Due to the liability involved with stand-up paddling, all of the tours we offer are categorized on a scale from beginner (level 1) to advanced (level 3). Not to be confused with the international classification of whitewater, this scale was created by Swift Adventures for your safety and to help you choose the most appropriate tour within your abilities. Our Portage Creek Tour is the most basic river tour offered, Prince William Sound , all iceberg trips and Kenai Lake are flatwater trips designed for beginners and we offer multiple other rivers for other adventure levels. We typically like our clients to take a level 1 river tour before hopping into a level 2 or 3 but feel free to call if there are any questions as to which tour is right for you. We have many guests who’ve taken multiple tours with us which has been great to see their progression as they advance to more technical rivers and adventures.

Water flow levels on the various rivers may also change the level required for running that section on a SUP. (Our level 1 tours are always beginner level.) This is due to changes in weather throughout the season such as lots of rain, sun or freezing temperatures. The tour levels selected are representative of an average flow during mid summer months. If the rivers are exceptionally high or low we will adjust the difficulty levels as needed.

  If you do other different activities such as yoga, running, biking, skiing, snowboarding or have any prior river experience in small crafts it would help you become a better paddler much quicker. Stand up paddling is a sport just about everyone can easily pick up on and is much easier than it looks due to our special boards being three feet wide and very easy to maneuver. See our gear and safety page for more info.