Real Family Fun…Whitewater Rafting!

If you have never been whitewater rafting, you owe it to yourself (and your family) to experience being whisked swiftly away with the river’s current while braced atop a rubber raft. There is nothing quite like being part of a team paddling frantically to navigate at just the right angle for water flowing over a heap of gigantic boulders to become the means for a wild and crazy ride.

Me…I’m terrified of water, having nearly drowned as a kid. I can’t swim, just paddle around a bit. I’m fine as long as my head is above water and there is no threat of sharks or an underwater prankster.

Whitewater rafting is the ideal water sport for people like me. Insurance regulations inspire outfitters to demand everyone to wear safety helmets and life vests so that everyone is on an equal footing--you all look silly and, if you keep the terrified look off your face, no one ever need to know that swimming is not the love of your life. The life vest keeps your head above water, and the helmet protects your head from injury if you fall overboard.

For the record, I’ve always managed to lock my feet in so tightly that falling overboard has never been a concern. My 11-year-old son, who could swim like a fish, almost toppled over on our first excursion--but the guide reached out with lightning speed and yanked him back into his seat by the neck of his life vest before we knew anything was amiss. 

When we rafted on the Ocoee River, our raft sprung a leak, turnng an already lively ride into the ride of a lifetime! Thus, my 16-year-old son's seat was under water most of the trip, and at "The Devil's Whirlpool," he was hurled out into the wild churning water--laughing, mind you! He followed the simple rule of rafting--if you fall out of the raft, lie back, put your feet first (to help you bounce off the rocks without a head injury), and go with the flow until your team catches up with you.

Seriously, whitewater rafting is enormous fun. If your family hasn't tried it, do some research and plan one soon. Or do what we did--just go in ignorance! You'll get the thrill of your life. And you'll have a breathtaking view of the river's beauty that is beyond compare. 

For a good example of the kind of adventure that a whitewater rafting outfitter provides, check out http://www.rollingthunderriverco.com/. The Ocoee River was the 1996 Olympics site for the Whitewater Rafting Competition, and provides rapids of varying challenge classes (levels of difficulty). If I survived the Ocoee, so can you!
 

 

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

  1. Always wear personal flotation device
  2. Dress in layers to prevent hypothermia
  3. Never mix alcohol and boating
  4. Always stay within the boat's maximum carrying capacity limit
  5. If you fall out of the boat, try to get out of the water as quickly as possible
  6. Don't try to navigate in a swift-moving river without an experienced boater in your group
  7. Carry a rescue throw bag with sufficient line
  8. Watch for river hazards--limbs, rocks, dams...
Important Whitewater Rafting Information...
  • Wear lightweight tennis shoes or water shoes, lightweight shorts and a t-shirt under your life vest.
  • Call ahead for reservations and river conditions.
  • Wear a small, lightweight fanny pack with any necessities securely zipped in a ziplock baggy.
  • Choose a rafting company that has been around a while. They know every inch of the river.
  • Ask how the you and the raft will get to the river's edge. Most places will shuttle you up river in a van or bus.
  • When you arrive at the river, you might all be expected to carry the heavy raft down the riverbank on your heads! Well-organized outfitters already have the raft a few feet away from the river, so you just drag it into the water
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