Are you nervous about falling out of the raft? Worried about the raft flipping, or asking yourself if rafting is a safe thing to do? We hear you!
These are all legitimate questions, and ones that we take very seriously. We know you’re trusting us when you get in our raft, and that is why safety on the river has always been our top priority. There is no question about it, keeping your family safe is our primary goal, and this commitment determines every decision we make.
When you raft with The Adventure Company, you can have the best day on the river as you won’t have to question if safety is as important to us as it is to you. Let’s explore the ways that we put our commitment into action…
We ONLY hire experienced guides
While we offer many unique features, we feel the MOST important is the level of experience our guides have. We are Colorado’s only outfitter that hires exclusively experienced guides, which is nearly unheard of in the rafting community.
With a higher standard of operating, most of our guides return year after year because they love what they do. Returning staff have a higher level of experience, expertise, and knowledge. Our guides are storytellers, teachers, mentors, and the kind of people you just want to be around.
Every summer our guides ensure their certifications are up to date, attend weekly in-depth safety meetings, do flip training on the river, practice rescue techniques, provide you with safety demonstrations before each trip, and much more.
These certifications and years of experience mean our guides have better boat control, ability to read water, and knowledge that allows for a more fun, and safe rafting trip vs. a guide in their first season. Follow along with our guides and see for yourself!
Free sanitized wetsuit rentals
We want to ensure your comfort on the river, as the water can be chilly all summer long. Enjoy free sanitized wetsuit package rentals, which include neoprene wetsuit, splash jacket, and neoprene booties. You might not need to use all of it when it’s extra hot out, but they are available to you.
All of our rental gear is sanitized thoroughly after each use for your comfort and safety.
Checking water levels
Every morning we check water levels, or CFS (cubic ft. / second) and follow strict guidelines that dictate our course for the day. If water levels are above a certain cutoff point, we will raise minimum age limits or not raft that certain section – depending on levels.
The water level rising tends to happen in June on the Arkansas River. The dam upstream in Leadville releases snow melt from Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert and June is when the temps start to warm up, making for high amounts of snow melt. When stretches on the Arkansas reach a certain CFS, or water level, we follow strict cut offs and age limitations for maximum safety.
If you have kids who are below the temporary raised age limit, we will offer you an equally as exciting alternative trip as no extra cost. There are gauges all along the river that are constantly measuring CFS and reporting it. Water levels change every day.
Minimum age requirements
We offer 25 trips on 3 different rivers in Colorado, suitable for ages 2-100 years old! For each trip we offer, we have a minimum age requirement for safety reasons. For in-depth information on our minimum age requirements, click here. If you have any questions or concerns, email us or give our friendly adventure coordinators a call and we will help you pick the perfect trip for your family! Water levels differ every day, so we won’t know if the water level on your trip is too high until the morning of. If this issue arises, we will take you on an equally as exciting alternative trip. Thank you for being flexible with us and mother nature!
Safety briefings and demonstrations
Before you get in the boat, your guide will give a comprehensive safety briefing on how to paddle as a team, how to get ready, and what to do incase something was to happen. While flips and swims are extremely rare, they do happen, and we want to ensure you are prepared just in case.
Your guide will let you know exactly what you need to do. They will be in the boat with you, and practice commands before you take off. Once you are in the raft, you are a team!
Vehicle maintenance
With full time mechanics on staff, we meticulously maintain and upgrade our comfort shuttles and buses. Safety is our top priority both on and off the river, and getting you to and from the river is right up there. We have preventative biannual inspections to ensure our buses and vans are up to CDOT safety standards, and if they were to some reason fall short, they are immediately removed from use and fixed. We are proud to have the best fleet in the valley.
We are the only outfitter to offer round trip transportation in our comfort shuttles for your vacation convenience! Staying in Summit County? Here is our list of pickup locations. Let us do the driving – you just sit back and relax. Enjoy some sizzlin’ fajitas and epic whitewater rafting with the best crew on the river!
