Before you get on the water, your guide will give you a complete safety orientation and once you are on the water, you will find that your guides keep a close eye on each other and support each other through the major rapids. The actual boat itself is the same. An oar boat is rigged in a manner where the guide does the rowing and maintains control of the boat, while the guests are passengers and required only to hold on and enjoy the ride. This is best, and sometimes required with kids. Often the guide will assign two people in the front as paddlers to assist as needed.
Paddle boats require FULL participation.
Everyone must paddle. Paddling can be physically demanding and challenging, particularly on more advanced trips. On milder trips paddle boats are appropriate for most, but not all guests. To paddle you must be physically capable of paddling effectively for the entire duration of the trip. Paddles are 5 feet tall. .