Terms of service

IMPORTANT AGREEMENT

Thank you for booking with Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service. By booking, paying a deposit, signing, or participating in a trip, you agree to the terms below.

KEY CLIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Pay the deposit and remaining balance when due.
  • Contact the guide directly about cancellations or changes.
  • Arrive on time, prepared, and able to participate safely.
  • Bring required licenses, tags, permits, stamps, identification, and related documents.
  • Follow guide instructions, safety rules, fishing regulations, and applicable laws.
  • Tell the guide before the trip about any medical condition or limitation that may affect safety.
  • Accept the inherent risks of guided fishing, boating, wading, and outdoor conditions.
  • Take responsibility for personal belongings and damage caused by misuse, negligence, or failure to follow instructions.
  • Make sure everyone in your party understands and follows this agreement.

1. BOOKING & PAYMENT

A 50% deposit is required to reserve a trip. The reservation is confirmed only after the deposit is received. The remaining balance is due before or at the start of the trip unless otherwise agreed in writing. Unpaid balances, cancellation charges, damage charges, or other amounts owed may be collected by Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service, and the client is responsible for reasonable collection costs, processing fees, and attorney fees where permitted by law.

2. CANCELLATION & RESERVATION CHANGES

Because specific dates, guides, boats, and equipment are reserved for each booking, cancellation terms are as follows: more than 14 days before the trip, the deposit may be refundable; 14 days or less before the trip, the deposit is non-refundable; within 5 days of the trip, including no-shows or failure to arrive, the full trip price is due. A client who cancels within 5 days must pay any outstanding balance before another reservation will be accepted. Cancellations must be made directly to the guide and are not confirmed until acknowledged by the guide.

Repeat late cancellations: Any client who has cancelled a trip more than once within 5 days of the scheduled trip date will be required to pay 100% of the full trip price at the time of booking for all future reservations. This full payment is required to secure the reservation and is non-refundable.

Reservation changes are subject to availability and guide approval. Depending on timing, a change may be treated as a cancellation and new reservation.

3. SAFETY, CONDITIONS & TRIP CONTROL

The guide has final authority over safety decisions. Trips may be postponed, shortened, relocated, modified, or cancelled due to unsafe weather, water conditions, tides, smoke, fire, road closures, mechanical issues, illness, government restrictions, or other conditions outside the guide’s reasonable control. If the guide cancels for safety reasons or circumstances beyond the client’s control, the guide may offer a rescheduled trip or refund amounts paid toward the cancelled trip. Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service is not responsible for travel, lodging, meals, transportation, lost wages, or other client expenses.

4. ASSUMPTION OF RISK

Guided fishing and boating involve inherent risks, including slips, falls, drowning, capsizing, collisions, changing weather, cold or heat exposure, cuts, punctures, equipment failure, wildlife or insect encounters, uneven terrain, submerged hazards, actions of others, and limited access to emergency care. Client voluntarily accepts all known and unknown risks connected with the trip.

5. RELEASE OF LIABILITY & HOLD HARMLESS

To the fullest extent permitted by law, client releases and agrees not to sue Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service, Brandon Hiatt, guides, employees, contractors, agents, owners, operators, affiliates, successors, insurers, and assigns for claims, losses, injuries, illness, death, property damage, costs, or liability arising from booking, participation, equipment use, transportation, or presence on or near the water, including claims based on ordinary negligence. This release does not apply to conduct that cannot legally be released.

6. INDEMNIFICATION

Client agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service and its released parties from claims, losses, damages, costs, or attorney fees arising from client conduct, violation of this agreement, failure to follow instructions or laws, damage to property or equipment, injury caused to another person, or claims brought by anyone in the client’s party.

7. CLIENT FITNESS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS & EMERGENCY CARE

Client confirms they are able to participate safely and must tell the guide before the trip about any medical condition, allergy, medication, limitation, or other issue that may affect safety. Client authorizes the guide to seek emergency help if reasonably necessary and is responsible for related medical, rescue, evacuation, ambulance, hospital, or other costs.

8. LICENSES, REGULATIONS & CLIENT RESPONSIBILITY

Each client is responsible for carrying all required licenses, tags, permits, stamps, harvest cards, identification, and other required documents, and for following all applicable fishing, boating, wildlife, and safety laws. Fines, penalties, citations, or related consequences are the client’s responsibility.

9. CONDUCT & SAFETY

Clients must follow guide instructions. The guide may refuse service, remove a client, or end a trip without refund for unsafe, illegal, threatening, abusive, intoxicated, disruptive, or inappropriate behavior. Illegal drugs are prohibited. Alcohol may be limited or prohibited for safety reasons.

10. PERSONAL PROPERTY & EQUIPMENT

Clients are responsible for personal belongings. Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service is not responsible for lost, stolen, dropped, submerged, or damaged personal property. Client agrees to pay for equipment damaged or lost due to misuse, negligence, intentional conduct, or failure to follow instructions.

11. FISHING SUCCESS

Fishing success is not guaranteed. Weather, water conditions, regulations, fish behavior, and other natural factors may affect the trip and catch.

12. MINORS

A parent or legal guardian must sign for any participant under 18 and accepts responsibility for the minor’s participation, conduct, damages, and compliance with this agreement. The parent or legal guardian is also responsible for ensuring the minor has an appropriately fitting Level 70 USCG-approved lifejacket.

13. GOVERNING LAW, VENUE & SEVERABILITY

For trips occurring in Oregon, this agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Oregon. For trips occurring in California, this agreement is governed by the laws of the State of California. Disputes must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction where the trip occurred or where Brandon Hiatt’s Guide Service principally operates, to the extent permitted by law. If any part is unenforceable, the remaining terms still apply.

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT & SIGNATURE

By booking, paying a deposit, signing, or participating, client confirms they have read, understood, and voluntarily agreed to these terms and will share them with everyone in their party.