There are various types of people in this world. Not all of them have the same taste and hobbies. Some are interested in technology, whereas some other group of people prefers music. But of all the types of people, the most interesting kind is those who dare to do anything to satisfy their need of adrenaline rush. There are many kinds of adventure sports that can satisfy your adrenaline rushes. The bungee jumping and skydiving are some exciting adventure sports that thrill these adrenaline junkies. When it comes to India, the most exciting adventure sport is the white water river rafting.
What is White Water River Rafting?
River rafting is an adventure sport in which a group of people, usually 10, get on an inflated boat and take on the fast flowing river. The best feature about the river rafting that makes people addicted to it is that it is a purely raw sport. There will be very low control and you will have to embrace what is next to come. With little control and unpredictability, this raw sport has won the hearts of millions of adrenaline junkies worldwide. All you can do is get along with the flow of the river. You will feel yourself as the part of the river and the motion is nothing but controlled chaos.
Why River Rafting is Ideal in India
India is famous for her great rivers. There are many great rivers that are running through the heart of the India. The River Ganga is the most famous of them all. Ganga is mainly known for the religious matters. But apart from that, the river Ganga offers quite a different story. Ganga is an ideal river for rafting at many locations in India. An interesting fact about the river Ganga is that, originating from the Himalaya Mountains, the river flows through multiple states in India. There will be plenty of water always because, during the summer season, the melting of snow from the frosty Himalaya Mountains will supply a huge amount of water to the river. So, the river rafting is always feasible at the river Ganga.
Rafting in India has been gaining quite a lot of attention during the past few years. Even though there are many different locations that offers river rafting, but not, all of these sports can offer the true thrill and excitement that you expect. The fact is that some river rafting locations in India are very dull and boring. But the rafting in Rishikesh is entirely different from the other rafting locations in India. Rishikesh is one of the top rated rafting locations in India because of the swift flow of the river through the rocks and stones. The sight of the swift paced river only can take your breath away. Getting on the inflated boat for the ride is another story. But before that, there are a lot of things that you should know about the white water river rafting.
Precautions that should be taken before river rafting
Make sure the Guides are licensed and experienced
River rafting is undoubtedly a sport that involves a very huge amount of risk. Rafting may even cost your life if proper attention is not given to it. So, always take enough care while choosing the outfitters and guides. Don’t forget to make sure they are licensed and have years of experience in the same field. There are many rafting services in India that aren’t properly authorized and don’t have the required safety gears.
Always wear the necessary safety gears
Since there is huge risk involved in the white water river rafting, you should always wear the safety gears at any cost. The swift river can rock the inflated boat and make you fall in the river. So it is very important to wear the safety jacket so that you stay afloat when you fall into the river and doesn’t drown. The helmets should be worn because, the river is not made of soft pebbles and sand, there will be huge rocks that can cause very damage if hit.
Take paddling lessons from the experts
There is no meaning in going to the river rafting if you don’t know to paddle properly. The paddle is the only tool you have to take on the raw and aggressive river. If you don’t paddle properly, devastating results may follow. To take control of the inflated boat and to avoid trouble, it is very important to take the paddling lessons so that you can paddle yourself away from all the troubles.
Choose the right outfit
You are definitely going to get wet during the river rafting, when you are thrown into the river by accident, you should be able to swim yourself away from the danger. Even if you know how to swim, if the outfit isn’t right, you will get dragged down. Materials like jeans can absorb the water and it will make you heavier. It will make the swimming a difficult task. So, when going for the river rafting, try to avoid jeans and similar materials and wear clothes that doesn’t absorb water much.
Try not to fall off
In river rafting, the most important thing you should concern about is staying in the boat without falling off. The chances of getting injuries are much high if you are thrown off from the boat. The boat may rock hard while going down the stream and when hitting the rocks. You must always make sure you have enough grip so that you don’t fall off. The guide will shout out if anything is about to happen, this is your call for holding on to the boat.
Always listen to the guide well
The guide is like the captain of the boat. You must always listen to the guide and do whatever you are told to do by the guide. The guide will be giving frequent instructions mainly about paddling the boat. The boat will flow in the right direction and be in control only if the commands of the guide are obeyed properly.
