Drifting is a self-help tourism activity where you blend in with the natural environment. As you need to take a boat in an unknown rapids, it is necessary to understand the situation and safety instructions about drifting.
Preparation before drifting
Bring more clothes: Drifting inevitably gets wet, and it can be uncomfortable not to dry clothes and change after landing. Do not wear leather shoes when participating in rafting, flat slippers, plastic sandals, and travel shoes are all acceptable. In bad weather, it's cold on the water, and in good weather, it's important to stay warm and sun proof. It's best not to use expensive clothing, shoes, and hats for rafting. Only bring drinking water when boarding the raft, and do not bring anything that is afraid of water, such as mobile phones, pagers, identification documents, and cash. As parents, it is important to note that children who are too young should not float, even if they know how to swim. The situation of the river in the mountains is complex, with rapids and dangerous beaches everywhere. It is dangerous for immature children to move around on the boat.
Drifting safety knowledge
Do not make dangerous movements while drifting: Generally speaking, the drifting section of the river is relatively safe. As long as you do not get off the boat arbitrarily, do not play with each other, and do not actively catch floating objects in the water and grass, trees, and stones on the shore, the drifting raft will not overturn. Once the ship capsizes, it's okay. Hold your breath and be careful not to choke on the water, as you are wearing a life jacket; When a drifting boat passes through a dangerous beach, it should follow the instructions of the boatman, not move around casually, grasp the safety rope tightly, tighten its feet, and tilt its body towards the center of the ship; Drifting
Pay attention to the arrows and signs along the way during the process, as they can help you locate the main waterway and be alert to falling water areas in advance. Due to the many areas of water drop and large drop throughout the entire process, please do not carry anything that is afraid of water to avoid falling or damage. Friends with glasses, please tie them with rubber bands. You must wear a life jacket throughout the entire process. If you fall into the water, the life jacket will float you up. Even if you can swim, you must wear it throughout the entire process to prevent the boat from flipping over and not panicking, ensuring safety. The float boat is made of polymer materials and has three independent air compartments. Under normal use, there will be no air leakage problem. Due to the shallow water of the stream, even if there is a problem, it can be promptly ashore, sound the distress whistle on the life jacket, search for rescue personnel, and replace the float boat. During the drifting process, please pay attention to the arrows and slogans along the way. They can help you find the main waterway and be alert to falling water areas in advance. When going down the rapids, please balance the boat gear with the boat body and grab the handrail on the inner side of the boat body. One person at the back should lean slightly backwards, and two people should ensure that the boat body is balanced and parallel to the river, and go downstream. When the boat is stuck, you should not rush to stand up. You should stabilize the boat body and find a good landing point before standing up to ensure that people are not led down by the boat and rush down. When you accidentally get stuck or run aground in another waterway, please stand up and disembark from the boat. Only when you find a deeper point can you board the boat. You should not move left or right on the boat, because drifting is a challenge to your physical fitness and courage. Under the premise of your safety, the float protection personnel generally do not interfere with your handling. Before drifting through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, please drift
Hand over the bamboo pole to the rescue personnel, grab the handrail, and after you float through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the staff will hand over the bamboo pole to you and continue the next float. This refers to the precautions that should be taken when drifting in general scenic spots. The most common types of rafting in China now include bamboo raft rafting and rubber boat rafting, as well as special ones such as sheepskin rafting in the Shaanxi and Gansu sections of the Yellow River, and dragon boat rafting launched by the Tianmu River in Zhejiang. The things to pay attention to when using drifting tools are different. But one thing is the same. Since it's drifting, water is essential. Therefore, you should try to choose simple and easy to dry clothes when wearing them, but not too thin or too light in color. Otherwise, if you fall into the water, you will feel embarrassed. It's best to choose sandals. Sports shoes that are soaked in water cannot dry for a short time, and the skin on your feet often swells and swells. Another thing to remind you to bring as little valuable and water sensitive things as possible, For example, advanced cameras, etc. If it is necessary to bring it, it is best to prepare a plastic bag with better sealing beforehand. Fortunately, many tourist attractions have storage areas for items at their rafting sites. Another thing to note is to wear a life jacket. Although many people wear it, you should also wear it for your safety.
