Common precautions for rafting

Rafting is a common water sport, which is popular among young people due to its excitement and challenge. Rafting is gradually becoming a real outdoor sport, but because rafting is quite thrilling, accidents often happen. So during the rafting, in order to reduce the probability of accidents, what issues should be paid attention to when rafting? Next, let us learn about the precautions of rafting.

Things to note during rafting

1. Life jacket

Be sure to wear a life jacket before going into the water, and fasten all the collar straps and belt tightly, because if the boat capsizes, this clothing will definitely save your life.

2. Boat

When choosing a boat, be sure to pay attention to whether the boat is adequately inflated. A boat that is under-inflated is particularly tiring to paddle and has poor elasticity, making it more likely to capsize when passing certain sections than a boat that is fully inflated.

After choosing your boat, don't rush to leave. Leave after the situation has calmed down for a while, and pay attention to whether the boat is leaking air slowly. During drifting, you should also pay attention to whether the hull is scratched by sharp rocks. Once you discover or have any doubts about the current status of the boat, immediately report it to the team leader or the float protector, and then move closer to the shore where you can stay.

3. Boat driving tips

During drifting, the boat should try to keep moving in the direction of the water flow, especially in places with big waves and fast currents. The direction of the boat should be adjusted at any time to avoid running aground or capsizing.

4. Capsize and fall into the water

It is not surprising to capsize when rafting in a river with waves. It is basically due to improper operation. Don't panic after falling into the water. As long as you wear and fasten the life jacket, you will not sink after falling into the water. Don't be nervous. Just hold your breath. The buoyancy of the water and the life jacket will soon lift you out of the water. If you fall into a rapid, do not struggle or kick as you can easily get hurt by the rocks at the river bottom. Just keep your balance and float downstream. If you come across a rock sticking out of the water, grab onto it and wait for rescue. If you don't meet anyone, there will be guards and teammates coming to help you soon.

Do not do any dangerous actions when drifting: Generally speaking, the rafting river sections are relatively safe. As long as you do not get off the boat on your own initiative, do not fight with each other, and do not take the initiative to grab floating objects in the water and the grass, trees and stones on the shore, the raft will not capsize. It doesn’t matter if the boat capsizes, just hold your breath and be careful not to choke on water, because you are wearing a life jacket;

When the rafting boat passes through dangerous rapids, you must obey the boatman's instructions, do not move around randomly, hold the safety rope tightly, tighten your feet, and lean your body toward the center of the boat.

During rafting, pay attention to the arrows and signs along the way, which can help you find the main waterway and alert you to the falling water area in advance.

As there are many water drop areas and large drop areas along the way, please be sure not to bring anything that is sensitive to water to avoid it from falling or getting damaged. Friends who wear glasses, please find a rubber band to tie your glasses. You must wear a life jacket throughout the trip. The life jacket will keep you floating if you fall into the water. Even if you can swim, you must wear it throughout the trip to prevent yourself from panicking if the boat capsizes without you noticing, and to ensure your safety. The drifting boat is made of polymer material and has three independent air chambers. There will be no leakage problems under normal use. Since the stream is not deep, even if there is a problem, you can go ashore in time, blow the distress whistle on the life jacket, find rescuers and change the drifting boat.

During the rafting process, please pay attention to the arrows and signs along the way. They can help you find the main waterway and alert you to the falling water area in advance. When going down rapids, please keep the boat gear balanced with the boat body and hold the handrail on the inside of the boat body. The person at the back should lean back slightly. Both people should ensure that the boat body is balanced and parallel to the river channel and go downstream.

When the boat is stuck, do not stand up in a hurry. You should stabilize the boat and find a good foothold before standing up to ensure that you are not dragged down by the boat. If you mistakenly enter other waterways and get stuck or stranded, please stand up and get off the boat. Only get back on the boat when you find a deeper area. Do not move left and right on the boat, because rafting is a challenge to your physical fitness and courage. Under the premise of ensuring your safety, the rafting protection personnel will generally not interfere with your handling. Before rafting through Tiger Leaping Gorge, please hand over the bamboo pole to the rescue staff and hold on to the handrail. After you have rafted through Tiger Leaping Gorge, the staff will hand the bamboo pole back to you and continue the next rafting.

Rafting is a very thrilling sport, so everyone must make adequate preparations before rafting, and personal safety is the priority. Never choose adventure for the sake of excitement. Be sure to wear all your equipment before rafting, and be sure to listen to the staff's instructions and arrangements during rafting. Only in this way can you ensure your safety.