IntroductionTo Whitewater Rafting Trips

smartiz | Jun 18, 2009 | 0 comments

White water rafting, or simply rafting, has grown in popularity over about thirty years as an exciting and potentially thrilling sporting activity. The vast majority of rafters are thrill-seekers on adventure holidays looking for that adrenaline rush as the raft encounters rough or white water. That said, there are of course extreme sports enthusiasts who totally without support seek out and ride rough water to give them a true sense of exploration and excitement.

Most modern rafts built for white water are inflatable or semi-inflatable boats built from very durable, many layered, vinyl and rubber fabrics. They will have many independent inflatable chambers for safety purposes, meaning that when a chamber is punctured on, for example, a hazard, the raft is still buoyant and safe. Typical rafts are about 4m long and 2m wide, but they can be bigger, or even as small as a single person raft suitable for back-packing, or trekking. The biggest rafts can carry twelve or more thrill-seekers but more typically a raft will carry eight to ten occupants.

White water rafting in organised groups is usually safe, even though the purpose of the trip for the the majority of people is extreme excitement. Serious accidents are few in number these days and when the unexpected does happen, modern safety equipment is very well designed and reliable. White water rafting can, however, be a dangerous activity, especially when basic safety rules are broken and private trips, and sometimes commercial trips, have resulted in fatalities. Private trips are generally more dangerous as they may be on uncharted sections of a river and greater care must be taken.

Because of the risks involved, commercial rafting companies will usually need customers to sign waiver paperwork to acknowledge the risks involved and to absolve the organisers of some responsibility. Signing the paperwork reinforces the safety issues and will often be accompanied by a safety briefing covering everything from the essentials to procedures in case of a complete capsize of the raft.

Rafting is available on many rivers around the globe, from the big rivers of the USA and Canada, to lesser known rivers of South America and Africa, and many other countries in Europe and beyond. Even in areas not well known for white water rivers it is possible to enjoy rafting on man- made courses originally designed for white water canoe competitions. For example it is possible to enjoy white water rafting in Nottingham, England on the Olympic standard white water course. It is beyond the scope of this article to recommend venues as that will depend upon your knowledge and preferences, but the International Scale of River Difficulty could help you choose your location for rafting. This scale has been developed for the benefit of everybody involved with rafting.

Class 1 – very small rough areas, requires no manoeuvring
Class 2 – some rough water, maybe some rocks, small drops, might require manoeuvring
Class 3 – whitewater, medium waves, maybe a 3-5 ft drop, but not much considerable danger. May require significant manoeuvring
Class 4 – whitewater, large waves, rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp manoeuvres may be needed.
Class 5 – whitewater, large waves, large rocks and hazards, maybe a large drop, precise manoeuvring
Class 6 – whitewater, typically with huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, huge drops, and invisible dangers. Possible danger to life or limb.

Regardless of the class of river, the qualifications of the guide, and the standard of equipment used should always be considered before choosing a trip. Some areas insist upon certification and local safety regulations before individuals can operate as commercial rafting providers.

Finally, don’t let all this talk about safety put you off an exciting white water rafting experience. It has generally become safer as this activity has developed and there are many operators, in many countries, providing very safe but still exciting rafting trips on all sorts of different rivers.

Grab crucial tips in the sphere of online forex trading info – welcome to your individual knowledge pack.