Let's get it!
Come on!
Let's get it!
Let's get it!
Come on!
Let's get it!
Come out here, bring that beer from last night!
Haha, woo! Wild'n'seem!
God, that looks great!
Hey honey, I'm gonna go...
I saw a place just down the street selling rafts just like that.
I'm gonna go down there and check it out.
Come on!
Decided you want to learn to raft?
Well, you tuned to the right channel.
We're going to start by teaching you how to maneuver both an oar boat and a paddle boat.
We'll talk about reading the water, recognizing obstacles, hazards, and river features.
And finally, we'll talk about how to be safe and civil on the river.
Rowing and paddling are the two basic ways of moving a raft downstream.
In an oar boat, the guide sits on a rowing frame, usually in the middle of the raft,
and maneuvers with two long oars.
In a paddle boat, people sit on the perimeter of the raft.
They maneuver the boat by paddling and by working together as a team.
Let's start out by taking a look at how you're going to rig your oar boat.
First thing you want to think about is how you're going to secure your rowing frame to your raft.
You want to get yourself a piece of webbing or some camp straps
and secure the rowing frame from the corner to a D-ring on the raft.
It can be helpful to put an extra loop around the rowing frame.
This helps to keep the camp strap or the webbing from slipping as you tighten.
Once you have it threaded through, you want to make it nice and snug,
and then you want to secure the end of the rope
so that you don't have any loose lines flying around the boat as you go downstream.
Let's take a look now at the oars.
Essentially, there are two systems for securing the oars to the rowing frame.
There's the oar lock system, and there's the pin and clip.
With the pin and clip system, a clip is attached to the oar,
which then hooks onto a vertical pin on the rowing frame.
And then there's my personal favorite, the oar lock system.
Though more challenging when learning,
once mastered, it offers greater versatility in your rowing.
Regardless of which system you choose, it's helpful to have a leash.
The simplest way to do it is to secure a piece of webbing to the frame
and tie the other end with a bowline to the neck of the oar.
You want the knot to be loose on the shaft of the oar,
but not so loose so that it slides off over the blade.
It's helpful to have a coiled line on both the bow and stern,
and it's also advisable to carry a spare oar attached to the raft.
When topping your boat, most manufacturers recommend between 2 to 3 PSI.
But just what does this mean?
Well, I like to punt my boat until it's so hard
that I can barely make an indentation with my thumb when I press down.
How you doing?
Howdy.
Do you sell rafts?
We've got a special on rafts today, as a matter of fact.
Great.
Howdy, son. Welcome to Honest Al's Used Boat Sales.
What are you interested in today?
I'm Bob.
I saw a show on rafting on television this morning
and I want to talk to you about some boats.
Well, you've come to the right place.
I saw a boat just like this. How much is a boat like this?
Well, son, you know, this here is the Cadillac of boats.
It's a Soder.
You're more of a man on a you-go budget, I can tell.
Let me show you this here, Explorer 200.
It's a fine boat, made out of high-quality vinyl,
two oar locks and three, count them three,
one, two, three valves, and it's faux self-baling.
How many people does this boat hold?
Oh, not to worry about that.
It'll hold you and all your friends and Bud and Weiser.
So, I could be river ready with this boat by this afternoon?
You could be class seven ready by this afternoon.
So, how much is a boat like this?
Well, son, I like you.
We can put you into a boat like this for $40.
So, for $40, could I be ready for the river by this afternoon?
Well, you're going to need a couple more things,
and for another $40, I'm going to put you into a boat like this.
You're going to need a couple more things,
and for another $40,
I can put you into a high-quality paddle and life jacket.
Well, all I have is $50 for the whole deal.
Well, let's move on from that, then.
We can put you into more of an entry-level life jacket
and these two fine oars.
That looks great, and I can get on the water today.
Class seven ready.
I'll take it. I'll take it.
It's a deal. Good doing business with you.
Now let's take a look at basic rowing technique.
In this section, you'll learn to row forward and backward.
You'll learn to make turns and how to ship the oars.
The most powerful stroke is the pull.
Simply lean forward, place your blades in the water behind you,
and pull backwards.
When properly executed, even a small person can move a heavy boat.
Technique is more important than strength,
which means using your entire body and not just your arms.
The port-a-gee, or the pushing stroke, is the opposite of the pull.
To execute this stroke,
put your oar blades in the water ahead of you and push the handles forward.
