At Wilderness Aware Rafting, safety is our foremost and most important concern. Whether you are Salt River Rafting in Arizona near Phoenix, Horseback Riding down one of Colorado’s beautiful trails, or doing a little 4×4 on some scenic jeep trails, we are dedicated to making sure everything goes over smoothly. If you are interested in booking a guided trip with us, be sure to contact us and find out what upcoming events are available. 

5 Things Every Person White Water Rafting Should Avoid Doing

It’s pretty difficult to have a bad time rafting, in fact you actually have to try pretty hard in order for that to work. But there are a few things that can be done to drastically increase the chance of a bad time being had. If you are thinking of going white water rafting, be sure to avoid the following 5 things. They can either directly put you into harms way, or simply make your experience overall significantly worse.

Rafting Drunk Or On Drugs

“I can do that. Here, hold my beer…”

Few things decrease your attention and coordination skills more than drugs and/or alcohol. As such, it is paramount that you avoid consuming anything that limits your reasoning skills, physical capabilities, and judgement as all three of those are quite necessary in ensuring your trip goes over safely. Liquid courage does not equate into real courage by any means, and it is important for everyone to remember this. You also don’t have to be wasted to enjoy yourself, there is plenty pleasure to be had doing it sober… so don’t be a fool.

Failing To Wear Safety Equipment

“Wear a helmet… what for bro? I hit the water harder than it hits me!”

Your life jacket is to protect you from drowning, and it does a pretty good job at that. Your helmet is to protect you from hitting your noggin on all the hazardous things there are under water, and that as well does a good job. Rocks, logs, and countless other things threaten your pretty little head under the water. It’s not “cool” to forego wearing safety equipment, and that should be remembered. Even if it is lame, it’s better to be lame than dead or seriously injured.

Being Concerned With Your Tan

“No I’m not paddling. Can’t you see? I’m getting my bronze on, I don’t want tan lines.”

For starters, the last thing you should be trying to do while rafting is working on your tan. That is the fastest way to become burnt and dehydrated. After long trips you can even fall stricken to sun strokes or heat exhaustion, neither of which will make that awesome tan worth it. But then there is the concern that while worrying over your tan, you are not paying attention to the river and potential hazards that lay there within. By worrying over your looks, you’re putting both yourself as well as your rafting companions at risk.

Not Knowing The Lay Of The River Or The Surrounding Land

“No man, don’t worry. It’s going to be easy. My uncle rafted this river back in the 60’s.”

Before going anywhere you’ve never been, it’s a good rule of life to try and memorize as much of the intended area as possible. Sure nowadays we have iPhones and GPS, but batteries die and technology can fail. You would hate to be left lost because you were relying on Google maps to get you out of any trouble you might come across, only to realize you don’t have service or any idea where you are. Being lost in the wilderness is not fun for anyone and so knowing the path of the river through the land is crucial. Beyond that, the river itself should be known as certain sections could be more difficult or have specific hazards you should be aware of to avoid. Knowledge is power… so make sure you know the lay of the land and river.

Being A Downer Debby Or Sour Stew

“No, this is terrible. Between the rain, the heat, and the cold, I can’t imagine why anyone does this.”

Any situation, whether good or bad, can quickly be made worse by a downer Debby or sour Stew. Most people understand that weather changes, or that you can become sore or tired from rafting, or any other number of less positive things. But… there is no such thing as bad weather. Just varying degrees of good weather. While most people enjoy pushing themselves, or exerting themselves in a fun activity. Most likely, these Debby’s and Stew’s knew what was in store, and none of what happens should be much of a surprise to them. So rather than bring everyone down to your level, why not try elevating yourself to theirs. In the least, you wont annoy your companions and you might actually find yourself having a good time. No matter the heat, cold, being tired or wet.