Following these 7 tips for river rafting, you not only have secure rafting but can also double the fun of your rafting adventure. Over the years, river rafting has become such a famous extreme adventure among sightseers that several destinations worldwide have become well-known for their challenging and thrilling rivers.

Tips For River Rafting

As thrilling and fun as it may be, we can’t overlook that river rafting entails a risk factor because of nature’s elements. No matter how straightforward or difficult your whitewater rafting venture might be, you should always know these essential 7 tips for river rafting to ensure your exciting adventure is as safe as possible.

Never Face The Rapids Alone :

Rafting is a group sport; whether you’re a beginner or a skilled rafter, it’s challenging or risky to face the rapids alone. It’s good to hire an instructor or guide to join you with a minimum of four other rafters so you carry challenges and thoroughly enjoy the rafting journey.

Listening to professional guides is crucial for a fun and exciting rafting journey. Never endeavor to avoid the guides even if you know the rafting stanches of primary or intermediate level to have a safe trip.

Always wear protective gear :

Choosing the lifejacket in which you feel pretty relaxed is a must to ensure your personal security. Don’t hesitate while selecting the lifejacket because wearing oversized vests can cause trouble later.

So, always have your experienced guide check your jacket to ensure an excellent fit. A personal floatation device is also essential while on a rafting session.

It’s mandatory to wear a helmet regardless of what rafting level you are partaking in. Let’s encounter it; you would not allow your children out to go rollerblading or ride their bikes without a helmet. Why go river rafting without one? It simply makes fine sense.

Make sure you’ve the proper outfit :

During early Spring months, the water might be a bit cold. Wearing a splash jacket, a diving suit, and good river shoes can make the adventure much more satisfying, letting you enjoy the joy without the chill.

You will most probably find several shops around the adventure zone leasing this gear. A respected outfitter will have equipment for you. Discover if the outfitter has a suitable kit for you before you book your rafting trip.

While in sites like Dandeli river rafting, Raft Masters includes this gear as part of the package at no extra charge.

On the other side: be ready for sunny clear days. You can accomplish it by wearing sunscreen, quick-drying clothes like polypro and a pair of sunglasses that protects against UV radiation.

Several Raft Masters sell sunglasses, sunscreen, and straps for your sunglasses, so you don’t misplace them. Remember, sunburns can occur faster at a higher elevation and can be critical. Hypothermia or sunburns are no fun.

Hold the paddle correctly :

Probably, it’s one of the most important tips for river rafting. Properly holding the paddle can be a significant safety concern.

You’ll discover the T-grip on the other end of the shaft end. Called because it’s shaped like a capital T. Position one hand across the cover of the T-grip with your thumb covered near the bottom. Set your second hand around midway up from the flat “paddle” portion.

T-grip is made-up of hard plastic. If you put both hands over the paddle shaft, the T-grip will probably knock out other rafter’s teeth and blacken eyes. Positioning both hands over the shaft will also lead to less effective strokes. So, it’s essential to place one hand over the T-grip.

Stay in the boat! :

Staying in the river raft falls into two significant aspects: ensuring you’re seated perfectly, and following what your guide tells and executing their orders as soon as possible.

Here are some steps to sit in the white water raft correctly:
Place your buttocks on the outward tube, barely ahead of a cross tube.
Keep your outer leg beneath the tube straight in front of you. If you’re at the front, instead, utilize the foot cups.
Place your internal leg against the cross tube to support you.
Paddling hard will support you in being stable and in the raft.

It’s usually known as a “tripod position” in the river rafting world.

Even when rafters obey all this advice, they occasionally slip out of the boat. And it’s ok to fall out. The waters you’re on are quite severe, and even the finest rafters slip out sometimes.

If you do fall, there’re a few steps that you can follow to stay safe:
Stay calm. If you’re panicking, you won’t think about reaching back to the vessel, and the rescue becomes more challenging. Instead, stay calm, and concentrate on going back into the boat.
When the rafter drops out of the boat, they probably pop up next to it. Grasp it so you don’t flow away.
If you’re some feet away from the vessel, try reaching out by swimming. If you pop up and are far off the boat, search for other rescue possibilities, the riverbank, or boats.
Only stand up when you’re in extremely shallow water. Then, try reaching the river bank and wait for rescuers to reach you.

Your guide will thoroughly cover this during the safety lecture before the adventure. It’s indeed one of the most crucial tips for river rafting.

Know the commands :

Before you head out for a white water rafting experience, any respected river rafting company should provide you with a safety lecture. The commands they provide will help you remain safe in the boat. Here are some of them.

First, there are some basic padding commands like Forward Paddle, Back Paddle, Turns, Stop, etc. Additionally, there are some significant commands which help balance the boat, like:

Get Down: Get away from the border of the boat and sit inside, while carrying the paddle. It helps reduce the weight from the border and keeps the raft more stable for big rapids.
Back on The Job: To get back on the usual paddle job.
High Side: This command is used as a last-chance effort to keep the boat from overturning. You need to place more weight on one side of the boat to help avoid obstructions such as rocks.

So, to avoid falling in the water, don’t forget to follow commands and sit precisely. Although obeying this, there’s no guarantee that you won’t slip out, but you’ll minimize that possibility.

Remember always to head in the path the river is rushing: downstream.
Physical Exercise Is Must

To be eligible for a white water rafting adventure, it’s essential to possess good mental and physical health as it demands a lot of physical stability and mental strength. Thus, it’s recommended to perform a few upper body exercises to manage the paddles also in the intense river rapids.

In case you’re confused about whether you’re physically fit to encounter the exhilarating waves or not, then it’s advised to confer with the rafting instructor to support you in making the correct decision.

Conclusion about 7 Tips For River Rafting :

These are a few of the most essential tips for river rafting you should follow to have a thriving, secure, and thrilling whitewater adventure. Go on and catch it. The adrenaline and thrill will make you desire to do it again! Hope to see you soon!