Compared to the pull, where much of the leverage and power comes from the legs,
the port-a-gee requires greater technique and planning in order to be effective.
To turn the boat, a double oar turn is used in which you pull on one oar
and at the same time push on the other.
To make a right turn, pull on the right oar and push on the left.
To turn to the left, pull on the left oar and push on the right.
Learn from the beginning to do double oar turns all the time,
and you'll be able to control your boat far better than if you insist on turning it with one oar.
When rowing, it's common that the oars are too wide for the channel,
and it's necessary to ship them.
This is most easily accomplished by swinging the blade forward.
Now that we've learned how to maneuver an oar boat,
let's take a look at another method of moving downstream,
which allows you and your friends to work together as a team.
In this section, you'll learn to be a paddle captain.
You'll learn the different paddling strokes, how to give a paddle talk,
about high-siding, and how to apply all of this on the water.
As the captain of a paddle boat, there are two things that I think about.
First is teaching the people in my boat the technical aspects of paddling,
and second, I think about trying to get them to work as a team.
Let's start with the paddling.
As the captain of a paddle boat, I sit in the back,
and there are four basic strokes that I use.
The forward stroke and the back stroke are the most basic,
and I'll explain the two of those in just a minute.
But there are two other strokes that are very useful when guiding.
The draw stroke and the reverse sweep are both very helpful
when controlling your boat as a guide.
To do a reverse sweep, reach around behind you,
then drive your paddle around the stern and forward.
With the draw stroke, plant your paddle out and away from the boat,
and draw the boat toward your paddle.
Now let's take a look at the two most basic strokes in paddle rafting.
The back paddle is most effectively executed when the shaft of the paddle
is rested on the hip, and the hip is used as the fulcrum for the stroke.
Place your blade in the water behind your body.
Push down with your lower hand, pull back with your upper hand,
and always remember to use your body, not your arms,
to provide the power for the stroke.
Now let's talk about the forward paddle.
With your outside hand two-thirds of the way down the shaft
and your inside hand on the top on the T-grip,
you want to reach as far forward as you possibly can.
For the most efficient stroke, the ideal is to have your paddle vertical,
and again you want to remember to incorporate your body into the stroke.
Dada, da, da, da, da, da.
Dada, da, da, da, da, da, da, da.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's a bit much for us.
Let's practice some paddling with the crew.
But first, I think we need some paddlers.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, this isn't what I had in mind.
This is more like it.
Let me take a moment to explain paddling to each of you.
As we float downstream, there are five different commands
that you'll hear coming out of my mouth.
Forward paddle, back paddle, right turn, left turn, and stop.
We'll start with the most basic.
Stop means simply take your paddle out of the water.
Don't try to stop the boat.
Forward paddle and back paddle, I'll explain as we're out practicing,
and I'll show you the most effective way to do each of those strokes.
And a right turn and a left turn are a combination
of the forward and back paddle stroke,
and there's a very simple way to remember how they're done.
It goes like this.
The side I call is the side that paddles back.
So if I call a right turn, the right side paddles back,
and the left side paddles forward.
When I call a left turn, the left side paddles back,
and the right side paddles forward.
Finally, the loudest command you'll hear come out of my mouth
will be to high side.
This command is used to encourage everyone
to quickly move their weight to the downstream side of the boat
in the event that we find ourselves sideways in a hole
or up against a rock.
There are other points that must be included in your rafting orientation.
Swimming, wraps, flips, and strainers.
After giving a paddle talk,
it's important to go out and practice these new skills.
I emphasize that my crew paddle together.
They sit on the perimeter of the boat
and lean their body weight out over their paddles
in order to take effective strokes.
As the guide, I'm there to assist my crew with turns and paddling.
I continuously do correction strokes
to control the direction of the boat.
And I constantly switch back and forth
between the four basic strokes we've just talked about.
And remember, be sure to practice high siding.
Before we can progress any further,
we must learn to read the water.
That includes recognizing obstacles, hazards, and river features.
In this section, you'll learn about river classification,
picking the safest channel in a rapid,
and how to recognize eddies, waves, holes, and strainers.
Finally, we'll show you how to put this all together
by reading the water.
Rivers are classified on a scale from 1 to 6.
Class 1 is moving flat water,
and Class 6 is considered unrunnable.
Class 2 rapids are straightforward with few obstacles.
Class 3 has more gradient,
and Class 4 has less obstacles.
Class 3 rapids are straightforward with few obstacles.
Class 3 has more gradient, features,
and a variety of obstacles to deal with.
