Rafting Terms you might want to know about!

| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O |
| P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

A

Aggressive Swimming
Making an all-out effort to get to safety due to dangerous river conditions.

Agile Bow
A member of the paddle crew who is assigned to get out on shore and hold the boat.

B

Boat Angle
The angle of the boat relative to the current.

Bow
The front of the boat

C

Cataraft
An inflatable boat with two pontoons.

Carabiner
A clip, used to secure items into the boat, and to construct safety and rescue systems.

Current
Moving water.

D

Dry Suit
A suit designed to keep all water out, under which any amount of layered clothing can be worn.

Dry Bag, Day Bag
A bag for keeping gear in while on the river. They help keep things dry, but probably not 100%.

Duckie, Inflatable Kayak
A one or two person inflatable boat, usually paddled with double-bladed paddles.

E

Eddy
Water flowing upstream behind a rock or other obstacle. Eddys often provide a safe place to get out of the current.

Eddy Line, Eddy Fence
Where the water flowing upstream passes the water flowing downstream.

F

Ferry
To cross a current or river without moving downstream.

Flip
The boat turned upside down by a wave, a rock, or other mishap.

Flotilla
A group of boats together on a trip.

Flow
The amount of water passing a point in the river, measured in Cubic Feet per Second (CFS).

G

Gradient
The"steepness" of a river, measured in feet of elevation loss per mile of river.

Guide
The person who steers the boat down the river, giving paddle commands to the crew (paddle captain), or rowing (oar captain).

H

High Side
The necessary act of jumping to the "high side" when coming up against an obstacle sideways. Always jump downstream, towards the rock or obstacle. When executed properly it can help prevent a wrap or a flip.

High Water
River flow above an expected average, which makes the currents faster. Some rapids get easier, others become more difficult.

Hole, Hydraulic
Where water flowing over a rock or other obstacle flows down, then back onto itself in an eruption of whitewater.

L

Laterals
A wave or hole peeling out of an obstacle at an angle.

Lead Boat
The first boat in the flotilla, often captained by the trip leader.

Life Jacket (PFD)
A personal flotation device, Coast Guard approved, and worn like a vest.

Low Water -
Flows below an expected average. More rocks and obstacles may show, rapids become more technical.

O

Oar
A long blade, attached to the boat by an oarlock and used to row.

Oar-Rig
A boat rigged with oars, so one person sitting in the center or rear of the boat can row.

P

Paddle
A paddle held in the hands, not attached to the boat, used to paddle. Can be single-bladed (rafting and canoeing) or double-bladed (kayaking, solo cats, inflatable kayaks).

Paddle Boat
A raft with a crew of paddlers and a guide.

Paddle Captain
The guide in the paddle boat.

Paddle Commands
Commands used by the guide to communicate to the crew. Some more commoly used are: "forward paddle"; "back paddle"; "left turn"; "left back"; "right turn"; "right back"; and "stop".

Pool-Drop
A type of river in which rapids are separated by calmer pools of water, sometimes more forgiving than continuous gradient rapids.

Portage
To carry the boats around a rapid. Necessary around Class VI rapids and other obstacles.

Put-In
River access where a trip begins.

R

Rapid
Where there's whitewater! Water flowing through a shallower, constricted, or steeper section forms a rapid.

River Left
The left side of the river when facing downstream.


River Rating
A measure of the difficulty of a rapid or a river.

River Right
The right side of the river when facing downstream.

River Trip
A section of river run in order to return to our Durango office on time.

Run
A section of river that can be boated.

S

Safety Talk
A talk that preceeds every trip, in which paddlers learn about safety on the river.

Scout
To stop and look at a rapid before running it.

Setting Safety
Catching an eddy or hiking down the river, past a rapid to be there for the safety of a boat about to come through the rapid.

Standing Wave, Haystack
A wave in the river formed by obstacles on the river bottom, where the wave stands still relative to the bank.

Stern
The rear of the boat.

Stern Rig, Paddle Assist
A oar/paddle boat, in which the guide sits in the rear and has control of the oars. The crew, sitting forward, has paddles. Often used in high water.

Strainer, Sieve
An opening or openings where water can flow through, but a solid object such as a person or boat cannot. It is usually formed by trees on the banks or by rocks on top of one another with water flowing through them. It is one of the most dangerous river features.

Strokemaster
A member of the crew, usually in the bow, appointed by the guide to set the cadence or the timing for the entire crew. If everyone follows the strokemaster, the crew will be efficient and work together.

Sweep Boat
A boat rigged with first aid, safety and rescue gear which usually runs last in the flotilla.

Swimmer
A person who has fallen out of the boat.

Swimmer's Position
Often the safest way to "swim" in a river or rapid. Feet up in front of you, visible on the surface, facing downstream, arms out to the sides for stability and to scull or move across the current.

T

Take-Out
River access where a trip ends.

Trip Leader
A guide deignated to oversee the smooth running of the trip.

W

Wet Suit
A neoprene rubber suit that allows a small amount of water in, to help retain body heat.

Wrap
A boat held against a rock or other object by the force of the current.

Z

Z-Drag
A pulley system used to give a mechanical advantage when trying to free a boat from a "wrap".