Whitewater Rafting Safety

We love to talk safety at IWE and we could start by telling you things like “we are one of the original members of the British Columbia River Outfitters Association and have been for 41 years”.

Or how about “we use a minimum of 2 guides per trip even with as few as 2 clients.” Or maybe something like “we never do single boat trips” but river safety is much more than that. It is a commitment that puts the safety of the clients and staff ahead of making money, plain and simple. We are a firm believer in having the right guides on the river at the right time. It’s all about having the correct boat lengths for certain classes of rapids and paying close attention to the changing water levels of the river during spring runoff.



Our Guides


IWE hires only the most experienced guides available who love making their living off the river because they are simply “true river people”. We have an in house guide-training program that we think is second to none in this industry.

We are firm believers in safety kayakers and catarafts, and you will quite often see several of them buzzing around the boats if water levels warrant it. We look for the most qualified guides from across Canada and around the world because quite frankly we want to have the best guiding team in the industry… period.


 
   

IWE has sound emergency procedures in place and practice them regularly. All trips have good communication with our base camp and shuttle bus in the form of two-way radios, cell phones, or satellite phones. In Wells Gray Park we have extra first aid equipment such as basket stretchers, backboards, blankets etc. stashed in strategic areas along the Clearwater River in the event of an incident.

British Columbia is well known for having unarguably the toughest and most in depth regulations governing a whitewater industry world wide, and rightfully so. Because British Columbia has some of the toughest terrain and largest snow packs in North America it faces challenges other areas do not. IWE's goal is to maintain this high standard of care and in almost all cases surpasses the industry standard set in British Columbia.

Putting on Safety Gear Before a Whitewater Trip   River Safety Training   Rafting Safety Briefing


Doug Trotter is the founder of IWE and has been involved with the whitewater scene on the Clearwater River since the day he started it in 1979. He has kayaked and guided extensively in Canada and throughout the world and is a true river person. When choosing the company to go with it is in your best interest to know the safety policies of that particular company. Do your research, ask questions, and try to get a feel for how important safety really is. We at IWE feel very confident our safety program will stack up against any of our competitors, be it in Canada or any other place around the world.

 

Download our Liability Waiver
 

IWE is one of the most experienced rafting companies in BC, with 41 years of experience in Wells Gray Park. When selecting a rafting operator, experience counts. We look forward to sharing our 41 years of experience with you!

Now check out our lineup of rafting adventure packages knowing that you are in good hands rafting with IWE.

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Dan and Marsha, Edmonton, AB Loved it, loved it, and loved it!! Great Guides, walking through the falls was so cool and the rafting was awesome! Thanks! Dan and Marsha, Edmonton, AB
Hayley Wow! Such an amazing time!!! Thank you so much for keeping me entertained and laughing. Loved the full day tour. I would recommend it to anyone! Hayley
Helen, Nick & Iggy, Kelowna, BC Thanks to the guys for a fantastic trip! The ride & the scenery was terrific, we'll definitely be back next summer for another ride! Helen, Nick & Iggy, Kelowna, BC
Hanna I’d never done river rafting before and I think it was the best thing in my whole life! If I could I would come every day Hanna
Matt and Pip, Birmingham, England All the way from England on our honeymoon and we proper enjoyed the rafting. Excellent fun and the waterfall jumping was brilliant! Thank you all! Matt and Pip, Birmingham, England
Howarth family, Cornwall, England Amazing! Thank you so much. The guys were great with our kids and we will remember today. - July 29, 2014 Howarth family, Cornwall, England
Kim & Dennis - Kelowna, BC We were somewhat nervous, but the staff do such a good job of covering the safety issues we felt quite positive we picked the best company to go with. The staff is wonderful! What a great job the guides do - you can tell they have experience! We will definitely be back for more. Kim & Dennis - Kelowna, BC
Hannah, U.K. A truly amazing experience. Such a variety—going under the waterfall was amazing—can’t believe I did that! Such a friendly, welcoming team. Thank you! - July 20, 2014 Hannah, U.K.
Heather Wilson This was by far the most incredible trip ever! The guides were amazing and I loved the scenery. Thanks you so much! Heather Wilson
Mclean Family Catch-A-Wave was wonderful & we can’t wait to do it again! Mclean Family