The Whitewater Blog

Whitewater rafting party for river station gear.

Apr 05, 2023
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Riverside costume parties have a grip on the whitewater rafting community from the Gauley to the Rogue and everywhere in between. Something about combining silly clothes and the great outdoors that appeals to boaters. Whatever the reason, river trip costume parties are a time-honored tradition.

So, make sure you pack at least a couple of costumes. If you don’t know where to begin, you’re in the right place. Here are six all-time classic costume ideas for your next rafting trip.

Mar 25, 2023
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7 Tips for Throw Bagging

It is always a good idea to find the correct place to throw a throw bag. Most of the time you will set safety in advance. Having one person walk down the bottom of a rapid and wait with a throw bag is a smart move. This way, if there are swimmers, you have a person in position to help. When you get to the bottom of the rapid, find a good place to stand. Flat, level and dry ground is your best bet. If you are balancing on a slippery pointy rock and bag someone, odds are you are going to be joining them in the river. Another tip is to look at the river's obstacles and features. If there is a downed tree or strainer, that may not be a good place to throw a rope. Look for a place with open, slower moving water. If you bag someone in very fast moving water, they may pull you in when the rope is weighted. Also worth mentioning, is you should never throw a bag from a moving raft. This is an uncontrolled environment and can cause quite a lot more danger.

Mar 18, 2023
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11 Tips for Rookie River Guides

Even after guide training is over, practice pulling yourself back into the raft, pulling others back in, and flipping your boat back over. Practice throw-bagging, swimming rapids, and high-siding. On fun runs, put yourself in unideal situations, and learn how to get out. For example, a surf you wouldn’t do with guests (nothing life-risking!)

Mar 05, 2023
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Raft Guide Superstitions

“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. -Laura Gilpin

Those of us working on the river every day feel this magic power better than anyone. Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times you’ve run a rapid; the river has other plans. The mysterious nature of the river has given rise to various superstitions. Here are a few river rat superstitions you would be wise to abide by.

River Station waist throw bag for whitewater rafting and kayaking.

Feb 28, 2023
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Should You Have a Waist Throw Bag?

Around 70% of river guides surveyed use a waist throw bag. Those who don’t often cite entanglement concerns. There is always a risk associated with ropes and moving water. However, hours of scouring the American Whitewater Database only revealed one incident of a guide getting caught on his throw bag.

Feb 26, 2023
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5 Ways to get Involved in your Local Whitewater Community

There will almost always be a local Swift-water rescue option where you can learn, hands on, how to throw a throw bag, self-rescue and entrapment rescue, as well as how to flip and unpin boats and how to tie river knots. These courses are offered throughout the year in most whitewater communities. You can always contact a local raft outfitter for info about swift-water courses in your area.

fast throw bags for whitewater safety and rescue.

Feb 21, 2023
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To Knot or Not

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife regulations, “every regulated trip carries…a throw bag containing a minimum of fifty feet of rope.” Throw bags are required safety equipment for commercial whitewater rafting. However, there are no requirements for when or how to use your throw bag.

For example, some guides prefer to have a knot at the end of their throw rope, and others prefer a clean line. This personal preference is often the subject of heated debate. To learn more about this division in our river community, we reached out to guides, private boaters, Swiftwater Rescue, and industry experts.

Dec 30, 2022
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What's the best meal you've had on the river?

So as you can guess, we had the whole canyon pretty much to ourselves. We decided to get ourselves and all of our gear down to the river the old fashioned way. Hiking. We opted out on renting horses, because we wanted to have a “real” adventure. So, we carried a 9' raft, all of our gear, paddles, pump, fishing pole, small food cooler that contained 4 sausages, small camp stove, tarp, dry bags, mesh bags, throw bags and camera gear in only 2 trips. 2 trips down a mile long, steep, rocky trail to the put-in. Down, up and down again for a total of 3 miles and well over a 1000ft of elevation changes. Down at the put in we had the pleasure of meeting Rooster, an old school park ranger that has patrolled that area for decades.

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