Meet the guides
Jon Hall
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WFR / SWR
Certified
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Hometown
Hockessin, DL
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What should customers expect in your boat?
One of the most common questions I’m asked is “Will I fall out of the boat?” Ninety-five percent of the time, the best answer to that is through a question in return. “Do you want to?”
Education and Certifications
– Wilderness First Responder
– Certified in Warranty Repair for AIRE rafts
– Manage OAR’s rookie guide training program
Fun Fact
Spirit Animal
Quote
Favorite Rapid on the Ocoee
Favorite Joke
Best Customer Story
- African-American family of 14, split between two boats. Uncle Roy, family patriarch, navy veteran, self-admitted incapable swimmer, and presently a paddler in my boat, fell into the water above a rapid. Upon seeing this, contrary to any possible conceivable instructions previously given, two more people from my boat, as well as two from the other family boat immediately jump into the river to give some type of aid to Uncle Roy. They locked arms, five wide, and took the next rapid together as a family… as my brother likes to say, “that was one way of doing it.”
- Hispanic family in my raft at the put in, speaking broken English, hailing from Miami. I explain to them how important paddling is to the success of our day. One of the fellows in the front, an especially buff guy in his mid-twenties, gave me the following assurance. “Padding? Oh, paddling no problem at all, mon. I paddle here, from Cuba, on raft, for four days. This easy. Paddling no problem.” Without skipping a beat, I replied “Welcome to our country… let’s do the thing!”
- Boy Scout Austin: Are we going to have to get down in the next rapid?
- Raft Guide Jon: No, not unless something really unexpected happens.
- Boy Scout Austin: You mean like if a dragon attacks our raft?
- Raft Guide Jon: Yes, Austin, absolutely, in the event of dragon attacks I get my people down every single time.
tito
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WFR / SWR
Certified
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Hometown
Fyffe, AL
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Cowboy
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WFR / SWR
Certified
_____________
Hometown
Lebanon, OH
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What should customers expect in your boat?
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Education and Certifications
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Spirit Animal
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Quote
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Favorite Rapid on the Ocoee
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Favorite Joke
Because they’re TWO FORWARD!
(You’ll get it when you get in my raft)
Best guest Story
Hang on he’s thinkin.
COURTNEY
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L4 SWR
Certified
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Hometown
Kennesaw, GA
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What should customers expect ON YOUR TUBING TRIPS?
Random nature facts and bits of local Polk County history.
Education and Certifications
Bachelors of Arts in English from Kennesaw State University
L4 Swift Water Rescue Certified
Spirit Animal
Hang on he’s thinkin.
Quote
What are the Rules of Kayaking?
1) Look Good! If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good you boat good.
2) Have Fun!
3) Safety 3rd (Just kidding, your safety is my number one priority on my trips).
Favorite Rapid on the Ocoee
Broken Nose
Favorite Joke
What do you call a blind dinosaur?
Doyouthinkhesaurus
Mike Trawick
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wfr / swr
certified
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Hometown
Rich Creek, va
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What should customers expect in your boat?
Paddle, Get wet, Laugh a lot!
Education and Certifications
-Graduate of Marshal University
-Health Care Provider CPR & AED
-Wilderness First Responder
-Emergency Medical Response – Wilderness
– Class IV swift water rescue.
Favorite Rapid on the Ocoee
Always a hard question. I guess TableSaw and Broken Nose are my favorites.
Best customer story
The best stories are people that are nervous about the trip at the beginning and are riding the bull at the end of the trip.
Favorite joke
Growing up on the New River in Virginia my parents told me that alligators were in the river. When I got older I learned to guide on the same new river in West Virginia. I was still looking for those gators.
Quote
Whitewater rafting makes the world a better place.
Years as a guide
Started on the Ocoee River in 1990.
Fun fact
I have two cats at home, Max and Kitty Kitty.
Five Star Rated on
contact us
Outdoor Adventure Rafting
629 Welcome Valley Road
Benton, TN 37307