RAFTING Frequently Asked Questions

What's included in the rafting trip?

Once you arrive, transportation to and from the river, your helmet, life jacket, paddle, raft, and guide are all provided.  On Combination trips we will provide bottled water to maintain hydration.  If you need to bring items such as medicine i.e.. diabetic supplies let us know ahead of time.

How do I get there? Click here for directions

What are your reservation and cancellation policies?

RESERVATIONS: Reservations require a 50% deposit by check, money order or VISA/Master Card/DISCOVER. To make a reservation, select the date and time of the trip you wish and fill out the reservation request and mail a copy with payment (also phone us to let us know you have mailed a reservation so that we may hold that many positions on the trip for you).  Until we receive the deposit and send you a confirmation, a trips reservation will not be considered complete.  Once reservations are complete please see the directions page as to familiarize yourself with your travels so that you can make the established meeting time in Elkhorn City, KY.   Be sure to complete a signed copy of the Waiver form for each participant, including each child under 18 to be signed by a legal guardian.

Upon cancellation there are NO REFUNDS or adjustments on deposits. Cancellation with 72 hours notice will still forfeit the entire deposit, however, if payment in full for the trip has been received, that amount can be applied to another trip with the expiration date of 1-year from the original date of reservation. Due to operating funds being committed to the trip long before the trip date, these expenses cannot be recovered.  Therefore, parties that are last minute cancellations, no-shows or are late beyond a reasonable time frame established by Kentucky Whitewater completely forfeit their entire payment or deposit and will receive no refunds or reschedules.

If We Change or Cancel Your Reservation:
We will rarely cancel a trip due to inclement weather. We do reserve the right to change trip format, river section (s), raft size, number of guests per raft, trip times, and the length of trip due to weather conditions, water levels or other factors beyond our control.  If we cancel a trip completely, we will refund your payment or reschedule to a later trip date.

When's the best time to make a reservation?

As soon as you know the dates you are interested in and approximate number of people in your group, give us a phone call or place a reservation request online. Please let us know any specific medications, allergies, special considerations, etc.

What should I wear?

Flexible, secure footwear is required (old sneakers are best). In spring and fall, wear wool or polypropylene and a windbreaker over swimwear, wool or Polartec socks under sneakers or neoprene wetsuit booties.

For cold and wet weather, wear a wetsuit and paddle jacket or polypropylene, pile fleece, and a windbreaker. We do not provide or rent wetsuits due to the short nature of our trips and the likely hood of cold weather is not great.  If extreme conditions exist we will provide you with some of our kayak instruction gear so as to make your trip as comfortable as possible free of charge.

Do not wear cotton items on the river, such as socks, sweatshirts or blue jeans. Cotton holds water and wicks warmth away from your body as well as it makes you less buoyant.  Wool and synthetics like polypropylene and polyester can be purchased at local discount stores including Wal-Mart who carries a line called Athletic Works.  They are ideal garments to wear next to your skin and are much less pricey as products like Under Armor which is the same material.  The typical cool fall morning we recommend wearing a layer of polypropylene next to your skin, a nylon type windbreaker/workout suit and wool socks with tennis shoes.  We will provide an area to change after your river trip.

Who can do whitewater?

Just about everyone, age 6 and older. No experience is necessary on the sections of the rivers we run.  The US Coast Guard-approved life jackets for whitewater are designed to fit a maximum 54" girth for adults and minimum size for children is 40 lbs.   While strong swimming skills are not necessary the ability to remain calm in moving water is.  If you are scared of floating in a pool or lake then rafting may not be for you.

Is rafting safe?

Rafting is not without risks. Our staff has been trained and certified in many areas including CPR, Wilderness EMT, First Aid and swiftwater rescue. Our rafting trips pack first aid kits, river rescue equipment and when appropriate emergency communication devices. Life jackets must be worn at all times on the river and helmets are required.  Safety procedures are explained in detail prior to and during your trip and it is every rafter’s responsibility to adhere to these procedures.  Whitewater rafting is an adventure sport and is inherently dangerous due to its water based nature. We try to minimize risk by balancing safety with adventure and fun. Unfortunately accidents can occur on a river trip.  We will make every effort to keep you safe.  We also expect you to protect yourself from problems by reporting medical conditions to us ahead of time and not being intoxicated.  We reserve the right to refuse anyone's trip that arrives intoxicated and cancel their trip without refunding their payment or deposit.

Can you accommodate my special condition?

When you make your reservation, please inform the reservationists of any medical condition, physical disability, or allergy that may require special attention or treatment. Obtain your physician's approval in writing to raft if you have one or more serious health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, pregnancy, epilepsy, heart condition, bee sting allergy, etc.

What are the minimum ages?

We suggest the minimum age limit of 6 for the Lower Russell Fork trips and 12 for Upper Russell Fork, but we consider factors such as parental participation and acknowledgment of risk, physical size, age,  maturity, and water sport ability. We reserve the right to raise or lower minimum ages according to individual circumstances and the limits of our insurance.  Our equipment does not support anyone under 40 pounds in weight.

What do rapid classifications mean?

Rapids and rivers are subjectively rated Class I through Class VI in the International Scale of River Difficulty. The ratings depend on, the volume of water in the river, the gradient dropping per mile, watercraft and recovery ease. As a way to simplify this for our guests to understand, we have divided them into two categories:

Class I - III Beginner Fun - an introduction to white water, it’s a great place to start if you have never been rafting or feel timid towards rafting.

Class III - IV  Extreme fun - offers white water for folks who are looking for a bit more adventure and range from class III - IV+.

What are the boats like?

Rafts have outer tubes that give it its shape and form while the cross tubes provide the structure. Depending on the size of the raft, there may be 2 to 4 thwarts. Depending on the trip type, there may be as few as 3 in a raft or as many as 7 people in a raft. We use commercial outfitter boats meaning they are built to a tougher standard and take more abuse over time and still maintain a good condition.  What is a bucket boat? A bucket boat is a raft that has no self bailing holes in the floor requiring the boat be bailed by a bucket after waves crash water into the boat.  If you are in a bucket boat you may be asked to bail while the guide steers the boat.  Most often the guide takes care of the water.

A ducky is a cross between a raft, a kayak and a canoe. Like a raft, a ducky has inflated outer tubes; one or two thwarts and is self-bailing. Like a kayak, a ducky is much narrower than a raft and is propelled using a double-bladed paddle. Like a canoe, a ducky features an open cockpit. Duckies are designed for one or two paddlers. Navigating duckies through gentle to moderate white water is highly interactive and allows for a one-on-one experience with the river.