Class 4 rapids are usually longer and more difficult.
Class 5 rapids are steep, long, complex, and often violent.
As we move through the classes,
the consequence of error becomes more severe with each step.
Rapids are created by gradient, constriction,
and water moving over and around obstacles.
Learning to interpret what's happening in a rapid
or reading the water is as much art as science.
When looking at a rapid,
the first thing to look for is the tongue.
It generally represents the safest entrance to the rapid.
It also shows the deepest channel
and forms the shape of a downstream pointing letter V.
Once you've identified the tongue or the main current,
it's time to look for the eddies, obstacles,
and various river features.
In river bends, the fastest current sweeps
around the outside of the turn.
If you're not sure what's downstream,
you should consider staying to the inside
to give yourself more options.
Eddies are an important feature on every river.
They're found on the downstream side of obstacles
and along riverbanks.
They're formed when water flows around an obstacle,
creating a low spot behind it.
Water then flows back upstream to fill the void.
The line of demarcation between the eddy
and the downstream current is called the eddy fence,
and sometimes it can be an obstacle in itself.
It's important to learn to recognize eddies
as their key in negotiating your way down a river,
and they often provide a safe place to rest.
A cushion is formed when water piles up against a rock
or a canyon wall.
Cushions can keep your boat from riding up on top of a rock,
but if they're big enough, they can also flip you.
Waves come in many sizes, shapes, and forms,
and they're characterized by high peaks and low troughs.
They're sometimes smooth and glassy,
sometimes dynamic and explosive.
They may break toward one side or the other
or sometimes form a big letter V.
A standing wave has a well-defined peak,
and a breaking wave falls or breaks upstream upon itself.
There's nothing that rafters love more
than a long set of standing waves.
Holes are another important thing to be aware of,
as they're a vortex of powerful
and seemingly contradictory currents.
A hole is created where water flows over an obstacle.
This water plummets into the river,
and just behind the obstacle, a low area forms,
which is filled with water that actually tumbles back upstream.
Like everything else on rivers,
they come in all sizes, shapes, and forms.
There are pourovers, which can be recognized
by a smooth mound of water leading into them.
There are ledge holes that may stretch across all
or part of the river and can be recognized
by how flat the water is on the downstream side.
There are pulsing breaking holes and rolling holes.
Holes can be quite recreational and also quite hazardous,
as floating items like people and boats
can become stuck in them.
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Very hazardous obstacles to be avoided are trees.
Unlike other obstacles, trees create what we call
strainers that can ensnare floating things
such as rafts and swimmers.
They can strain the unwary rafter in much the same way
that a colander strains spaghetti.
It's not a pretty sight, nor a laughing matter,
when a swimmer becomes plastered against a tree limb,
literally pinned there by thousands of pounds of water.
So remember, though they look friendly and safe,
it's best to avoid any and all trees in the river.
The best way to develop water reading skills is to practice.
Any time you're on or next to moving water,
simply watch it.
You can get down next to it,
look at it from different angles,
and throw sticks in it to see which way they float.
We also find it helpful to watch other people navigate a rapid
to see how the currents affect their boat.
Once you've decided where you want to go in a rapid,
the trick is going to be getting there.
And more often than not, you'll use a ferry angle for that.
In this section, you'll learn about upstream
and downstream ferry angles.
You'll learn about momentum
and how to use both of these techniques to catch eddies.
A ferry angle is the angle of your boat
relative to the current.
It's what allows you to traverse laterally across the river.
There are two types of ferry angles,
upstream and downstream.
Both are used to traverse the current.
The more common of the two ferry angles is the upstream.
It allows you to slow your downstream progress
while moving laterally across the current.
I most commonly use upstream ferry angles
in low-volume technical whitewater
when more time is required to make the moves.
Downstream ferry angles use momentum
and the speed of the current
to propel a boat both downstream and laterally.
An aggressive maneuver,
downstream ferry angles are commonly used
in swift, big whitewater.
But they also come in handy for breaking into strong eddies.
And remember, upstream and downstream ferry angles
are used in the same way for both oar and paddle boats.
Momentum is an important concept in river rafting.
It not only assists with downstream ferry angles,
but it helps you get your raft through holes,
around rocks, and over waves.
In large-volume rivers
where the size of the waves can very well dwarf your raft,
momentum can be critical in keeping your boat upright.
Now let's take a look at eddies.
