How to Paddle a River Raft
Paddling a river raft may not look hard as it looks since you might have seen numerous people do it in real life or in television. However, this type of activity can also be pretty challenging especially if you are used to doing things by yourself. Paddling involves both skill and the ability to work with others as a team. We will discuss more of it as we go along with this article.
But first, let us show you how to paddle your raft correctly. Below are some tips on how to do it:
- Paddlers should be spread evenly on both sides of the raft.
- The paddlers’ inside hand (the hand which is on the side of the boat) is the one that grips the top of the paddle. The outside hand (the one that’s on the side of the river) holds the stem of the paddle.
- To move the raft forward, the paddlers make a digging motion. This is done by making left hand pull the stem of the paddle towards the aft or the rear end of the raft. The right hand at the same time pushes the top end of the paddle away from him or her. The opposite is done when making the raft move backward.
- To move to the right, paddlers on the right paddle backwards while those on the left do the forward paddle. The opposite is done when moving the raft to left.
Sounds easy doesn’t it? Yes, but paddling is a team effort and that’s where things get a bit tricky. To make sure that things coordinated and that the paddlers of each side of the raft are paddling at their proper directions, the team chooses a leader to guide the rest of the team. He or she is usually the most experienced rafter of the group. It is each paddler’s duty to listen to the leader’s instructions.
Now that you have a better idea of how paddling a river raft is done, it’s time to practice it in a real world setting. Bring your friends along to ensure a fun Rafting experience. But don’t forget to include someone who’s experienced enough to be your leader! Have a great time and stay safe!
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