Recreational outdoor activity
Rafting in Ladakh, IndiaRafting in Alaska
Rafting on the Tara river, Bosnia
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities 🧲 which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water.
This is often done on whitewater or 🧲 different degrees of rough water.
Dealing with risk is often a part of the experience.[1]
This activity as an adventure sport has 🧲 become popular since the 1950s, if not earlier, evolving from individuals paddling 10 feet (3.0 m) to 14 feet (4.
3 🧲 m) rafts with double-bladed paddles or oars to multi-person rafts propelled by single-bladed paddles and steered by a person at 🧲 the stern, or by the use of oars.[2]
Rafting on certain sections of rivers is considered an extreme sport and can 🧲 be fatal, while other sections are not so extreme or difficult.
Rafting is also a competitive sport practiced around the world 🧲 which culminates in a world rafting championship event between the participating nations.
The International Rafting Federation, often referred to as the 🧲 IRF, is the worldwide body which oversees all aspects of the sport.
[3]Equipment [ edit ]
Rafting equipment has continuously evolved and 🧲 developed significantly from old rubber WW II era military surplus rafts.
Modern whitewater rafts are typically made with advanced nylon or 🧲 Kevlar infused plastics like PVC or urethane; though many of the more entry-level low-cost manufacturers still use a glued rubber.
Plastic 🧲 is generally more durable, longer-lasting, and just as easy to repair compared to older rubber rafts.[4]
Paddles and oars are the 🧲 typical means of propulsion for rafts and come in many sizes and varieties with specific river conditions in mind.
Paddles [ 🧲 edit ]
Paddles are a combination of layered wood, plastic, aluminium, carbon fiber, or other advanced composites.
There are many types and 🧲 combinations of these materials with lower-end entry-level paddles being composed of cheap aluminum and plastic.
Higher-end models are constructed of high-end 🧲 composites and mostly utilized by professional rafting guides, raft racers, and expedition paddlers.[5]
The basic paddle design for rafting consists of 🧲 3 parts:Single bladeShaftT-grip
Paddles are typically utilized by rafters in smaller and lower volume rivers where rocks and other hazards can 🧲 damage larger oars.
Paddles are typically used by guests on commercial trips as well since it is seen as a more 🧲 engaging way to enjoy the river trip.
When paddles are used in a raft it is referred to as "paddling" or 🧲 "paddle guiding".[6]Oars [ edit ]
Oars are commonly made from the same materials as paddles.
Wood, plastic, aluminum, and carbon fiber.
Oars are 🧲 designed for several different rivers with slightly different blade shapes built to handle varying river conditions.
Wooden oars are typically built 🧲 as one solid piece to help retain strength and resilience of the oar while it is strained under a load.
Composite 🧲 or metallic oars typically are made in three parts:BladeShaftGrip
All of these parts are interchangeable and can be upgraded and altered 🧲 in many ways to make rowing more enjoyable.
[7] Oars are generally used on wider flatter rivers of higher volume to 🧲 facilitate moving more efficiently across long slow-moving pools, though anglers will often use shorter oars on smaller rafts in low 🧲 volume rivers to help them maintain an advantageous upstream position while anglers cast from the raft.
When a raft utilizes oars 🧲 it is called "rowing" though many people typically incorrectly refer to this as "oaring" or "oar framing", however, these terms 🧲 are incorrect and often suggest inexperience when used in conversation with members of the rafting community.
Oars typically use one of 🧲 2 systems to attach to the boat, but in either case, they interface with the boat through a large metallic 🧲 frame strapped to the boat called an "oar frame".
Oars connect to the frame by either a pin and clip system 🧲 or a system called oarlocks.
Either system connects to the frame via oar towers on either side of the frame.
Pins and 🧲 clips [ edit ]
Pins are referred to as "thole pins" or "oar pins".
A large metal clip attaches to the oar 🧲 and clips onto the pin.
The top of the pin has a rubber or plastic stopper that prevents the oar from 🧲 slipping over the top of the pin.
The bottom of the pin connects to an oar tower designed to hold the 🧲 pin in place.
This system is an older system though it is useful for certain types of river running namely big, 🧲 dangerous Class 5 rivers that require your oars to stay in place as much as possible.
Oarlocks [ edit ]
Oarlocks or 🧲 locks are a more common form of attachment for oars as they allow the rower to "feather" the oar back 🧲 and forth as they row making it easier on the person using the oars to continue downstream.
Oarlocks look like a 🧲 pin topped with a U-shaped metal flange.
The oars slide into the gap between the U-shaped metal pieces and can be 🧲 held in place with a plastic stopper called an oarlock.
The oarlock allows the oar to maintain its position on the 🧲 oar at a correct length for rowing.
History [ edit ]
Whitewater rafting can be traced back to 1811 when the first 🧲 recorded attempt to navigate the Snake River in Wyoming was planned.
With no training, experience, or proper equipment, the river was 🧲 found to be too difficult and dangerous.
Hence, it was given the nickname "Mad River".
On June 9, 1940, Clyde Smith led 🧲 a successful trip through the Snake River Canyon.[8]
Classes of white water [ edit ]
Rafting on the Neitikoski Rapids in Lieksa, 🧲 North Karelia, Finland
Otherwise known as the International Scale of River Difficulty, below are the six grades of difficulty in white 🧲 water rafting.
