How do you maneuver a whitewater raft?

Question

i've been flirting with the idea of going on one of those guided whitewater river rafting trips. personally i think It sounds like a blast! I myself have never been whitewater rafting or even handled a paddle for that matter and was curious as to how it is used and how the maneuvering is done. Is it easy to catch on to? I imagine it would be fairly easy but how do i know right? i've gotten alot of interesting info on whitewater rafting but no real good instructions on how to paddle.

any help would be appreciated,

thanks!

Answer 1

dont worry. its really easy, your guide will tell you exactly what to do. and it IS really fun.

Answer 2

Generally, in a guided paddle raft, your guide will tell you one of five things: right side forward, left side forward, right side reverse, left side reverse, and everyone forward hard.  The guide will steer from the stern (rear) and you will help by providing forward (or backward) momentum on your i side of the boat.  You will sit on the side of the boat with both feet inside and both hands on your paddle and simply "stroke".  Trust me, your guide will work with you and shortly after the start of the trip, you will feel perfectly natural, and you'll have a BLAST!!!

Answer 3

If you are going on a commercial whitewater rafting trips, the guides will take some time right at the start to go over such items as safety and correct paddling technique.

The most common error I see with paddlers is the way the paddle is held and used.  There is normally a 'T' grip at the top of the paddle.  The top hand should hold that naturally at the grip, not on the shaft below.  The bottom hand should hold the paddle comfortably.  The force of the paddle-stroke comes from pushing on the grip in a downward motion.  Novice paddlers make the mistake of trying to pull the paddle with the lower hand;  much less efficient and thus more tiring and uncomfortable.

On a paddle raft manuevering is done by following the commands of the whitewater guide.  He or She will command "FORWARD", for instance, and paddlers will do a simple forward stroke.  Paddlers at the rear match the motion of the paddlers at the bow (front), so that paddling is reasonably well synchronized.

There is the command "STOP" which is fairly self explanatory.  And "BACK" or "BACK PADDLE".  Unlike the forward stroke, the back paddle comes with the paddler pushing the paddle blade forward with the lower hand/arm while holding the grip steadily above.

Gentle turns are made either with the guide using sweep strokes or 'ruddering', or by calling:  "RIGHT SIDE - FORWARD".  The right hand paddlers only stroke, causing the raft to turn to the left.  

In serious whitewater there are additional strokes and commands that may be used.  "HARD RIGHT" means the right side paddlers back paddle while the left side paddlers forward paddle, making for a very quick 'spin' turn to the right.  There is also a draw stroke, where paddlers on one side reach directly out to the side and pull-stroke the raft broadside in that direction.  This is sometimes accompanied by a push-stroke from the paddlers on the other side.

Anyway, it sounds more complicated than it is.  The guides will undoubtably give you a thorough briefing and a chance to practice the various strokes and commands that the specific raft company uses.  It's a huge amount of fun and a great experience.