Guided rafts
All commercial rafts on the Ocoee River are guided by professional guides. The State of Tennessee requires all guides to be certified in CPR and First Aid. Raft One guides are additionally trained in Advanced Swiftwater Rescue under the guidelines established by the American Canoe Association.
Dusty Rogers guiding a raft through Hells Hole on the Ocoee River.
Crew Participation
Rafting the Ocoee River is done in paddle rafts. This means that to successfully navigate the river the guide depends on the efforts of the crew. The guides steers the raft from the rear while the crew provides the momentum by paddling forward or backwards. The guide will yell commands letting the crew know what to do so even first time rafters can easily run the most difficult rapids of the Ocoee River. Learn More
Ocoee River Rafting: Safety Procedures for the Whole Family
Rafting the Ocoee River is becoming a very popular adventure that many travelers to the Copperhill, Tennessee area have grown to love. The Ocoee River trips give rafters a chance to enjoy the beautiful countryside from a different perspective as they ride down the rapids through one of Raft 1’s guided trips.
Raft 1, one of the premiere ocoee rafting companies, offers several types of whitewater rafting trips along the Ocoee River starting in Copperhill, Tenn. for everyone from beginners to experts.
Extreme Ocoee River Rafting Can Be Enjoyed By All
Everyone from singles to entire families can go on these Class 1-4 river rapids level adventures and enjoy the experience of Ocoee River rafting. They will have a safe and enjoyable time, as long as they follow the instructions of their trained and experienced Raft 1 guide on the proper safety procedures.
Extreme rafting is put into six classes. Class 1 is the easiest and slowest moving waters that riders will experience with only a few rough spots along the way, Class 2 areas will be a bit faster moving with a few rocks along the way to maneuver around, and Class 3 involves a true Ocoee white water rafting experience that may have waves and a few drops, but still isn’t considered to be extremely dangerous.
Class 4 requires more experienced rafters and will include higher waves, more rocks, big sudden drops and faster moving waters. Class 5 rapids include huge waves, large rocks and other hazards, extreme maneuvering and that the rafters are more advanced in their experience, and the highest level is for only expert rafters and are considered to be so dangerous that they may or may not be traveled safely or successful and should be avoided.
Raft 1 rafting adventures can be taken from three sections of the Ocoee River: upper, lower, and middle, with each of these consisting of about five miles of river waters to trek down through your rafting trip. The majority of these routes are rates as Class 3, with a few stretches of other rapids levels.
What Kind of Rafting Trips Does Raft 1 Offer?
There are Ocoee rafting adventure trips through Raft 1 that consist of slower moving waters, as well as those that contain faster rapids. You can choose the level that best fits your personal experiences or desires. Every one of the treks includes a Raft 1 guide, who is trained to exceed the Tennessee rafting safety guidelines and experience for Ocoee white water rafting trips.
Staying Safe on Your Ocoee River Rafting Adventure
Safety is number one at Raft 1 and we want our customers to enjoy their Ocoee white water rafting trips while they follow our necessary and required safety precautions. Rafters must always pay attention and follow the guide’s instructions to the letter. Thousands of people enjoy these adventures every year without mishaps and most of these rafters have never done it prior to that date.
First, Raft 1 will provide every rafter a life jacket, paddle and safety helmet for use during Ocoee rafting treks. Rafters are also required to wear proper footwear that won’t fly off during the raft ride, along with wearing either a swimsuit or shorts and a t-shirt, as you are guaranteed to get wet along the way.
What not to do on a Ocoee Rafting Trip
While Ocoee white water rafting trips are a thrilling and fun adventure, the proper precautions must be taken for all rafters to remain safe. If even one rafter refuses to obey the proper safety measures, it could cause disastrous results. For instance, rafters should never attempt to stand up in the raft, as this could result in you falling out and into the surging waters.
Irresponsible actions by rafters who don’t pay attention to the responsible Raft 1 guides while rafting the Ocoee River are who can cause possible problems for their fellow rafters. You must not ever underestimate the extreme power of the fast surging waters of the Ocoee River.
Your Raft 1 guide is familiar with all of the river’s sections and will be on the lookout for any potential issues as you go rafting the Ocoee River. Always obey the guide and follow the instructions to the letter for total safety along your journey.
Even with proper safety precautions and gear, there are some individuals who most likely shouldn’t go on an Ocoee River rafting adventure. For instance, if you have a bad heart, high blood pressure, or some sort of breathing problem such as asthma, then you should consult with your doctor before deciding to go on an Ocoee white water rafting journey.
Your Raft 1 guide will teach you all you need to know prior to the Ocoee rafting takeoff of your trip. For instance, he will show you things like how to sit in the raft, how to paddle, how to turn your raft and what you should do if anyone falls out of the raft or other emergencies.
Rafting down the river is an exciting and wonder adventure and a great way to observe the wildlife and the beautiful flora and fauna of the area. You won’t need to have had experience as a rafter prior to going on an Ocoee River journey, but you do need to take the guide’s instructions seriously. Then, everyone can remain safe while having a fun time.
So, if you want to have a once in a lifetime journey, then schedule an Ocoee rafting trek on your next trip to the Copperhill, Tenn. area. You will experience thrills, chills and excitement like you have never had before through a Raft 1 Ocoee white water rafting voyage.
The rafts
The rafts hold up to 7 people (8 including the guide). Depending on the number of people rafting on a particular trip each raft may have as few as 2 or as many as 7 people per raft. Groups larger than 7 are divided up between the rafts. Groups of 4 or less are usually paired with other small groups to make 6 or 7 person crews.
The rafts are made out of a extremely tough fabric impregnated with PVC plastic. The air is held in separate tubes so even a puncture of the outer shell won’t deflate the raft. Additionally the raft is divided into 9 separate air chambers so even if one chamber were to loose air the raft will remain navigable.
All Raft One rafts are self bailing so you won’t need to bail the water out of the raft after big rapids.
The Ocoee River
The Ocoee River is a class IV river. This is the highest rating an inexperienced rafter should attempt. The river ratings are based on the difficulty of the hardest rapids on the river. Despite its Class IV rating only 3 of the more than 30 named rapids on the Ocoee River are Class IV.
For an overview of the whitewater classification of rivers click here.
For more information on the Ocoee River click here.
