Packrafting Leadership Course
Leading a river trip requires more than strong paddling skills.
The Packraft Leadership Course is designed for paddlers who organise, lead or influence group trips and want to improve their judgement, communication and decision-making on moving water.
This course focuses on the often invisible side of river leadership: planning ahead, shaping decisions early, managing group dynamics, holding reserve capacity, and building a culture where safety and honesty are prioritised.
Whether you are leading trips for PRANZ (Packrafting Association of New Zealand), organising missions with friends, or stepping into more formal guiding roles, the responsibility is the same — you are influencing what happens next.
Over a pre-course Zoom session and two days on the river, we combine leadership theory, human factors, river-running systems and practical leadership rotations to develop confident, capable river leaders.
This is not a rescue qualification or technique clinic.
It is a practical leadership course for packrafters who want to lead well.
Who is this for?
The Packraft Leadership Course is designed for experienced paddlers who organise, influence or lead river trips and want to do so with greater clarity, confidence and responsibility.
It is ideal for:
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Packrafters leading trips for PRANZ or other community groups
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Recreational paddlers who regularly organise missions with friends
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Emerging trip leaders wanting to step into more responsibility
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Outdoor professionals expanding into river-based leadership
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Guides who want to sharpen their decision-making and group management skills
You do not need to be a professional guide to attend. However, you should already be comfortable paddling Grade 2–3 rivers and operating independently in backcountry environments.
This course is not about improving your forward stroke or teaching rescue techniques. It is about improving your judgement, communication and leadership on the river.
If you have ever found yourself thinking:
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“How do I make the right call without killing morale?”
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“How do I manage mixed abilities in a group?”
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“How do I avoid social pressure pushing us into poor decisions?”
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“How do I build a culture where people speak up early?”
— then this course is for you.
At its core, this is leadership development for river environments. It is about learning to think ahead, hold margin, and take responsibility for what happens next.
Contents
This course focuses on practical leadership in river environments. The emphasis is on judgement, communication and group management — not paddling technique or rescue skills.
Leadership Foundations
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What leadership means on the river
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Responsibility vs popularity
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Making decisions early
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When to be directive and when to step back
Planning, Margin & Decision-Making
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Pre-trip planning and identifying trigger points
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Holding reserve capacity
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Recognising social pressure and cognitive bias
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Shaping decisions before they escalate
River Leadership Systems
On-water sessions focus on practical group management strategies, including:
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River signals and communication protocols
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Probe systems
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Rolling cover
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Truck-and-trailer strategy
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Positioning, spacing and downstream safety
Situational Awareness & Presence
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Maintaining big-picture oversight (“coffee and radio” principle)
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Avoiding task traps
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Thinking one step ahead
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Managing energy and morale
Learning Culture & Debriefing
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Structured debrief techniques
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Near-miss awareness
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Encouraging honest feedback
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Continuous improvement on your own trips
Course Format
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2-hour pre-course Zoom session
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Two full days on the river
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Leadership role rotations
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Introduced friction to test decision-making
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Structured reflection and feedback
Participants leave with practical leadership tools and river-specific systems they can apply immediately.
The Details
- Pre-Course Zoom session
- 2 full days on the river (Queenstown based)
- Aimed at Grade 3 paddlers who lead their own missions
- March 14/15th
- PRANZ Grants available!! (Please contract PRANZ for details)
