Barb

We are going to be in Utah the later part of July and are thinking of doing a white water rafting trip for 2-3 days with our children. Has anyone taken kids as young as 8yrs on such a trip and any advice you can offer to make the experience a positive one?

GOL

Be very, very cautious, please!

I subscribe to our local paper. It is not in Utah. I do read frequently about drownings along our major river, where white water and calm rafting, canoeing and swimming is very popular. Most of the river is part of a National Park Service area.

Each year, we read too many reports of drownings. Many of them kids in their prime (late teens to twenties). The river is very dangerous, and always, always underestimated. Swimming, just a few feet from the shore, or trying to cross less than 100 feet to an island - are two common ways people get swept up in the current.

I would not take kids on a raft trip.

barb2

Barb, depends on the trip. I have done float trips with my kids when they were atleast as young. These are usually very mild and contain no real white water and last @ 5 hours. I also have done level 4 and 5 trips when my kids were 18 and 19 which I think is the age limit for these types of trips. I fact I had a very frightening accident last time out. Got washed into the 1st of 4 level 4 drops. I got rescued alright but my daughter who was with me and 19 at the time, was terrified. I was a little freaked myself. I'm inclined to suggest you stick with something on the mild side. The scenery will be beautiful and you can see all kind of wildlife. Two to three days with an 8 year old may be a bit long unless the trip includes many stops. 1 day may be more realistic but you know your kids better than I.

L

Having done a lot of white water stuff, you'd have to be crazy to take your own kids, no matter what age. You need to be watching your own a** and not be distracted. A float trip with zero rapids, class one or higher, would be okay ... if your kids can swim and you have good floatation devices on them. Also keep in mind hypothermia issues ... no matter how hot the day is. You need to think of some alternatives. Your idea as states is one or two nights out on the river. But hey, it's your kids .. your decision. Caio

ellie

10 years ago, my husband and I rafted down the Kennebec River in Maine with a group of his co-workers. About 10 minutes in to our trip, our very experienced guide fell out of the raft and was seriously injured. We saw her dazed and bleeding as we were swept away from her. None of us had any idea how to control the raft and experienced one of the most frightening episodes in all of our lives. The good news is that we made it (somehow - crashing backwards down much of the river) without injuries, but we still cant talk about it among ourselves as several of us were parents of young children at the time and felt immense guilt at having taken such a foolish risk that could have had such an awful effect on their lives. I remember thinking at the time that anyone who took children on such an "adventure" needed to have their heads examined. While I'm sure many companies organizing such tours are better prepared to deal with emergencies than was ours, I will never forget the power of that river and how easily we could have a much more tragic story to tell.
Hope this doesn't bum you out, but I had to speak up.

jim

One danger you need to be aware of for kids -- even on Class 3 rapids -- is as much psychological as physical.

When you fall out of a raft, guides tell you to relax and point your feet down stream. Most people, especially kids, will instead follow the instinct to try to stand up -- bad move! The rapids will keep knocking you over and back under the water. Most people manage to survive it, but it can be a scary experience, particularly for young kids.

Mr. Killjoy

I would recommend using a raft, instead of using your children. Sure, they float, but you need a lot of them for leg room and the cooler.

L

One never understands the river's power and complexity of currents until faced with the need to take an action. To place a young kid in the environment is risky. If they were mine, Barb, I'd look for other options. Ciao

Sandra

Barb,

I can't comment on the rivers in Utah, but I've done WW rafting on the Kennebec and the Penobscot in Maine. Most companies have an age limit and I think 8 is under the age recommended. I was on the Kennebec (which recommends children be 11) and In our raft was a couple who had a child under 11 with them. I think we all were put off by it - felt responsible for the kid, and also he wasn't strong enough or big enough to help row. You need everyone to help steer the raft and row through the rapids. I won't go into the dangers - but barb2 and ellie did explain some of them. I've been in a raft where the guide was knocked out and knocked one of the guests out with him!. I didn't take my kids until they were over 16.

If you can find a "float" trip that didn't have white water or rapids - that might be just fine until your kids are older.