Learn how to swim properly
Even though, the safety jacket will keep you afloat in the river, it becomes meaningless if you don’t know how to swim. No matter how tight you wear those jackets, there still exists a small chance that the jacket will get separated from your body due to the flow of the water or by hitting the rocks.so in such situations, you must be able to swim so that you can avoid any mishaps and stay in one piece.
Choose what is suitable for you
One thing you should know about the river rafting is that they are classified into 6 different classed, each class having separate risk levels. Class 1 is considered as the easiest level and the difficulty goes up gradually up to the level 6. The level 6 involves huge risk factor and should be done by the experts only. If you are a beginner, go for the class 1 or 2. While choosing a class level, you must also consider your physical fitness for that particular class.
Always raft in group
If you are about to go rafting alone, you must know that, there won’t be anyone who can help you if anything terrible happens. If you are rafting in a group, there will always be hope because other rafters will try to save you from harm if anything bad occurs.
Stay sober
People go to river rafting, seeking adventure and thrill. Some people prefer to use alcohol before the trip for maximizing the enjoyment. This is very dangerous and should be avoided at any cost. Alcohol reduces the reflex speed and increases the danger in the river rafting.
Don’t wear hand or leg wraps
When raft is tumbled over, the hand wraps may get tangled around your hands or body, preventing you from swimming correctly. This may lead to drowning. So it is better to leave the hand wraps behind, even if you are suffering from any kind of hand injury.
Double check the quality of the safety equipment
Even if you are supplied with all the safety gadgets, they don’t mean anything if they are of very bad quality. So always ensure the quality of the safety jackets and the helmets. Some safety jackets will have only less floating materials. If you don’t feel confident with the safety gear you are provided with, ask for better ones or leave the river rafting course.
Make sure first aids are available
Before going on white water river rafting, you must make sure that, there is enough supply for the first aid tools such as bandages and painkillers.
Always ask for safety briefing
You must always ask for safety briefing to the guide. You may have experience in rafting in other rapids. But you must always keep that in mind that each stream and rapid is different from one on another. So ask for the guide to brief about the course and the safety requirements before starting off the ride.
Finish rafting before sunlight goes down
While going for river rafting, it must be performed only during the presence of enough sunlight. When it is dark, the path and the rocks may not be visible even for the most expert paddler. This increases danger and should be avoided at any cost. Even if there is sunlight when starting off the journey, make sure that it won’t be dark before finishing the river rafting course.
Inform your medical conditions to the guide before starting off
If you are suffering from any kind of diseases or have any physical damage done to your body in the past, don’t hesitate to inform your guide about your medical conditions. The guide will give safety instructions according to your medical conditions and will prevent you from getting yourself injured.
Do not try to stand up, always sit inside the raft
For maximizing the fun, people tend to stand up in the raft for a better view and for showing off. When you are standing up, the center of gravity also gets increased, so there is a high chance that you will tip over and will be thrown off to river.
Teamwork is important
Always remember that you will be rafting in a team. For the correct movement of the raft, you may need to paddle in a rhythmic manner with the fellow members of the raft. Do help others when they are in need of help. Only with this attitude, you will be able to survive higher grade river rafting.
That is all you need to know about before going river rafting in India. Make sure you follow all of the above instructions to stay safe during the white water river rafting. While doing river rafting, always watch out for eddies. Eddies are swirls in the rapid. It may be of various sizes. Larger eddies can even rotate the raft by some angle. So it would be best to stay away from eddies while river rafting or swimming in the river. In the lower grade river rafting, you may be allowed to swim in the river with the safety jacket as per the instructions of the guide. Never go far away from the raft and stay under the sight of the guide. If you tend to swim without considering the instructions of the guide, there is a risk of getting trapped in eddies or falling into fast streamlines.
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Contact Details.
Crossworld Holidays Tours & Travels (IATA approved)
Address : Grounf Floor, Ram Smruti,
Opp. to New English School,
Ram Maruti Road, Cross Road,
Thane (W) - 400602, India
Tel:+91 - 22 - 4038 4747
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E-mail: crossh@gmail.com
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