Conversations with Rafting Guides: Will and Jess

Teva speaks with Kiwi raft guides and couple, Will and Jess, about their passion for rafting, what it takes to be a good river guide and tips for first timers.

To begin, Hi! Please tell us a little bit about yourselves and what got you interested in rafting.

Hey, our names are Jess & Will, we’re both river guides from New Zealand. Working seasonally between Norway & New Zealand!

Where was your first rafting adventure?

(Jess) I got hooked on whitewater rafting after trying it as a tourist in Colombia. I had discovered a rafting trip on el rio negro close to Bogotá on a whim and it turned out to be the funest thing I had done in a long time! I decided almost immediately after the trip that I wanted to become a river guide. It had an inherent element of fun and adventure that I wanted to explore.

(Will) I grew up in Auckland and always found myself happiest outdoors or playing sports. I started rafting when I went on a rafting trip in my last year of high school. Shortly after I was told about an outdoor education course that taught whitewater skills as well as other things, and it naturally just went from there.

How long have you both been raft guides?

We have both been in the industry for 7 years. After completing diplomas in outdoor instruction here in New Zealand. We’re still loving it and progressing more into teaching roles.

What do you think it takes to be a good river guide?

Rafting is a team sport, so the most important thing is connecting with your team! Everyone who comes rafting just wants to have fun. River environments can be intimidating, so having friendly banter and getting to know who is on the boat helps to break the ice and sets you up for an epic trip.

What are your top tips for anyone interested in rafting for the first time?

If you’re going on a commercial rafting trip for the first time just go into it with an open mind! Be prepared to enjoy the river and the rapids in a way you haven’t before. Take every opportunity you may get to jump in the water to swim around or to do a rock jump. It’s all about exploring! And if you’re wanting to become a rafting guide or learn how to kayak, find a rafting company, university or local club. Reach out on Facebook pages to meet people in the community. Whitewater people are always keen to share the stoke and are happy to lend gear and share knowledge.

You’ve both water rafted through the most amazing rivers and canyons all over the world - including the Grand Canyon- how does New Zealand stack up globally when it comes to epic rafting adventures?

New Zealand has so many diverse rivers all over the country, from tropical canyons on the Kaituna river in the North Island to glacially fed multi-day rafting trips in the Southern Alps of the South Island. On a global scale, New Zealand is definitely recognised as a must-do location for whitewater people. We are also the only country to have a standardized qualification system in whitewater rafting, which is highly regarded around the world!

What’s been your most memorable trip?

(Jess) My most memorable trip would have to be the kayaking roadie I took on my first move to Queenstown. It was my first time kayaking everyday for a few weeks in a row so I felt my kayaking improving. I got to paddle lots of rivers I had been thinking about for a while with a lot of new faces along the way. The beauty of it was that the only thing you had to worry about in the morning was what river you were going to paddle and what to have for lunch. New Zealand road trips are pretty hard to beat!

(Will) Mine would probably be a multi-day kayaking trip in Colombia I did last year. To get to the river we had to get to a town called El Solidad. After driving for 7 hours we found the road had washed away and couldn’t drive any further. So we loaded up our kayaks, waved goodbye to the driver, and walked for the last hour or so in a thunderstorm. The next day one of our group was unwell and needed to chill out, so the rest of us walked upstream for an hour or two and kayaked some insane rapids on the way back to the town. When we arrived back the locals invited us to party and spent most of the time convincing us which politicians to vote for in their election and getting us to ride their donkeys! When our fouth member had recovered we showed him down some of the rapids we had paddled a few days before. Then carried on downstream and spent the next three days figuring out a spectacular river in the Colombian jungle with the last day having some of the biggest rapids all of us had ever experienced!