How to choose a class of rapids for a variety of skill levels?
I've been whitewater rafting (and inadvertent whitewater canoeing ;) a couple times, and I'd like to get a bunch of friends together to go with me. I'd bring enough people to fill a raft (5 or 6), but the problem is, everyone will have different levels of skill and experience.
What should I consider when choosing which class of rapids we paddle? Are there any rules of thumb for how the ratio of experienced to new whitewater rafters corresponds to the rapid class we can safely manage?
For example, if three people are experienced whitewater rafters and three people have never been before, would class IV rapids be unsafe for the group as a whole?
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I'd start with class II or III. In addition to the good points MaskedPlant laid out, also be aware of the length of the rapids. A long class II can be every bit as exciting as a short class III, and can also provide a more safe opportunity for the inexperienced paddlers to gain some confidence.
Another important tip: be sure to assess attitude of everybody throughout the trip. Paddling rapids sounds exciting and is one of those things many people want to do/think they can do. However, I've run into a handful of people who, when they get out there, realize exactly what's going to happen and are not looking forward to it. If you don't recognize that early enough you could be in trouble -- relying on them when panic-struck is trouble, or seeing them get upset and literally jumping out of the boat and possibly into more danger.
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Yes. Class IV would be unsafe for the group as a whole, if it occurs in the first couple of days of the trip. If you have 1 or 2 experienced people in the paddle raft and you keep one at the back to set the pace and call commands you should be fine in class III, with a good riverside training the morning you leave.
I frequently do 4 days on the upper salt river in Arizona. During high water 1 of the rapids on day 3 is a class IV. We have taken people who have never paddled before in paddle rafts and they usually do fine because they have a couple of days of paddling rough class 3 rapids. Anyone new we take gets an hour long or so training riverside the morning we leave, and in any calm patches of water we practice spinning the raft, high-side, and rescues, so when it needs to happen in a rapid they are prepared.
Also, remember to take into account the swimming capability of the new paddlers. If they are not strong swimmers or not confident in their ability, even Class III might be too much.
Honestly they would probably be fine, especially with experienced people to help them, but it would not be a risk I am willing to take.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/1793. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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