
Charlie Walbridge is an American Canoe Association Instructor-Trainer Educator for swiftwater rescue.
Charlie teaches one and two-day courses designed for canoe clubs, outfitters, and emergency responders. The program is designed to make people more comfortable in the water so they can self-rescue more effectively and work on boat pins and other situations with confidence. The prerequisite is intermediate paddling skills and strong swimming ability. Charlie’s course outline is available, and you can consult the official course outline at the ACA’s web site www.acanet.org.
Charlie is authorized to certify instructors
He runs ACA Instructor Certification Course that last four days. The first two days are considered the Instructor Development Workshop (IDW), a fast-paced run-through of the course with an emphasis on how to teach the program. The second two days will be the Instructor Candidate Exam (ICE) when the instructor candidates teach a portion of the course. The prerequisite is an ACA two-day Swiftwater Rescue Course or equivalent training from programs run by outfitters, clubs, or first responders. Check out Charlie’s page of instructor notes.
It’s also possible to earn an instructor rating by co-teaching. You would need to assist for a minimum of two two-day courses. You would probably observe the first course, then actively co-teach in the second. Properly qualified ACA instructors in related disciplines (whitewater kayak or canoe) can challenge the course by co-teaching a single two-day program. Anyone interested in co-teaching can contact Charlie directly. Please provide an outline of your experience in the field.
Charlie Walbridge Swiftwater Rescue Instructor
Contact me for a Swftwater Rescue Clinic by email or phone 1-304-698-7088
Charlie Walbridge: ccwalbridge@cs.com
Pay for “Open” classes online to make it easier on Charlie and give you more time for the class rather than spending time talking about money.
Charlie Walbridge invented the Hi Float PFD.
Materials and Articles of Importance
Download the ACA Waiver
Swiftwater Rescue Course Outline
Swiftwarter Rescue Articles and Posts
“The freedom to take calculated risks, in business, love, or whitewater, is one of the most cherished prerogatives of a free people. I don’t try to discourage knowledgeable people from willingly assuming risks; but I do work to educate inexperienced paddlers so they don’t get into trouble inadvertently.”