They range from simple to very dangerous and potential death or serious injuries.
Class 1: Very small rough areas, might 🧲 require slight maneuvering.
(Skill level: Very basic)
Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require some maneuvering.
(Skill level: Basic paddling 🧲 skill)
Class 3: Small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger.
May require significant maneuvering.
(Skill level: Some experience in rafting)
Class 🧲 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed.
(Skill level: Exceptional rafting experience)
Class 5: 🧲 Whitewater, large waves, large volume, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering.
(Skill level: 🧲 Full mastery of rafting)
Class 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous that they are effectively unnavigable on 🧲 a reliably safe basis.
Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that 🧲 will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment.
Traversing a Class 6 rapid 🧲 has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes.
(Skill level: Full mastery of 🧲 rafting, and even then it may not be safe)[9]Safety [ edit ]
Wetsuits, additional personal flotation devices (aka lifejackets) and sport 🧲 helmets are mandatory and often imposed by law at least on tours of commercial operators, due to the constant risk 🧲 of falling off the boat
The overall risk level on a rafting trip using proper precautions is low.
[10] Thousands of people 🧲 safely enjoy rafting trips every year.
Like most outdoor sports, rafting, in general, has become safer over the years.
Expertise in the 🧲 sport has increased, and equipment has become more specialized and improved in quality.
As a result, the difficulty rating of most 🧲 river runs has changed.
A classic example is the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon, which historically had a reputation far 🧲 exceeding its actual safety statistics.
Today the Grand Canyon sees hundreds of safe rafting trips by both do it yourself rafters 🧲 and commercial river concessionaires.[10]
Rafting companies generally require customers to sign waiver forms indicating understanding and acceptance of potential serious risks.
Both 🧲 do-it-yourself and commercial rafting trips often begin with safety presentations to educate rafting participants about problems that may arise.
Depending on 🧲 the area, safety regulations covering rafting, both for the general do-it-yourself public as well as commercial operators, may exist in 🧲 legislation.
These range from the mandatory wearing of lifejackets, carrying certain equipment such as whistles and throwable flotation devices, to certification 🧲 of commercial outfitters and their employees.
It is generally advisable to discuss safety measures with a commercial rafting operator before signing 🧲 on for that type of trip.
The required equipment needed is essential information to be considered.
Risks in white water rafting stem 🧲 from both environmental dangers and from improper behavior.
Certain features on rivers are inherently unsafe and have remained consistently so.
These would 🧲 include 'keeper hydraulics', 'strainers' (e.g.
fallen trees), dams (especially low-head dams, which tend to produce river-wide keeper hydraulics), undercut rocks, and 🧲 of course dangerously high waterfalls.
Even in safe areas, moving water can always present risks-such as when a swimmer attempts to 🧲 stand up on a rocky riverbed in strong current, risking foot entrapment.
Irresponsible behavior related to rafting while intoxicated has also 🧲 contributed to many accidents.[11]
Typical rafting injuries include trauma from striking an object, traumatic stress from the interaction of the paddler's 🧲 positioning and equipment and the force of the water, overuse injuries, submersion/environmental injuries, and non-environmental injuries due to undisclosed medical 🧲 conditions (such as heart problems).
[12] Studies have shown that injury rates in rafting are relatively low,[13] though they may be 🧲 skewed due to a large number of unreported incidents.
[14] Fatalities are rare in both commercial and do-it-yourself rafting.
[12] Meta-analyses have 🧲 calculated that fatalities ranged between 0.55[15] - 0.
86[16] per 100,000 user days.
Environmental issues [ edit ]
Rafting in Montenegro
Like all outdoor 🧲 activities, rafting must balance its use of nature with the conservation of rivers as a natural resource and habitat.
Because of 🧲 these issues, some rivers now have regulations restricting the annual seasons and daily operating times or numbers of rafters.
Conflicts have 🧲 arisen when commercial rafting operators, often in co-operation with municipalities and tourism associations, alter the riverbed by dredging and/or blasting 🧲 in order to eliminate safety hazards or create more interesting whitewater features in the river.
Environmentalists argue that this may have 🧲 negative impacts to riparian and aquatic ecosystems, while proponents claim these measures are usually only temporary since a riverbed is 🧲 naturally subject to permanent changes during large floods and other events.
Another conflict involves the distribution of scarce river permits to 🧲 either the do-it-yourself public or commercial rafting companies.[17]
Rafting by do-it-yourself rafters and commercial rafting companies contributes to the economy of 🧲 many regions which in turn may contribute to the protection of rivers from hydroelectric power generation, diversion for irrigation, and 🧲 other development.
Additionally, white water rafting trips can promote environmentalism.
Multi-day rafting trips by do-it-yourself rafters and commercial rafting companies through the 🧲 National Wild and Scenic Rivers System have the potential to develop environmental stewardship and general environmental behavior.
Studies suggest that environmental 🧲 efficacy increases when there is an increase in the length of the trip, daily immersion, and the amount of resource 🧲 education by trip participants.
[18]See also [ edit ]
