Doesn't work so well. Finding a floor for your raft may be kinda hard to start with. The other issue is that self bailer floors are mounted higher up the tubes than bucket floors. I have yet to see a good solution to that issue when converting. Otherwise the approach is to cut out the existing floor leaving a good 2-3" attached to the tubes. Add a whole bunch of grommets that you can lace in a replacement floor. As far as Guide training, you need to take an official class for that (That will cost $300-400) and I imagine one or two of the larger raft companies offer that in the spring. If you are just talking about someone showing you how to guide your own raft, you will need to do some networking. My learning curve involved reading everything I could and then following commercial trips down the rivers I wanted to float. Know your limits! Guides on commercial trips are usually pretty nice about giving out info on upcoming rapids if you catch them during the quiet float sections in between. Just don't be a nuisance and if you meet up with them at the end of a trip don't be afraid to offer them a beer or two.