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Whitewater Rafting and Kayaking

Whitewater rafting and kayaking are incredibly fun and exhilarating activities, largely because of the sense of speed, movement, and danger that you get while doing them. However, just like the speed and movement, the danger isn't just in your head. There are certain safety precautions that you need to take when whitewater rafting & kayaking.

The crew, size of the rapids, whether you're rafting or kayaking, and what river you're on will all determine what safety features are needed in your equipment and training. On rivers with a lot of bends, momentum, and so on, but fewer rocks, you don't need to worry as much about getting pinned. However, having the raft or kayak flip and needing to escape, get ashore or afloat, is one. You'll want to run crafts close together in this scenario so that they can help each other.

Another option is to set up a throw rope at the bottom of the river, having the most experienced rafters or kayakers go down and set up this safety for less experienced individuals.

On the other hand, if there are a lot of rocks, you'll want to be careful about the possibility of pinning and getting stuck, which means that jamming your rafts or kayaks close together is a poor idea. Whatever you do, remember that whitewater rafting & kayaking is still a dangerous sport, and you'll want to take safety precautions to be sure that you conquer the river instead of letting it conquer you.