Drifting precautions
1. When departing, it is best to bring a set of clean clothes for replacement when disembarking, and a pair of plastic slippers for wearing on board; 2. During drifting, cash and valuable items are
not allowed to be carried on board. In case of capsizing or other accidents, the drifting company and insurance company will not compensate tourists for the lost cash and items; If you feel that the opportunity is rare and you must bring a camera, it is best to bring a low value foolproof machine. Wrap it in a plastic bag in advance, open it when flat, and wrap it when crossing dangerous rapids, and be prepared to throw it into the water; 3. First, carefully read the drifting instructions, follow the arrangements of the staff, wear life jackets, and find safety ropes when boarding the ship; 4. When participating in rafting in low temperature weather, raincoats can be purchased at the starting point of the rafting; 5. When a drifting boat passes through a dangerous beach, it should follow the instructions of the staff and not move randomly. It should tightly grasp the safety rope, tighten its feet, and tilt its body towards the center of the ship; 6. If a ship capsizes, you don't need to panic at all, you need to remain calm because you are wearing a life jacket; 7. Do not get off the ship to swim casually, or swim on calm water according to the shipowner's advice, and do not move independently away from the ship's hull.
Procedures for responding to emergency situations during drifting
Here are several special self rescue and life saving techniques on the river. If all crew members are familiar with these procedures and can operate calmly and quickly, these emergency situations will not become serious. Swimming through rapids, although considered dangerous, can really become very interesting. Face calmly: You should face the rapids calmly and avoid the rocks ahead with your feet. Gently lean back and let the oar grasp the direction for you. Hold your breath: take a deep breath in the big waves and then hold your breath to face the foam like wave until the torrent enters the shore vortex or returns to the ship. Stay away from the ship: The most terrifying thing is being squeezed between the ship and the rocks. Therefore, stay away from the ship, especially on the downstream side. Raise the oar for help. A vertically raised oar signifies that there is a person on board the other ship. Prevent hypothermia: Cold water can deplete a swimmer's strength in less than ten minutes, so special care should be taken. Implement rescue measures for individuals who have undergone remote swimming for hypothermia and shock. B Collision with rock If you find that you can't avoid the rock (this situation does exist), you can turn the bow or let the bow hit the rock before the collision. Turning the bow: Turning the bow will gently rotate the ship, avoiding rocks; Collision of the bow with rocks: Making the bow collide with rocks will immediately stop the ship, but it can allow you to adjust the course through some rotation. If there are rocks on the side of the ship: 1. If there are rocks on the side of the ship, it is best for all crew members to jump to the closest side of the ship before encountering them. 2. The weight of the crew will allow the downstream ship to avoid rocks, while the upstream will flow higher. Otherwise, the water will rise to resist the countercurrent, suck it down, and wrap the boat flat beside the rocks. Ships that are not enveloped can usually get out of their predicament. 1. By detecting the rocks in front of the water, pushing them away and letting the crew turn to the back, paddling, and jumping to stand at the bottom of the ship may also be helpful. Once free, a ship that has collided with before is very difficult to operate because it contains many tons of water. The first step is to quickly scoop up the water and then try to park the boat in calm waters. (Modern self draining rubber boats do not require scooping water.) C Sinking (note: modern self draining boats do not sink) Analysis: If the above situation B (collision with rocks) causes sinking, a rope should be used to seek help from the shore. A ship like this is often entangled by several tons of force, but there is usually one area that is not as severe. Measure: 1. Wrap a thick rope into a D-shaped ring, pass through the waterway (if necessary, make a hole in the front), or the ship frame behind the ship. 2. A tension system (composed of butterfly shaped rings or carbine wheels) can be used to assist in lifting. 3. Try to lift the boat as much as possible, leave the water, and use the ropes at the bow or stern to help pull it towards the shore. If all the above efforts fail, have people and things line up on the shore, waiting for the water level to change. Avoiding the sinking of a ship during rapids exploration is the most dangerous, and it is important to remember that everyone's personal safety is more important than keeping the ship away from rocks. D Trapped in a Vortex Analysis: Unless the ship rushes through the vortex with great inertia, the curled waves will collide back onto the ship and stop it, and water will immediately pour in