How to Do U-Turns in Whitewater Rafting

Video Transcript

"I'm going to explain a u-turn to you. A u-turn is used in rafting to change directions instantly. You need to do this maneuver if you are reacting to a paddle signal that was inquiring you to stop immediately either in an emergency situation or if you needed to get to one side of the river to the other instantly. It's sort of like a hand break turn with a raft. You come charging down stream and then spin the raft and then head in the direction that you've just came in. So we'll see how these guys do here. You notice how they turned directions and then they headed back upstream without loosing any ground whatsoever. It takes a certain amount of coordination with the crew and a commanding presence in the back of the raft to make the u-turn successful. But it's a useful maneuver to have out there if you're paddling with a whole group of people and you need to be able to stop and change direction instantly."