White Water Rafting Safety
Whitewater rafting can be a dangerous sport, especially if the usual safety precautions are not observed.
In the past there have been many whitewater rafting accidents, but predominantly in private travel. Therefore, depending on the area, legislated safety measures now exist for white water rafting operators: ranging from certification of outfitters, rafts, and raft leaders, to strict regulations specifying the equipment that must be carried.
It is generally advisable to discuss before reserving a rafting trip the safety measures of the rafting operator. Type and scope of the equipment and the qualifications of the raft leader are the essential information to be considered.
Yet as expertise increases, and equipment becomes more durable, the classification changes. The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon has swallowed whole whitewater rafting expeditions in the past, leaving only fragments of rafts, yet it is now run by commercial whitewater outfitters hundreds of times each year, with relatively untrained passengers.
You should go whitewater rafting - it is alot of fun!