MORE THAN YOUR AVERAGE TRIP: White Water Rafting need Requires Skill

20.2.10

White Water Rafting need Requires Skill

“...the first and most important elemen in safe rafting is the recognition of your limitation in skill and experience. Paying attention to learning what you cannot run is even more important than learning what you can. Rivers have a lot tricks; learn them with care...”
(Raymond Bridge).

White water rafting is an activity section rafting river flow / cascade, by using a particular vehicle. Understanding the spacecraft in river rafting / cascade of facilities / equipment consisting of an inflatable canoe, kayak, canoe and rowing. rafting destination can be seen from the side of sports, recreation and ekspedition. So thus we can define that sports Rafting (White Water Rafting) is the sport across the river rafting, using a rubber boat, kayak, canoe and paddle with a recreational purpose or expedition.

White water rafting as group sports, so relied on overall team cohesiveness. Integrated cooperation and deep understanding between the crew, can be considered as the main factors that support success through various obstacles in the stream. Can not be disputed that the major tourist attractions is a full sports risk (high risk sports) . However, each person can do it - if he in a condition of "good"; both in terms of technical understanding, the ability to read the field cognitively, and physically and mentally healthy.So, white water rafting is a sport that requires skill. For that very need time to develop. The development towards achieving the ability to prime, is possible only if the want to learn the properties of the river, and are willing to train yourself in the place. Unless necessary to develop knowledge about the properties of the river, must also practice paddle, paddle in a river. The implication is needed to develop physical abilities, to always achieve optimum conditions possible. Another thing to remember, is to practice the ways an emergency situation in the rivers. It is important to train the readiness, ability and confidence, when it must deal with.

The theme this time to introduce the intricacies of the fundamental of sports to specialize rafting with rubber boats using vehicles and equipment, study the technical condition of rivers and streams and rafting facing emergency conditions.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

Rubber boats (Inflatable Raft) for the purposes of rafting sports, is made from synthetic rubber material so strong but still elastic. This is intended to restrain from scratches and impact river stones.
The shape and design of the stern and made a little baluan sticking to water is not easy to enter and be able to maintain the stability of the boat when a big wave passed. Usually the boat consists of several parts of the air tube, it is meant if one boat tube leak / break, then for a certain moment the boat was still afloat. Length and width of the boat is usually 2 to 1, and is highly dependent on the maximum weight capacity of the boat load.
Paddle as a paddle on white water rafting sport as much as possible is made from material that is strong but lightweight; such as mahogany wood and a combination of fiberglass and aluminum. Rowing boat used by the crew, ranging in length from 4.5 to 6 feet. But generally is from 5 to 5.5 feet. Indeed determinants length oars three things, namely: large body and power of the crew, boat tube diameter, and its function, as a rower or paddler steering crew or captain.
Regardless of body size of the crew and boats, paddles used by the captain is from 5.5 to 6 feet, while for the crew size shorter.
Pump used to fill the air tubes of the boat should always be taken when wading rivers. Because it's to keep when the air in the tubes was reduced / flat. Intended to repair equipment related to the pump and boat repair (since torn, perforated, etc.).
Rubber boat equipped with a Rope of 40 meters along karmantle used as: tripod, crew safety and anchor rope.
Buoy , Type of buoy is good and right for the white water rafting is a buoy in accordance with the size of body posture, with a thick foam (can act as a drag against the hard object collision). Feasibility can be seen from the qualification tested in terms of buoyancy for maximum weight.
For the possibility of an emergency situation, to consider the use of a float with the addition at the back of the head, so keep your head tilted afloat, if the unconscious. To keep the buoys are not going up or sticking to the time used, then the bottom can be tied to buoy the groin or other body part possible.
Clothing, appropriate clothing for the clothing rafting cascade that allows us to remain free in movement.
Shoes, to protect the feet from being injured, use the type of shoes that can protect the ankle, but ankle can still move freely, including easier to swim.
Helm (HEAD PROTECTION), wading river rafting with the location of the irregular stones or rivers with a high degree of difficulty, the absolute helmet use. The objective is to protect the head from the possibility of the hard object collision. A good helmet should be lightweight, waterproof and does not interfere with vision or movement.

The discussion will revolve around the river and the symptoms and the various skills needed for Skipper rapids. Require frequent exercise and repeatedly to be adept at reading andunderstanding the ins and outs of the character stream. However for Skipper rapids a sense of the nature and dynamics of the river is important to know. One time, when we crossed a river, the question in our mind are: the river is wide / narrow, have current heavy / slow, the water flow / lower, sloping / steep, and so on. Answer all of which are a causative factor of rapids.

“…Cascade is part of the river where water flows freely and quickly and scattered among the many stones of various sizes and forms at once turbulence and backflow. It is most difficult when the river was at the time of encounter rapids / cascade. But that is where excitement usually appear……”