Educating through Experience

Since 1989, Wilderness Water Safety has been training trip leaders to effectively manage and respond to water related emergencies in the backcountry. Over the past 30+ years the course has evolved. Every aspect of the class including the scenarios are all based on actual incidents from wilderness trip leaders. Wilderness Water Safety graduates are some of the most experienced trip leaders in the US and Ontario. They have contributed heavily to the course content and we have some outstanding scenarios to work with.

Prevention is key and over time we have created practices and standards specifically for wilderness environments based on what we have learned over the years. Our goal is to train staff to prevent water related emergencies from happening.

Even the best trained staff encounter unexpected emergencies and we will prepare them to respond should they occur. This includes the unpredictable nature of some of your participants. 

We believe everyone should spend time in the wilderness. We all benefit in so many ways from wilderness experiences. Water related activities, often essential to wilderness experiences can be managed in a way that greatly reduces the risk these activities present.

Why Wilderness Water Safety

Because managing risks and responding to emergencies in the backcountry is so different. Traditional lifeguarding does not provide training for managing water activities in the wilderness. Wilderness Water Safety graduates are expected to:

  • Be in the role of water risk management throughout the whole trip. Water is often always present during wilderness trips.

  • Manage risk through constant assessment of the changing conditions of the personnel, participants and environment.

  • Support the risk management policies of the organization

  • Utilize skills that do not rely on typical lifeguard equipment such as rescue tubes, backboards, AEDs, and access to rapid response from emergency medical services. 

  • Appreciate the increased risks associated with a rescue in the backcountry such as water depth and lack of clarity, distance from shore, wind, and current.

Scenario based learning puts the risk management and rescue skills in context. If it’s not fun, it’s not Wilderness Water Safety- yes the course is challenging and taught primarily in freshwater environments but the course is highly engaging and often fun for wilderness trip leaders.