White water rafting is enjoyable and energizing sport for all outdoor lovers, whether on vacation or getting out of your home to chill. It allows you to enjoy mother nature no matter your capability or expertise level. However, the sport is no longer reserved for the toughest mountaineers.
This well-liked sport is currently more mainstream than it has ever been.
However, there are a few precautions that you and your family or group of friends must follow to make the activity more exciting and memorable. First, the guidelines help you avoid injuries or complications that may cost you more than having fun.
The Dos
- Explain Your Health Status
You should explain all your medical problems, if you have any, to your guide before venturing into the waters. By doing so, preparations will be made to carry all the medication you need during rafting. In addition, any recent operations, fractured bones, damaged ligaments, or heart problems must be disclosed. When you explain this to your guide, it gives them a humble time to serve you well while maintaining a safe environment.
- Wear a Life Jacket
Wearing a life jacket is not a direct guarantee that it will save your life. Instead, you must wear it properly by ensuring that the buckles are fastened and the jacket is well-tailored to your body. The aim is to get the jacket fitted properly so that you can breathe while preventing it from being pulled up over your head. Next, have your jacket adjusted by a professional guide to ensure that everything goes well without making mistakes.
- Maintain Your Position in the Boat
This may be simple logic, but it is not always the case. You’re in the boat one minute and swimming alongside it the next. When rafting, keep an eye out for rocks coming from the river. Before the boat hits a rock, your instructor could issue the order “Bump.”
For example, suppose your guide gives the command, lean in a while, and put your paddle “T” grasp on the vessel’s floor. Make sure your hand is still above the grip. Return to your position after the boat comes into contact with the rock and prepare to paddle.
- Follow Your Guide’s Instructions Carefully
Instructions are critical, especially if it is your first time going for a white-water raft. Your Yellowstone WhiteWater Rafting guide will give you instructions on when and how to paddle throughout the adventure. You must pay maximum attention and follow all the orders as expected. These guidelines could determine whether or not you end yourself swimming in the river by accident.
Don’ts
- Let Go of The T Grip
T Grip is the top part of the paddle. This piece is fashioned like T, and you must firmly grab it with your upper hand to paddle and keep moving. Always be keen and never let go of the part throughout your rafting adventure, especially when approaching a steep place. If you make a mistake, the top of the paddle could wind up in one of your group members’ faces, causing severe injuries.
- Panic
Panicking when white-water rafting will make you lose focus, which is very dangerous. Be confident and locate your boat if you fall out. When someone falls, they usually appear immediately next to it. However, if you emerge from the water and are far away from the vessel, look for other rescue alternatives like the nearest boats or riverbank. You will not consider returning to the boat when you are scared, making the rescue more complicated.
- Raft In Darkness
Rafting must be conducted while the sun is shining brightly. Try to plan your trip so that it concludes before the sunsets. There is moonlight rafting on various rivers. However, this should only be conducted with reputable firms and operators. Rafting in a pitch-black river might be a little unsettling.
- Rafting Alone
One person should never do rafting. If you are a first-time rafter, go with a more experienced professional. Similarly, join a group of other experienced rafters if you are skilled. Never go alone because if an accident happens, there will be nobody who will come to your rescue, which is very dangerous.
- Getting Out of the Boat
Jumping out of the boat without first consulting your guide is perilous. Guides better know the river’s topography than anybody else. When the water is free of rocks and rapids, they will know. They are professionals, so believe everything they say.
No matter how easy or difficult your rafting adventure may be, you should always follow some basic safety precautions to make your fantastic adventure as secure as possible.
