COURSES, TRAINING & EXPEDITIONS
Whether you are new to packrafting and would like to learn the basics, an intermediate paddler looking to improve your safety, rescue and river running skills, or an experienced paddler ready to take it to the next level. Joining a course and training with us will help you achieve your goals.
At Packraft Europe we offer a variety of courses, trainings and expeditions depending on your skill level, experience and desired learning outcomes. We are certified by Rescue 3 Europe and the IRF (International Rafting Federation) and also have one of the lowest instructor to student ratios in the industry, which means when packraft training with us you are guaranteed personalised one on one coaching and direct individual feedback to help you progress faster.
2023 CALENDAR
MAY
JUNE
3rd - WRT-F, Whitewater Rescue Technician Foundation (1day) Soca River, Bovec, Slovenia.
3rd to 4th - WRT-REC, Whitewater Rescue Technician Recreational (2day) Soca River, Bovec, Slovenia.
3rd to 5th - WRT-PRO, Whitewater Rescue Technician Professional (3day) Soca River, Bovec, Slovenia.
17th to 18th June - Packraft Whitewater Fundamentals (2 day) Soca River, Bovec, Slovenia.
19th to 21st June - Packraft Whitewater Progression (3 day) Soca River, Bovec, Slovenia.
JULY
CUSTOM & PRIVATE TRAINING
Designed and tailor made specifically for you! Whether you just want to learn some new skills in order to gain some extra confidence and have more fun on the river, are looking to improve your paddling and rescue skills, ready to push your limits or have an epic adventure in mind and need some support to pull it off.
We have run courses for families learning to packraft with young children, have helped people gain the rescue and expedition skills needed for remote multi day & multi week trips, ran teambuilding courses and corporate trainings, helped people refine their advanced paddling techniques and get their boof stroke dialed. Take your packrafting to the next level and contact us now!
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PACKRAFT BEGINNER COURSE
PACKRAFT BEGINNER COURSE1 Day 235€* on class I/II rivers - Maximum 4 participants per 1 Instructor. Our Packraft Beginner Course is ideal for people totally new to packrafting and curious to try it out. It is designed to give you an overview of packrafting and cover the most common questions you might have, like which gear you need for packrafting, how to pack and inflate the packraft, etc. You will learn basic river reading skills, risk assessment skills, basic safety skills and fundamental paddling techniques.
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PACKRAFT WHITEWATER FUNDAMENTALS
PACKRAFT WHITEWATER FUNDAMENTALS2 day 345€* on class II/III rivers - Maximum 4 participants per 1 Instructor. Our two day Packraft Whitewater Fundamentals course is great for people who are thinking about paddling whitewater or have started paddling whitewater, or those that just want to feel more confident on moving water. You will learn about river safety and rescue and paddling skills and techniques.
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PACKRAFT WHITEWATER PROGRESSION
PACKRAFT WHITEWATER PROGRESSION3 day 450€* | 4 day 600€* | 5 day 750€* on class II/III/IV rivers -Maximum 3 participants per 1 Instructor. Our Packraft Whitewater Progression training is for those packrafters who already have experience and are ready to take their whitewater packrafting skills to the next level. You must be able to self rescue, ideally have already taken a whitewater rescue course and are able to manoeuvre around the river. This course covers basic, intermediate and advanced paddling and safety techniques although it is primarily focused on, and customised for the individual levels of the group.
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RESCUE 3 WRT-F, 1 DAY, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE
RESCUE 3 WRT-F1 day (6 hours) – €230. The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Foundation (WRT-F) course is designed for those new to whitewater paddling with little or no experience. The course aims to teach basic safety and rescue skills required in a moderate whitewater environment, and covers the foundation skills used in all our water safety and rescue courses.
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RESCUE 3 WRT-REC, 2 DAY, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE
RESCUE 3 WRT-REC2 day (12 hours) – €330. The Whitewater Rescue Technician - Recreational (WRT-REC) course is for recreational paddlers who wish to have a rescue capability whilst paddling or in a whitewater environment with their peers, eg kayak club members, informal non-paying paddlers completing a river trip.
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RESCUE 3 WRT-PRO, 3 DAY, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE
RESCUE 3 WRT-PRO3 day (18 hours) – €440. The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Professional (WRT-PRO) course is designed for professional river users who require a rescue capability in a whitewater environment, eg packraft guides, raft guides, safety kayakers. Recreational paddlers should take the WRT-REC course.
REVIEWS

Thomas Thaller, PACKRAFT EXPLORERS
"I have already participated in several packraft courses at Packrafteurope and was surprised about the intensity of the training every time. Whether it was a 2 day, 3 day rescue course or the six day packraft guide training, afterwards my knowledge, practical skills and also my confidence in white water was extremely increased. Seon is one of the best guides when it comes to packrafting and he always manages to get you out of your comfort zone and beyond your limits without you losing your fun. Maximum safety in all areas is Seon's top priority at all times. The rental equipment is of the highest quality and is from the renowned manufacturers such as Alpackaraft, Astral, NRS and TNP. So if you want to have an extremely steep learning curve, you should take a course with Seon from Packrafteurope"
Stephan, Germany
"A really important course for every packrafter. It sharpens your senses for possible things happening and trains you with the tools to react to it. Instructed by Seon with a lot of commitment. This won't be our last rescue course!"
Sam, UK
"Earlier this month had a fabulous 4 days with Packraft Europe in Gosau, Austria. 2 day packrafting clinic with Mark Oates, Jen and Seon, focusing on paddle strokes, choice of line and positioning within the paddling group. Massively impressed by the knowledgeable and detailed coaching, analysis of particular paddle strokes and theory of line choice. Fabulous two days paddling. Very impressed by all the time taken, after first long day of paddling, of watching back tape of us all paddling, analysis of technique and where and how to improve. Then did the 2 day Rescue 3 WRT-Rec course with Seon. Learnt a heap on hydrology, river features and characteristics, knots, rescue techniques and considerations, and then drilled them thoroughly on the river. All this in the stunning surroundings of the scenery around Gosau, where there is a crazy wealth and range of water, from lakes to Grade 5. Fabulous instruction. Can’t recommend enough."
