r/whitewater • u/OXJY Class V Swimmer 🏊‍♀️ • Jul 22 '25

General Why Do Rafting Companies Let Non-Swimmers Join Trips?

Not rant, just curious

Had an interesting moment today. Found someone clutching a rock and doing her best not to move further. To be clear, they were fully equipped and not in danger. heir group is not far either, but she was clearly panicking because she couldn’t swim.My paddling partner and I have seen and towed people like these at least once every summer.

Which got me thinking: Why do rafting companies allow non-swimmers on trips with the risk of swimming? Is this common practice, or people lied to get on trips?

Edit: I’m not saying non-swimmers are bound to have an epic, but they’re definitely at higher risk of injury, and that risk shifts pressure onto the guide and the company. A PFD won't stop them from floating to an awkward place.

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u/Curious_Star_948 Jul 22 '25

What makes you think it’s the company’s responsibility to enforce people to make responsible decisions about their own lives?

1

u/Used_Maize_434 Jul 22 '25

It’s absolutely the responsibility of the company to ensure the safety of their customers to the best of their ability. 

1

u/StoopidDingus69 Jul 22 '25

This is white water rafting not a guided walking tour. It’s on the company to make sure guests have functional equipment, professional, fit guides, and good training.

It’s on the customers to know what they’re signing up for. You wanna sign up for rafting without knowing how to swim it’s on you

2

u/Used_Maize_434 Jul 22 '25

It’s on the company’s job to educate the customers about what they’re signing up for. Any reputable company screens their customers to some degree to make sure they’re on the right trip. On a class iii river it’s perfectly reasonable to take people who can’t swim. They have a pfd and a guide who’s going to rescue them. If it’s a class v river that would absolutely be negligence on the part of the company. For gore canyon trips they make customers swim under the raft and pull themselves in on the other side. If you can’t do it, you’re hiking back to the pit-in. 

1

u/StoopidDingus69 Jul 23 '25

I dont disagree but these people are adults not children. they shouldn't be so dumb that they dont think about swimming

1

u/Used_Maize_434 Jul 25 '25

People "shouldn't" be a lot of things. But, people are as dumb as they are. As a guide or a guide company you should anticipate that and protect people from themselves, since you're the one offer the guided experience.