Rafting - Rules
All the rules and regulations of rafting are governed by International Rafting Federation (IRF). However, each country has its own governing body too that acts under IRF. With slightest difference, most of the governing bodies have some common rules. In this section, we have discussed about some common rules and regulations.
Entry Fees
Participants have to pay a fees which is non-refundable and non-transferable.
Registration Policy
The event status of a participant is confirmed through online registration.
Friends and relatives of any participants are not allowed at those places where rafting is being played.
The age of a participant must be six years or more.
All the participants have to wear life jackets for the time they are participating in the race. The jacket cannot be removed without the permission of the instructor.
The participants have to be seated in the raft and avoid horseplay.
The participants are not allowed to drink alcohol as they may imbalance or cannot see clearly.
Safety
The participants have to obey the safety precaution rule in order to do safe racing as rafting is a very dangerous sport.Safety regulations raft operators are available with whom the participants can discuss about the rafting area and rules. The participants also need to know about the equipment, company’s qualification, and the guide. Rafting has now become safer due to increase in technology and specialized equipment.
Risks
Risks in white water rafting include both environmental dangers and improper behavior. Certain features on rivers are inherently not safe and have remained consistently at all the time. These would include fallen trees on the way, dams (especially low-head dams), undercut rocks, and mostly important is dangerously high waterfalls. Rafting with experienced guides is the safest way to avoid such hazards.
To erase the illusion that rafting is akin to an amusement park ride, and one need to remember the personal responsibility that each rafter should faces on a trip, rafting out fitters generally require customers to sign forms indicating understanding and acceptance of potential risks.