To stop in an eddy, you must first identify it,
set either an upstream or downstream ferry angle toward it,
and then build up momentum in order to cross the eddy line.
Eddy fences are thinnest and strongest at the top near the obstacle.
Thus, it's generally best to try to enter the eddy at the top.
It's important to practice getting smoothly and consistently in and out of eddies,
because there will come a time when missing an important eddy
might mean an unintentional ride down a rapid that should have been scouted first.
And now, let's see how this looks from inside the boat.
When floating downstream, there's a lot of information to take in.
You need to be able to recognize individual obstacles and river features
while still looking at the rapid in its entirety.
You must make a plan for getting your boat through the obstacles
and then execute your plan.
The first thing to look for is the tongue.
I'm also planning ahead for the next obstacle,
which is the rock in the middle of the river with the cushion on it.
I face it, maintaining a 45-degree angle to the current, and pull away.
Once I'm certain I've missed the rock,
I do a double oar turn to face off to the wall on the left.
Again, I establish a 45-degree angle to the current,
and I pull away until I'm clear of the wall.
I also want to be ready to ship my oars at any time.
In this case, I pull away from my obstacle,
do a double oar turn, and ship my left oar so that it doesn't hit the rock.
In the next rapid, I'm floating downstream toward a rock.
I turn my boat at a 45-degree angle relative to the current and pull away.
When I'm certain I've missed the obstacle,
I do a double oar turn, ship my oar, and slide by the rock.
Here I am in the same rapid with my paddle crew.
Instead of facing my obstacle and pulling away,
we're using a forward or downstream angle to miss the rock.
In this small rapid, I'm using an upstream 45-degree ferry angle
to back away from the rock.
Once we're past it, I change the angle
so that I'm now ready to back away from the trees on the right.
In both oar and paddle boats, I use the power of the river
to assist in maneuvering my boat.
In this case, I use an upstream ferry angle
to catch the slow eddy water behind the hole,
which facilitates my move across the river.
One thing to keep in mind when rowing downstream
is never letting your downstream oar dangle in the water.
When you're passing through rocky rapids or technical water,
if your oar is dangling in the water,
it can hit a rock and bounce up and hit you in the head
or pop out of the lock.
A powerful feature that is best avoided is the pour-over.
It's often smooth, round, and dark on the upstream side
and flat on the downstream side.
Should you decide to run a wave or hole,
it's best to hit it straight on and with momentum.
An effective way to get into an eddy
is with a downstream ferry angle.
I point my stern downstream relative to the current
and pull into the top of the eddy.
Once again, downstream and upstream ferry angles
are used interchangeably in both oar and paddle boats.
Let's tie it all together
with a run through an easy Class III rapid.
First, I'll pull away from the pour-over
on the left.
Then, I do a double oar turn
and set an upstream ferry angle
to pull away from the trees on the right.
Meanwhile, I'm continually looking downstream
at what my next obstacle might be.
In this case, it's the breaking hole directly off my bow,
and I want to be sure to hit it straight.
Once past the hole, I do a double oar turn
and reset an upstream ferry angle
to pull away from the right bank.
The trees in front of me are a prime example
of strainers that should be avoided.
I'm going to give them a wide berth by staying on the left.
If anything, I'd rather err on the conservative side
by being too far left than stuck in those trees.
The time to rest comes at the bottom of the rapid,
or if you find a place to eddy out,
somewhere in the middle.
Seeing an eddy on the right, I maintain my current angle,
and using a downstream ferry, I push into it.
To give you some incentive to master these basic skills,
here's just a taste of what the future could hold.
I'm going to do a double oar turn,
and I want to be sure to hit it straight.
Once past the hole, I do a double oar turn,
and reset an upstream ferry angle
to pull away from the right bank.
The trees in front of me are a prime example
of strainers that should be avoided.
The trees in front of me are a prime example
of strainers that should be avoided.
The trees in front of me are a prime example
of strainers that should be avoided.
Probably the most
important safety point to remember is to take your time.
Don't feel pressured into going down a river or through a rapid
that you're not comfortable with.
But rivers are dynamic and incidents occur,
so let's take a moment to talk about how to handle them.
In this section, you'll learn what to do in the event of a swim
and how to use a throw bag.
You'll learn about wraps, flips,
and why etiquette is necessary even out on the river.
The most likely problem that will occur is that someone will fall
out of the raft.
In that event, here's a few things you should remember.
First, relax and have confidence that your securely fastened
life jacket will bring you to the surface.
