As with any outdoor sport or adventure activity, rafting has it's potential inherent risks. Your safety is our number one priority both on & off the river. All members of our staff from the drivers to the guides are trained above the minimum standard, so you can rest easy knowing you are in good hands.

Will you get wet? Yes. Will you fall out? Potentially. Will you swim all the way to the ocean? No.

In the event that you do fall out of the raft, our highly experienced guides will direct you to the safest path and get you back in the boat rapidly. On class 4/5 river trips we have safety kayakers or saftey boats which act as swim coaches and additional rescue resources. At the minimum, our guides are trained in Advanced First Aid, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation and Swift Water Rescue.

All of our guides are extensively trained above the industry standard. All H2O Adventures guides are required at the minimum to have current first aid, cpr, and swift water rescue training so you can rest assured knowing you are in good hands. At H2O, we dont believe the education should stop following your completion of guide school. We encourage guides to take boats out and continue their training on days off, join advanced trips as a paddle assist in a senior guides raft, and ensure we take the time to show how incredible.

We believe in style points. If you look good, you raft good, right? This is why our gear is not only new, but top of the line. Why give you a helmet, PFD (personal flotation device), wet-suit, or splash top that we wouldn't choose ourselves..? That's just silly.

Most helmets and home PFD's do not fit our stringent regulations for safety. If you have questions about specific pieces of whitewater specific apparel, please contact us.

Here at H2O, we believe in floating on AIRE. Not a typo, it's a lifestyle. We believe AIRE Whitewater boats to be the best boats IN THE WORLD and we'll stand behind that statement for the rest of our lives. We ride in 13' & 14' boats. Which means unfortunately you wont be able to fit your entire group of 10 in one raft, but it also means you'll receive a more personalized experience and will never be counted as a number

On the South Fork of the American River we can fit as many as 8 people in paddling positions with the 9th person being the guide. On any of our river options above class III we like to keep the number of people in the raft not including the guide, to a maximum of 6. Small children who do not wish to paddle may sit between parents on any of the rafting trips available for kids.

We take people of all shapes, sizes and abilities rafting. We simply ask that you inform us of any medical condition, physical disability or allergy that may require special attention or accommodations when making a reservation.

The best person to advise you on this, is your doctor and your body. We are comfortable taking you on any river trip as long as you are comfortable with it yourself.

The rivers we raft on are all natural riverbeds, there are no tracks, no man made rapids, and it certainly won't remind you of Disneyland (because we're better). Thus, the river depth varies from 2" deep to upwards of 30' deep depending on natures placement of rocks and distance from the shore. Rest assured, your PFD's will always rise you to the surface of the water and your guides will instruct you on how to be safe in the water.

No. Next Question.

Swimming is not a prerequisite for all river trip options. We ask that all guests are comfortable in water. Your gear will rise you but panicking once you touch water only increases your heart rate, not the speed in which you reach the surface. Swim tests may be requested on Class IV-V river trips.

Our minimum age for any trip for rafting with younger kids is 3, for the South Fork of the American is 6 years old, North & Middle Forks of the American are 14 years old, and the North Fork of the Yuba River's minimum age is 16 years old. While we aim to cater trips to all ages, we do not advise trying to bring children below the minimum age on trips, we do not want to compromise the safety of the child or any other guests on the trip. If your 10 year old can swim like an Olympian and is the size of a 16 year old, call us and we may be able to make an exception.

We believe in sun protection and having both shoes at the end of the day. For these reasons, we like long sleeves (preferably not cotton, as it retains moisture and keeps you cold) and closed toed shoes that have the ability to not come off. Simply put, if you show up in flip flops, we'll tape them to your foot, and the tan lines won't be pretty. If you wish to wear sunglasses, we advise using eyewear retainers (we like Chums).

If you do not want to sacrifice it to the river- DO. NOT. BRING. IT. This includes but is not limited to: cell phones, watches, glasses without a strap.

