White water rafting is an adventure everyone should experience. It is just the right mixture of thrill and pleasure. Before stepping on the white water raft, a guide will teach the participants about the basic paddling procedure and numerous safety precautions. The guide will also discuss on what one should do when he or she falls overboard. And lastly, the guide will introduce and let participants familiarize the different equipment that will be used throughout the white water rafting experience.

The paddle is just one of the pieces of equipment that a participant will use during white water rafting. They are used to steer and propel the raft. The paddle is not attached to the raft. Therefore, each participant must hold them using their T-grip handle. A paddle has a blade at one end to push the water. Another one used to row a boat is an oar. Oars are longer than paddles and are attached to the boat by oarlocks.

The most important equipment when white water rafting is the rafts. Most white water rafting trips use a self-bailing rubber paddle rafts that are inflatable and can reach as long as 16 feet. Each paddle raft can fit 6 to 8 persons and a guide. A paddle boat is a perfect one to ride in rapids that make you scream and paddle with your life just to get out fast.

For those who want to experience rapids the other way, meaning just relaxing and not doing any paddling, an oar boat is also available. It comes with wooden oars that the guide uses to manoeuvre and steer through the rapids.

Going through an intermediate or expert level of rapids requires another boat that allows maximum steering possible. An oar-paddle boat lets the guide steer using an oar and the participants using paddles to maneuver.

There is also another type of raft that is called a cataraft. It is a kind of raft that has a metal frame which holds two inflatable tubes. This lightweight raft can only hold one person and a number of equipments.

Before starting a white water rafting trip, it is important that every participant including the guides are wearing approve life jackets and plastic safety helmets. A first aid kid, whistles, radios, pulleys and throw bags as well as repair kits for rafts are on board in case of any emergencies. A dry bag should be used to carry valuable items such as food, cameras, money, extra clothes or any other items that should not be touched by water.