Good Afternoon and Happy Saturday!
I would like to ask for a moment of your time to share some thoughts of my recent rafting trip with your company on the Chattooga River.
My family and I decided at the last moment that we would like to end our vacation with a rafting trip and after a bit of research and review reading, we settled upon Wildwater. The woman that my father spoke to on the phone was very friendly and informative, and was able to accommodate us with only a few hours before the trip was to depart. We arrived with a few extra minutes to explore the beautiful grounds and get a feel for what to expect. All of that was great but rather than ramble on, I will get to the point of why I am writing:
I was very impressed with the guide that we had and I feel that your company is quite fortunate to have Ryan Marshall working for you. As a lead sea kayaking guide for a company in the Apostle Islands, I have the privilege of training a lot of the new guides that come in each year. I know how important the hard skills are but the soft skills are really what can make someone stand out as an exceptional guide. I could tell that Ryan is very passionate about what he does, as his love of his job and the river were quite obvious during our paddle. He is very knowledgeable about the area and wanted us to be aware of some big concerns that the Chattooga and other rivers in the area are facing.
As a guide myself, I was worried that I would have trouble letting go of having control and knowing exactly what was going on at all times. Ryan quickly eased that concern when he gave very clear and definitive directions and made sure we all understood before proceeding down the river. Also he continued to reiterate the important things as the day went on as it is easy to forget things when it is a new expereince and the adrenaline is flowing….
Ryan made it a very enjoyable experience for my family so we were able to completely let go and trust him (which is not easy for anyone to do).
I hope you hear good feedback about your guides as I am sure you invest a lot of time and energy into helping them to become awesome at what they do, but I felt that it was important for you to know that you have a really great potential in Ryan. He is a true leader and a good energy to be around.
Thank you for your time and for helping to facilitate a wonderful whitewater experience for my family. We will be back and will definitely recommend your company to anyone looking to rage the rivers in the South East.
Have a great summer and keep following the flow.
Cheers,
Alissa