Who it's for

• Packrafters who are preparing for whitewater and/or backcountry paddling.
• Folks who own their equipment or are about to purchase it. I do not provide any equipment. Here is the required equipment list.
• Paddlers who will benefit from directed practice of recovery exercises—loose equipment and swimmers.
• Paddlers who want to get better at catching eddies, peeling out, and letting the river do the work.
• Intermediate, novice, and beginner paddlers.
• No experience necessary. But, you will get the most out of this course if you have paddled enough to recognize some gaps in your knowledge.
• I welcome and will support participants who are intimidated by the water, have had scary experiences, or have unique considerations. If in doubt, contact me.

Course description 

Packraft Safety and Rescue is jam-packed with everything you need to take your packrafting game to the next level: This 2-day (9 AM - 5 PM) curriculum has evolved through 50+ courses and working with hundreds of participants:

• Safety and rescue standards
• Outfitting and equipment considerations
• River features and hazards
• Paddle technique and boat control: catching eddies, peeling out
• Wilderness Risk Management and preparation for backcountry paddling

Packraft Safety and Rescue includes access to the Paddle Up a Level online course modules 1 & 2: Equipment and swimmer/equipment recovery. You can add on modules 3 & 4 (paddle strokes, boat control, river running, and online form review) at a discounted price at any time.

Essential Eligibility Requirements

Packraft Safety and Rescue is open to adults who can provide their own equipment. You will need to sign a waiver to participate.

You must be able to: 

• Hold your breath underwater, then independently turn to a faceup position and keep your head above water.
• Tread water and swim to shore in swiftwater.
• Walk on slippery and loose rocks on shore and in swiftwater.
• Understand and follow directions: Voice commands, hand and paddle signals, and whistle signals.
• Manage your personal care and mobility during 8 hours in and out of cold water.

Contact me if you are under 18, visually or hearing impaired, have other unique considerations, or have any other questions about your eligibility.

Safety first

• 6:1 instructor ratio for shore-based exercises, 4:1 ratio for water-based exercises.
• Led by Luc Mehl: Swiftwater Rescue Instructor certified (Swiftwater Safety Institute), WFR certified, author of The Packraft Handbook.
• Assisted by Kevin Kelly, Taylor Guetschow, or Alex Buetow: SRT and WFR certified at a minimum.

New for 2025!

Two-day rescue scenario course for guides, instructors, and intermediate to advanced river runners (kayaks and packrafts).

Improve your emergency response, problem-solving, and leadership skills through scenario-based learning.

L.A.S.T. River Rescue picks up where your rescue training probably ended: You've got the paddling and basic rescue skills, but haven't recently put them to the test.

• One-day refresher of fundamental shore- and boat-based safety and rescue (SRT).
• One-day river scenarios: Problem-solving, accessing and assessing injured paddlers, moving people to safety, etc. Scenarios are based on training strategies and insights from the military and first responders.

Participants with 100% attendance will receive certificates of completion.

You will leave this course with a polished and expanded toolset to respond to what can go wrong during river work or play:

• Assessing risk and identifying river hazards when conducting a self or team rescue
• Considerations for remote and minimal equipment rescues
• Coordinating a rescue response and team rescue
• Swiftwater swimming
• Wading
• Throw ropes
• Foot-entrapment rescues
• Re-entries (packrafts) and T-rescues (kayaks)
• Medical considerations for drowning, hypothermia, and CPR
• Problem-solving
• Leadership and team-management

Paddling ability

You need to be comfortable maneuvering through Class II+ / III- rapids so that your focus can be on the rescue scenarios. Packrafters should be able to re-enter their packraft or have recently practiced assisted re-entry. Kayakers should be able to roll.

• Intermediate and advanced kayakers and packrafters: Class II+ / III- experience and skillset.
• I welcome and will support participants who are intimidated by the water, have had scary experiences, or have unique considerations. If in doubt, contact me. 

Rescue skills

L.A.S.T. River Rescue is an opportunity to refresh skills learned in previous safety/rescue courses or equivalent experience on rivers. 

• Swiftwater Rescue Training, Packraft Safety & Rescue training, equivalent courses, or equivalent experience. Contact me if you have questions about your candidacy.

Equipment

Review the required equipment list.

• You must provide all of your own equipment.
• Kayaks must have flotation bags.

Essential Eligibility Requirements

L.A.S.T. River Rescue is open to adults who can provide their own equipment. You will need to sign a waiver to participate.

 You must be able to: 

• Hold your breath underwater, then independently turn to a faceup position and keep your head above water.
• Tread water and swim to shore in swiftwater.
• Walk on slippery and loose rocks on shore and in swiftwater.
• Understand and follow directions: Voice commands, hand and paddle signals, and whistle signals.
• Manage your personal care and mobility during 8 hours in and out of cold water.

Contact me if you are under 18, visually or hearing impaired, have other unique considerations, or have any other questions about your eligibility.

We will adopt the 'paddle up a level' strategy of using advanced techniques in lower-consequence settings. Participants will be invited to opt-in to harder iterations as we proceed.

• 4:1 instructor ratio.
• Led by Luc Mehl: Certified Ice and Swiftwater Rescue Technician, WFR certified, author of The Packraft Handbook.
• Assisted by Kevin Kelly, Taylor Guetschow, or Alex Buetow: SRT and WFR certification at a minimum.

Who it's for

Novice and intermediate packrafters who want to safely rig their boat, practice recovery exercises (loose equipment and swimmers), and improve boat control skills: catching eddies, peeling out, ferrying, etc.

Course description 

Paddle Up a Level is an online course and Q&A platform that will take your packrafting adventures to the next level. This course brings lessons from my in-person courses and Part One of The Packraft Handbook to an online format. You will have unlimited access to the video modules:

• Equipment review and considerations
• Swimmer and equipment recovery
• Paddle strokes
• Boat control and river running

Paddle Up a Level also provides a Q&A platform and form feedback review (by video).

Package pricing

Paddle Up a Level (online) and Packraft Safety and Rescue (in person) go hand-in-hand. Receive a $100 discount when purchasing both, at any time.