About River Rafting
About River and Rafting Tours
If you are entering the river for the first time, you rightfully have some concerns. To help you have a safe and enjoyable rafting tour,
we would like to mention some points you should pay attention to before rafting. Koprulu Canyon has qualified and safety-conscious guides and a variety of professional rafting outfits of international quality. How do you choose the right river rafting trip? Ask the rafting tour operator a few questions before planning your trip;
- How long did the company spend in the rafting activity?
- Talk to people who have been rafting with the company.
- Ask about the guides and their experience. If you can talk to the guides themselves, you can find out if they are well trained, well informed, good communicators and safety conscious professionals.
- Life jackets: According to statistics, eighty per cent of accidents in river rafting are caused either by not wearing a life jacket properly (with the zip and buckles securely fastened) or by not wearing a suitable life jacket. Lifejackets should have sufficient buoyancy (at least 6 kg, preferably 9-10 kg), be of a suitable type (US Coast Guard Type-III or V) to ensure a comfortable fit through the straps and be worn correctly. Inflatable lifejackets and 'keyhole' type jackets are not suitable for white water rafting. Guides should ensure that lifejackets are worn "snugly" before starting the trip.
- Helmets are compulsory on all tours and it is recommended that helmets are worn throughout the journey. The helmet should be rolled up flat - you should feel comfortable sliding a finger between a strap and your throat.
- If possible, take a look at the boots and river equipment. Torn lifejackets, helmets with broken straps and boots that are too patched and leaking are not to be trusted.
- Are the guides qualified in basic first aid and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)?
- Ask the company if they have a first aid, emergency repair kit on the river and rescue bags on all rafts. All rafting trip boats must carry a fully equipped repair kit with repair material, glue/accelerator, sandpaper or rough rolling tool and waterproof repair tape/duck tape. Oar rafts must have at least one spare oar / spare oarlock. All rafts must have a safety line around the raft, leading to a bow line and preferably to the stern line. All rafts should have a shot bag and non-self-securing rafts should have a recovery bucket (two recommended).
- Insist on a safety briefing before starting the rafting trip. The guide/trip leader should give a comprehensive safety briefing with all the necessary details for the trip.
- Ensure that non-swimmers are not allowed to body surf.
- Ensure that excursions will be finished at least one hour before nightfall.
Things you should pay attention to after rafting;
After the Koprulu Canyon rafting trip, swimmers may have accidents with bad results. A few tips and don'ts for swimming in the river;
- Never go swimming alone in the river, take a companion with you.
- Let your guide know and swim with your fellow campers.
- Even if you are swimming champion and budding Mark Spitz, do not swim without a lifeguard supervising you.
- If you are swimming in the river, always carry a lifejacket. There can be cross-currents and you can easily get tired or get cramps in your body because of the cold flow of rafting waters in Koprulu Canyon.
- Do not swim in the river immediately after a meal.
- Never go swimming after drinking alcohol.
- Do not start swimming out after dark.
- Be careful in large/mixed groups, as high testosterone levels in some men can make them instant swimmers (sometimes even non-swimmers!), even if they are poor swimmers.