White water rafting
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Description
A challenging recreational activity using an
inflatable raft to navigate flowing bodies of water such as
rivers.
Forms
An Information and Consent
for Event/Activity form is required to
participate in this activity.
Who can
participate?
Open to those aged ten and over.
Some activity providers have their own age,
height and weight restrictions.
Participants must be able
to:
- swim 50 metres
- keep afloat for five minutes in the clothes
normally worn for the activity.
Participants may fulfil these rules wearing a
buoyancy aid or life jacket when either is required for the
activity.
If you have a participant with a medical
condition that will affect her ability to swim, ensure that you
inform the instructor and make provision to allow her to
participate safely.
Ratio of adults to
girls
Normal ratios for activities away from the
meeting place are required.
Guiding Manual ratios
Commercial providers may have different
ratios; whichever is stricter must be observed.
Regulations
- The Leader must ensure that all participants
under 18 have written permission to take part from an adult with
parental responsibility.
- The local Commissioner must be informed that
the activity is taking place.
- Carry out a risk
assessment for the activity.
- When offering this activity to participants under the age of
18 it is a legal requirement that the activity provider be
properly licenced by the Adventurous Activities Licencing
Authority: AALA
- Additional awards to help you
determine the quality of a centre are Adventuremark or
LotC Quality Badge for Adventure.
The above endorsements are not
applicable in Northern Ireland, where you should ask your local
Outdoor Activities Adviser to recommend an approved provider.
- Ensure the required
buoyancy aids/life jackets are used.
- Participants must wear a helmet and clothing
that protects their arms, legs and feet.
- The activity must be carried out using
purpose-built white water rafts and there must be at least two
white water rafts or one white water raft plus a support canoe or
kayak.
The Leader must:
- ensure that safety rules and alarm signals
have been explained to the participants
- be satisfied that everyone understands the
need for instructions to be obeyed immediately
- follow the guidelines in the Water
Safety Code and ensure that the responsible adult helpers
are familiar with them
- ensure that the water is suitable for
rafting, seeking advice if necessary
- decide on the day, with the instructor(s),
whether conditions are safe for rafting.
Instructor
qualifications
Instructors should hold the qualification as
applicable to the nature of the activity from one of the
following
British Canoe Union (BCU) – www.bcu.org.uk/
Canoe Association of Northern Ireland –
www.cani.org.uk/
Scottish Rafting Association – www.scottish-rafting-association.org.uk/
Welsh Canoeing Association – www.welsh-canoeing.org.uk/.
If alternative qualifications are held, please
seek advice from your Outdoor Activities Adviser or contact
activities@girlguiding.org.uk
to ensure the instructor’s qualification is appropriate to the
nature of the activity.
Useful
information
- Water should be inspected for signs of
visible pollution, for example rubbish, blue-green algae or chemicals.
- If either the Leader or the instructor is not
satisfied that the conditions are safe, the activity must be
abandoned.
- The Leader should ensure each participant (or
her parent if the participant is under 18 years old) is aware of
the dangers and symptoms of Weil’s
disease and knows what action to take if infection is
suspected.
- On the day of the activity participants
should be advised to cover cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters
to help prevent infection.
- Ensure that all participants have the correct
clothing and footwear.
- Ensure that the provider has the correct size
buoyancy aids/life jackets and helmets
for the participants.
Ensure the equipment being used is:
- in good condition
- the correct size for the participant.
Page last updated: 5/1/2012