Private Whitewater Training
With Expert Instruction
Focused, personalized coaching designed to build skill, confidence, and sound decision-making on the river.
Private On-Water Training
There is no substitute for focused time on the water.
Wyld Heart offers private and small-group whitewater instruction designed to accelerate skill development, refine technical rowing, and strengthen decision-making in dynamic river environments.
Whether you are preparing for a major expedition, stepping into a leadership role on the river, or simply wanting to become a more capable and confident boater, private coaching allows us to focus directly on the skills that matter most to you.
Sessions are highly personalized and built around your goals, experience level, and the type of water you want to run.
One of the greatest advantages of private training is the ability to give focused attention to each student on the water.
Jess maintains close awareness of her students’ positioning, boat control, and decision-making throughout the day. Rather than waiting for mistakes to turn into problems, she actively watches for early signals—boat angle, timing, body position, and situational awareness—and steps in with guidance before things begin to unravel.
This approach allows students to push their skills while still maintaining a strong margin of safety.
Clear communication, proactive coaching, and thoughtful river management are central to every training session. Students are encouraged to take on challenges and grow their abilities, but always within a learning environment where careful supervision and risk awareness remain the priority.
The goal is not only to improve technical skills, but to help students develop the awareness and judgment that keep boaters safe on the river long after the training day is over.
Attentive Instruction and Safety
FAQs
Who This Training Is For
Private training is ideal for boaters who want focused coaching and rapid improvement.
This type of instruction works particularly well for:
• Private boaters preparing for trips such as the Grand Canyon or multi-day expeditions
• Rafters wanting to improve rowing mechanics and boat control
• Guides preparing for guide schools or instructor courses
• Boaters transitioning from paddling to rowing an oar rig
• Experienced rowers who want to refine technical maneuvers and river reading
• Small groups who want a dedicated training day togetherBecause the training is customized, sessions can support both developing boaters and highly experienced river runners.
What We Work On
Each training session is designed around the goals of the individual or group, but common focus areas include:
Technical Rowing Skills
• Efficient rowing mechanics and body position
• Ferry angles and boat placement
• Eddy catching and exiting cleanly
• Surfing and dynamic boat control
• Technical maneuvering in Class II–IV rivers
• Reading water and selecting clean lines
River Awareness & Decision-Making
• Hazard recognition and avoidance
• Reading complex river features
• Trip leadership and guide priorities
• Managing stress and maintaining clarity under pressure
Rescue & Safety Skills
• Throw bagging and swimmer management
• Boat recovery techniques
• Preventing common river incidents
• Calm and effective responses in dynamic situations
The goal is not only to improve technical skills, but to help boaters develop judgment, awareness, and confidence on the river.
How Training Works
Private sessions are built around your specific goals and can take several formats:
• Full-day intensive coaching
• Multi-day skill progressions
A typical training day includes:
• A conversation about goals and focus areas
• Structured drills and technical skill progressions
• Real-time coaching and feedback on the river
• End-of-day debrief and recommendations for continued improvement
Because the training is private, we can move at the pace that best supports your learning and confidence.
Where Training Can Happen
Wyld Heart private training can be booked anywhere in the world.
Jess regularly teaches and coaches internationally and is available to travel to rivers, expeditions, and communities where boaters want focused skill development.
Her primary teaching season in the United States runs April through October, with frequent work in:
• Colorado (Primary)
• Washington
• Oregon
• North Carolina
• West Virginia
Internationally, she regularly works in:
• Chile
• Argentina
• Costa Rica
• Peru
• Ecuador
• Colombia
• Italy
• Croatia
• Bosnia
If you have a river, expedition, or training location in mind that is not listed here, reach out. Many private trainings are built around custom destinations and trips.
If you can dream it up, we can likely design training around it.
Meet your instructor
Jess Lewis
I’m Jess Lewis — river guide, coach, and founder of Wyld Heart. For over two decades, I’ve led teams and expeditions across Antarctica, Africa, South and Central America, and the American West. My work has always circled back to one thing: helping people find courage and clarity in wild places.
I’m an American Canoe Association Level 5 Raft Instructor Trainer and an ACA Level 4 Swiftwater Rescue Instructor and chair of the ACA Rafting Committee. I’m also an AMGA-trained mountain guide, an avalanche instructor, and a Wilderness Medicine Instructor. Along the way, I’ve started nonprofits, taught as a professor, written as an author, and guided international expeditions.
Through Wyld Heart, I bring all of that experience together — mindset coaching, leadership training, and embodied resilience — to help you navigate challenge, lead with heart, and step into the biggest version of yourself.
Let’s work together
Ready to begin?
The Nitty Gritty
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Private training dates are reserved with a 50% deposit. This allows me to block dedicated time on the river for your training.
Deposits are non-refundable, but if plans change you may apply your deposit toward another training date with at least 14 days notice.
Cancellations made within 14 days of the scheduled training may forfeit the deposit, and cancellations made within 7 days may be charged the full training fee.
If river conditions, weather, or safety concerns require a change of plans, we will simply reschedule the training.
If I need to cancel for any reason, you will always be offered either a full refund or a rescheduled date.
If you have questions about scheduling or travel-based trainings, feel free to reach out before booking.
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Single Day Training
$600 — 1 person
$700 — 2 people
$800 — 3 people
Two-Day Training
$1,100 — 1 person
$1,300 — 2 people
$1,500 — 3 people(About $50–$100/day savings)
Three-Day Training
$1,550 — 1 person
$1,850 — 2 people
$2,100 — 3 people
Four or More Days
Multi-day training blocks of four days or longer are custom priced depending on location, travel, and training objectives.
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All course content — including workbooks, trackers, recordings, and teaching materials — is the property of Wyld Heart Coaching and is provided for your personal use only. Materials may not be copied, shared, or distributed outside the program without express written permission.Item description