If you come up underneath the boat,
move hand over hand to the side.
If you can, get back in the boat immediately.
And if you can't do that alone,
ask for help from someone in the boat.
If you can't get back into the boat immediately,
you'll find yourself swimming.
Historically, swimmers were encouraged to assume the lawn
chair position in which the legs are pointed downstream,
knees are slightly bent, and toes are held high to keep them
from becoming entrapped on the bottom of the river.
This position is appropriate in shallow, rocky rapids.
But now, we advocate aggressive self-rescue.
Take responsibility for yourself in the water
by turning over on your stomach and aggressively swimming
either back to the boat or to shore.
When swimming, there's a lot to be aware of.
Avoid finding yourself between the boat and a rock.
Never try to stand up in swift-moving shallow water.
And try to get out on shore or into another boat as soon as possible.
The rest of the paddling team should remain calm
and focused on their paddling,
and they should not jump into the river to save the swimmer.
One way to rescue the swimmer is with a throw bag.
To use it, pull the loose end of the rope out of the bag,
hang onto it, and toss the bag at the swimmer,
doing your best to hit them on the head.
Once the swimmer grabs the line,
they must hang onto it until their pendulum to shore.
When using any rope or line near the river,
it's critically important to always have the rope
on the downstream side of your body.
If you think there might be tension on this rope,
you want to avoid having it wrapped around your body
or wrapped around your hands and wrists.
If you fail to heed this warning,
you could end up in a situation like this or worse.
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After all that action, you should know that one of the things
that can happen on the river is a wrap.
This happens when the raft hits an exposed rock sideways,
and if everybody doesn't immediately shift their weight
to the rock or high side of the boat,
it may literally become wrapped around the rock.
This can be very dangerous and time consuming to extract.
If you can anticipate that you'll be hitting the rock,
have your paddler shift their weight before you hit it
by calling the high side command.
If you do wrap your boat,
establishing an upstream angle of pull with a rope from shore
may be sufficient to extract it.
But if not, you'll have to set up a Z pulley system to drag it off.
In the event of a flip, you and all your rafting companions
will find yourselves in the water.
Come up, get a breath of air, and swim back to the raft.
As the guide, you want to climb on top
and use the flip line around your waist
or the bow line to right the boat.
If you're in a heavy ore boat, that will be much more difficult,
and in that case, you want to try to get to shore
or look for help from another boat.
If you come up underneath the raft,
take a breath and move hand over hand to the side.
In an ideal world, you want to stay with the boat.
However, should there be a hazard downstream,
you would desert the raft and swim to shore.
If you're going to spend time on rivers,
you need to educate yourself regarding safety issues.
There are books, videos, and workshops available on this topic.
Water levels are subject to dramatic and rapid change,
and they affect river features and grading classifications.
Please be conservative in your decision-making
when approaching swollen waterways,
and consult with local resources before embarking on any river trip.
Once upon a time, you might have gone floating down a river
and found yourself truly alone.
Though there are still many remote rivers
where you'll likely find solitude,
whitewater sports are growing in popularity,
and many rivers are now full of boats and people.
Despite the appearance of mayhem,
there is actually a method, an etiquette used by river runners,
to control the chaos.
It starts with communication and civility.
The first thing to remember is not to barge
into the middle of organized groups
without first asking permission to pass.
Don't crowd other boats at the top of rapids,
and before entering a rapid,
make sure the boat in front of you is a safe distance ahead.
We're all out on rivers to enjoy ourselves,
so let's be friendly and courteous.
And finally, please don't leave any trash.
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We've learned about eddies, fairy angles, waves and holes,
and a little bit about reading the water.
Essentially, we've talked about the basics of whitewater rafting.
Please remember that this video is no substitute
for hands-on instruction and practice,
so if you want to be a river runner,
commit yourself to learning as much as you can.
There are whitewater schools that teach guiding,
there are river rescue courses,
and there are first aid and CPR classes
catered to the riparian environment.
Rivers are an invaluable resource,
so let's each do what we can to keep them safe
and free-flowing forever.
See you downstream!
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MUSIC
Well, son, I like you.
I'm going to give you this boat for $40.
$40.
So for $40, I could be river ready.
Ready?
Like...
Well, this is just like the one I saw in the video.
What do you want for it?
Oh, it's a fine, fine boat, son.
It's a soda.
It's a self-baling boat.
Now, when that water goes in,
it goes right back out through them little holes
in the floor and stuff.
WATER