Anja, Germany
"I am happy that I made the rescue course. The execution of the course was great. We got all the time feedback when something was well done or could be improved. All topics were shown before for better understanding. And - important - we were challenged afterwards to apply the learned in scenarios. Great experience!"
Bart Claeys, CEO BOLD Leadership
"With BOLD Leadership Expeditions, we offer leadership courses in outdoor setting (expeditions, short retreats, 1 day programs, teambuilding, ...). We were already looking for quite a long time for a partnership that could serve multiple goals: we needed a great packraft guide to add to our staff for certain projects we run on the water, we also need advice on gear/projects & we're always looking for companies that can provide us training, workshops and certifications.
The first contact with 'Packraft Europe' was an eye opener for us. We knew from the start that this was going to be something absolutely valuable for BOLD Leadership Expeditions. With Seon & Michaela, we managed to achieve our goals from above. Some of our staff joined Whitewater Rescue Courses and we also started to let Seon join some of our projects for coördination of the packrafting part.
And as an extra bonus, they sell gear to us which is selected with the best care and advice there is. In the end, we value Seon & Michaela most of all for their professional attitude and clear communication line. Everything is always being done correct. They really do great work!! My advice...contact them!"
Evelyn, Germany
"This course was more than we asked for- in many ways.Our instructor (Seon) was most qualified and managed to establish a great (small) group experience and bonding from scratch.He was highly skilled in assessing risk factors, i.e. predictng flash floods and other critical conditions on the water.But what made this course and instructor really outstanding, were his social skills. He showed us how to run whitewater – with or without a packraft - even if some of us were afraid to swim in a lake. Finally, he will never let you down -even if that means to push you over your limits (or what you perceive as your limits)-In conclusion, if you like a challenge, this is the guy to trust. He goes above and beyond to make you improve. High recommendation! And the Packrafts they sell are really high-quality".
Christoph, Austria
"Attending this course (WRT-PRO) was a great and important decision. Seons instructions were clear and the combination of theoretical and practical sessions made it possible to see how to use the new skills. I look at rivers in a different way now and definitely doing the course next year again!"
TRAINING WITH PACKRAFT EUROPE
At Packraft Europe our courses and training focus on the core fundamentals essential to becoming a safer, and more competent paddler. You can think of these two fundamentals as the foundation on which we stand, just like two legs.
On one leg we have safety and rescue: In order to become safer packrafters we need river reading skills, an understanding of river hydrology, an understanding of the risks involved in moving water, knowledge on how to identify hazards, river communication skills, knowledge about where to position ourselves on the river, self rescue and team rescue skills. We learn how to identify hazards so we can avoid them and we also learn how to rescue ourselves, others and gear when things don’t go as planned. We also learn about pre trip planning and preparation.
On the other leg we have paddling skills and techniques: We learn how to hold a paddle properly, correct and efficient forward paddle strokes, sweep strokes, draw strokes, when and how to brace, paddle timing and placement, angle and edging skills. These are needed to become skilled and competant paddlers so we can move more easily around the river, avoid the hazards, catch eddies, boof over drops and holes, help others when needed, paddle more challenging rapids and have more fun.
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Packraft Europe worked closely with Rescue 3 Europe to create the WRT-F course and tailor the renowned WRT-REC and WRT-PRO courses specifically to the needs of the packrafting community. Rescue 3 has a reputation for quality hands-on instruction, using techniques that work, and this reputation has fueled the growth of Rescue 3 and its courses over the years. The Whitewater Rescue Technician course is essential training for anyone involved in whitewater.
The importance of Whitewater Rescue training for packrafters can not be emphasized highly enough. Packrafts are too easy to use and invoke a false sense of security and often those new to packrafting as well as seasoned packrafters over estimate their abilities. You simply do not know what you do not know. Whitewater rescue training provides the knowledge, skills and training needed to identify the risks and hazards involved in moving water and the techniques needed to help avoid these risks, to self rescue, and to help others in a rescue scenario.
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YOUR INSTRUCTOR
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Seon Crockford-Laserer
FIND OUT MORESeon is a passionate outdoor, kayak and packrafting instructor. He is dedicated to the personal safety, wellbeing and skill development of his students and is known for exceeding expectations. He has a reputation for prioritising safety, teaching technical skills in an easy to understand way, and getting people out of their comfort zone and beyond their perceived limits. Training with Seon is guaranteed to help you acheive your paddling goals and take your packrafting to the next level... not to mention a lot of fun!
Co-Founder of Packraft Europe | Rescue 3 Whitewater Rescue Technician Instructor | IRF Whitewater Guide Instructor | IRF Safety Kayak Instructor | NOLS Wilderness First Responder | Former Outwardbound Instructor...
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PACKRAFT BEGINNER COURSE 1DAY
Regular price £208.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price perSold out -
PACKRAFT WHITEWATER FUNDAMENTALS 2DAY
Regular price £305.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price perSold out -
PACKRAFT WHITEWATER PROGRESSION 3/4/5DAY
Regular price From £398.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price per -
RESCUE 3 WRT-F, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE 1 DAY
Regular price £204.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price perSold out -
RESCUE 3 WRT-REC, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE 2 DAY
Regular price £292.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price perSold out -
RESCUE 3 WRT-PRO, PACKRAFT SAFETY & RESCUE COURSE 3 DAY
Regular price £389.00 GBPRegular priceUnit price perSold out