Sailing Across the Currents: Professional Guidance on White Water Rafting

Of late, there is a huge craze among millennials to pursue adventure sports as it provides them an opportunity to break away from their routine and explore interesting things in life. That is why we are witnessing a huge number of people opting for white water rafting which is considered one of the best adventure sports by many.

No doubt white water rafting is an adrenaline-rushing activity & it requires both skills and raw power to successfully negotiate the currents. Here in this article, we will discuss some tips that will help you in sailing across the currents during your white-water rafting tour.

Selecting The Right Gears

Whenever you are undertaking any kind of adventure sports including white water rafting the first thing that you need to focus on are the gears needed for the activity. The gears not only help you in completing your adventurous expedition but also help keep you safe under challenging circumstances.

While choosing the gear for your upcoming white water rafting tour, you must go for a good quality helmet and life jacket as they are the most crucial safety gear for your expedition. Besides that, you must also opt for either a wetsuit or dry suit depending on the temperature of the water to keep yourself warm and prevent hypothermia if you are rafting in cold locations.

In addition to that, you must wear good quality water-resistant shoes that can keep your feet dry during the rafting activity. The paddle you are going to use for steering your boat must have a comfortable grip so that you can use it easily without any fuss.

Acquire Fundamental Paddling Techniques

One of the best ways to navigate the strong currents successfully is by mastering the fundamental paddling techniques and having firm control of your raft. You must learn both the forward and backward paddle strokes for skillfully navigating the rapids.

While the forward paddle strokes help in propelling you forward, the backward paddling techniques work in reverse and help in slowing down or bringing your raft to a complete stop. In addition to that, you must also learn the techniques of high brace and low brace which will help you stabilize the raft in all types of water conditions.

Furthermore, during your white water rafting activity, you are going to have the assistance of a trained guide and it is crucial to follow his commands and paddle together. At times, you can try your hand in the calm waters before taking on the rapids as it helps in boosting confidence levels tremendously.

Communication & Team Effort

Now, unlike some adventure sports, the white water rafting is completely a team effort and the success of your rafting expedition is going to depend on the way your team performs as a whole. You must have a clear line of communication with your teammates and stick to the instructions being passed on by the guide.

Furthermore, you and your teammates must maintain eye contact with each other in challenging situations and communicate with hand signals if verbal communication isn’t possible. In addition to that, it is observed that a lack of coordination among the teammates in paddling makes the raft very unsteady.

Now, one of the best ways to avoid this type of situation is by synchronizing your paddling which will make it possible for your raft to move smoothly through the rapids. If the coordination between your team is perfect then you are going to easily tackle the obstacles you are going to face during your white water rafting adventure.

Don’t Panic in Emergency

Well, like other adventure sports, white river rafting is also filled with challenges and risks & it is important for every participant to know that staying calm no matter what the circumstances are holds the key to success at rafting. Besides that, you must also get yourself acquainted with various rescue techniques so that you can put them to use if the need arises.

Moreover, you must master the technique of getting into the raft while falling into the water and ways to help others re-enter the raft when they fall in the water. This will go a long way in ensuring your safety and that of others as well.

Finally

The above-discussed factors are some of the professional guidance lessons that you must remember and follow judiciously when embarking on your white water rafting tour. Get in touch with your tour operator if you want your queries to be addressed in detail.