Whether your dream is guiding fly fishing trips, leading whitewater rafting adventures, or simply becoming a more confident boat owner, Colorado River Outfitters' Oar Certification & Guide School is designed to give you the skills, confidence, and experience to succeed.

 

In Colorado, anyone wishing to professionally guide commercially on navigable rivers must successfully complete an approved Oar Certification course that meets Colorado Parks & Wildlife requirements. Our program not only satisfies those requirements—it goes far beyond them.

 

At Colorado River Outfitters, we believe simply earning your certification isn't enough. Our goal is to produce safe, knowledgeable, confident river professionals who are prepared for real-world situations from day one.

 

More Than Just a Guide School

 

Our course isn't only for aspiring fishing or rafting guides.  It's also an incredible opportunity for anyone who has recently purchased a raft or drift boat and wants to become a safer, more skilled rower.  Learning to row takes years of experience. Understanding current, reading water, anticipating hazards, positioning your boat, and making sound decisions under pressure are skills that cannot be learned from YouTube videos alone.

 

Whether you're planning family float trips, overnight river adventures, or simply want to become a better oarsman, this course will dramatically improve your confidence and ability on moving water.  Our instructors have collectively spent decades rowing thousands of river miles throughout Colorado and the western United States. We'll help shorten your learning curve and teach techniques that normally take years to develop.

 

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Why Learn From Colorado River Outfitters?

There are several guide schools available throughout Colorado but experience matters.  Colorado River Outfitters has built its reputation on professionalism, education, safety, and producing exceptional guides. Our instructors aren't simply certified rowers, they're career guides who spend hundreds of days every year on the water.

 

When you learn from CRO, you're learning from professionals who have:

• Guided thousands of successful float trips

• Rowed through virtually every water condition Colorado offers

• Trained countless new guides

• Worked with anglers of every skill level

• Developed efficient, repeatable systems that translate directly to guiding professionally

 

Our goal isn't simply getting students through a certification test.  Our goal is helping you become the guide that outfitters want to hire.  If you're serious about making guiding your profession, or becoming the safest rower possible, you owe it to yourself to learn from some of the most experienced instructors in the region.  Set yourself up for long-term success by learning from guides who make their living on the river every day.

 

Learn the Skills Required by Colorado Parks & Wildlife And Much More

 

Our five-day certification course fulfills Colorado Parks & Wildlife Oar Certification requirements while preparing students for the realities of commercial guiding.  Throughout the week, you'll spend extensive time both on the water and in classroom settings learning the technical knowledge and practical skills necessary to become a professional.

Rather than simply teaching students how to pass an evaluation, we focus on building decision-making skills, confidence, and sound judgment that apply to every day on the river.  Every lesson is taught through real-life scenarios based on situations our instructors have encountered throughout their guiding careers.

 

What You'll Learn

Our curriculum includes all required Colorado Parks & Wildlife competencies along with countless real-world guiding skills, including:

• River reading and identifying the safest route

• Safety speech communication and requirements

• Ferry angles and boat control

• Eddy turns and peel-outs

• Efficient rowing techniques

• Back-rowing and boat positioning

• Hazard recognition and avoidance

• Wave train navigation

• Sweepers, strainers, undercut rocks, and river hazards

• Anchor management and proper anchoring techniques

• Launching and landing boats safely

• Loading gear and passenger management

• Reading changing river conditions

• River etiquette and professionalism

• Commercial guide responsibilities

• Client communication and leadership

• Risk management and decision making

• Emergency preparedness

• River rescue fundamentals

• Throw bag deployment

• Rescue techniques and swimmer recovery

• Basic rope systems

• Equipment inspections and maintenance

• Weather awareness

• Trip planning and logistics

• Guide ethics

• Fish handling and conservation (for fishing guides)

• Working with beginners through advanced anglers

• Building confidence while managing clients in stressful situations

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By the end of the course, students won't simply know how to row a boat—they'll understand what it truly means to be a professional river guide.

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Professionalism Matters

 

Great guides do much more than row a boat.  They create memorable experiences.  They keep clients safe.  They remain calm under pressure.  They solve problems before clients ever know they exist.  Professional guiding requires leadership, communication, patience, confidence, and an unwavering commitment to safety.

 

At Colorado River Outfitters, these values are the foundation of everything we teach.

Whether you're guiding fly fishermen, families, photographers, or first-time rafters, your clients trust you with one of the most important responsibilities imaginable, their safety.

 

Our mission is to prepare every graduate to carry that responsibility with confidence and professionalism.

Meet Your Instructors

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Brian Hilbert

Brian Hilbert is a co-owner of Colorado River Outfitters and has spent more than two decades guiding throughout Colorado and the western United States. Having rowed over 24,000 commercial river miles, Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Brian combines technical fishing and rowing knowledge with a passion for instruction, safety, and conservation. His approachable teaching style helps students quickly build confidence behind the oars while developing the mindset of a true professional guide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Fletcher

Matt Fletcher is one of Colorado River Outfitters' co-owners and one of the most respected guides in the Vail Valley. With decades of professional guiding experience, Matt has built a reputation for exceptional boat control, river knowledge, and calm decision-making under pressure. His ability to simplify complex rowing concepts allows students of every experience level to improve quickly while learning the fundamentals that make great commercial guides.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim McAdow

Tim McAdow is a seasoned professional guide whose positive attitude, patience, and technical expertise have made him one of Colorado River Outfitters' most sought-after instructors. Having spent over 12 years guiding Colorado's rivers, Tim specializes in helping new rowers develop confidence while emphasizing safety, efficiency, and sound river judgment. His real-world experience provides students with practical skills they can immediately apply on the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Suplee

Tim Suplee brings nearly two decades of professional river experience and a passion for developing the next generation of guides. Known for his calm demeanor and extensive river knowledge, Tim focuses on teaching safe boat handling, situational awareness, and professional guiding techniques that prepare students for commercial guiding careers. His commitment to mentorship helps students leave the course with both confidence and a deeper understanding of what it takes to become an outstanding river professional.

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2027 Course Dates & Pricing

 

Tuition

$1,850 per student

Your tuition includes five full days of professional instruction, extensive on-water training, classroom education, and Colorado Parks & Wildlife Oar Certification upon successful completion of course requirements.

 

Course 1

May 3 – May 7

Course 2

May 10 – May 14

 

 

Space is intentionally limited to provide personalized instruction and maximize time behind the oars.

If you're ready to begin a career as a professional river guide, or simply want to become a safer, more confident rower, we invite you to join Colorado River Outfitters for one of Colorado's premier Oar Certification programs.

 

Build confidence. Learn from professionals. Start your guiding career the right way.