.

All cancellations must be submitted in writing via email to: jess@wyldheartco.com.