Is Whitewater Rafting Dangerous?

Whitewater rafting is the ultimate in fun adventure. But like all outdoor activities, these wet and wild river trips involve an element of inherent risk. For those booking a rafting trip, isn’t it great to know rafting is actually far safer than many other outdoor sports? In fact, the most common rafting injury is either a sunburn or something that happens on land, especially when getting into and out of a boat.

Nonetheless, the media loves to sensationalize adventure accidents, and whitewater rafting is no exception. But in reality, the chances of being a statistic are actually very small.

River Valley, a New Zealand-based outfitter, crunched US and New Zealand data and found that fatal injuries averaged 1 per year since the beginnings of the rafting industry. Another study that used distance traveled on a raft as its base unit of comparison estimated that it was up to 100 times more dangerous to travel in a car on any given distance than what it was to be on a raft.

The reality is, like any outdoor activity, whitewater rafting is never going to be 100% safe. However, there are a few simple things you can do to help keep yourself safe once you have decided to go rafting.

• Choose a river appropriate for your physical fitness.
• Be honest with yourself about your physical limitations.
• Listen carefully to your guides. Do your best to follow their instructions.
• Make sure you wear helmets and life jackets at all times while on the water.

Here at KODI Rafting, safety is our #1 priority with FUN a close second. As a KODI Rafting guest, your safety is by far our #1 concern. Training in a dynamic environment such as the river is crucial to who we are and the experiences we offer. Our training staff has over 50 years of combined experience that they have passed along to all of our river guides. KODI also incorporates Swiftwater Rescue training into our continuing guide education – which is something very few rafting outfitters are able to do. We have the privilege of offering these courses through Sawatch Rescue, owned and operated by one of our founding KODI Family members.