All of our trips include on water safety gear, transportation, all our bad jokes, mom's famous homemade brownies and that 'Best day ever!' experience. Our full day trips also include lunch. Bring your own water bottles, and we can provide you with refill h2o.

For safety reasons, alcohol is not allowed before or during a river trip. For our clients safety, we may refuse service to anyone we believe is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. Overnight clients are welcome to bring alcohol for their time at camp.

Bring on the goggles and the guns for the South Fork of the American River, but listen to your guides. If they ask that you out down the water gun to prepare and assist for a large rapid, do so. Also understand that if you call out for a water war, our staff will not quit the water fight until you surrender the weapons.

"What did the big flower say to the small flower?" Hey bud.

Next Question.

We are more than happy to accommodate those with food allergies and unique dietary preferences. If you have any dietary restrictions, we ask that you please notify us prior to the trip. Our lunch spreads typically call for a deli style lunch. Complete with an assortment of meats, cheeses, a whole lot of veggies, condiments galore, fresh fruit, chips, and cookies. Please note; avocados are provided reguarly and do not require you to pay an extra dollar.

Helmets are mandatory on any river trip class IV and above. While helmets are not mandated on river trips class III and below they are always provided and as an overall statement, are recommended. Below you'll find three facts to convince you that protecting your noggin is cool:

1:Your guides wear them.
2: The whole thing under whitewater are rocks.
3: You only get one noggin.

Yes, we require each participant joining us on the river to sign a waiver. Participants under the age of 18, must have their waiver signed by a parent or guardian. To ensure that things run efficiently the morning of the trip, we ask that everyone fill out an electronic waiver prior to the trip. These can be found in the trip information packet emailed with the confirmation of booking.

We promise to never sell, share or otherwise distribute your personal information to others. We hate junk mail and violations of our personal privacy just as much as you do.

Tipping is entirely at your discretion but it greatly appreciated. If you feel like your guide provided outstanding service, a memorable experience, or even made you laugh a little, a gratuity between 10%-20% is always very appreciated.

Most guides have CashApp or Venmo to take cashless tips. We also have the option to process a tip on card at the end of your trip as well as over the phone in the days to come. Give us a call when you are ready and we'll ensure the gratuity gets to the guide who ensured you had the best day ever!

If you believe you are going to be late, please call us as soon as possible. We will try to be accommodating. As a courtesy to our guests who show up on time and strict water release schedules on several of our rivers, we can only wait 15 minutes past the scheduled meet time.

No. River trips often span several hours and meeting locations are often subject to high heat temperatures. We ask that dogs are not left in vehicles or tied to trees. You wouldn't do it to your children or your parents, don't do it to your animals.

Yes! Reservations for our riverside campground can be made at the time of booking your rafting trip. Our on-river site holds up to 50 guests. One Evening of camping is included with overnight rafting trips. Riverside camping is also available to our 1 day clients for a $15/person/evening fee. Facilities include: Free Hot Showers Flush Toilets Volleyball Horseshoes Fire-pits (seasonal due to fire danger) On-site raft trip photo viewing Please be aware that in all camps on the South Fork American, there is a quiet time between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. You are welcome to talk at normal levels after this time, however, noise must be minimal after 10:00 pm.

Camping equipment is not included with the price of your rafting trip, however we do have the gear available for you to rent. Our Camping equipment rentals are available for any client camping with us. Camping gear (Tent and sleeping bags for two) can be rented for $35. Additional sleeping bags can be added at the rate of $10/person.

There is space to park a motorhome in the dirt parking lot, howver there are no hook ups for water or power in the general parking lot.

Absolutely! We love planning custom trips. Have a bachelor, bachelorette, scout group, family reunion, annual friendiversary, etc.? Simply create the guest list, provide your requests, and let us take care of the rest. Trips can be customized from

We do not provide cash refunds for cancellations under 14 days prior to your trip. Due to state regulations and tight permit allotments, once your space is confirmed, others are turned away. For this reason, we HIGHLY advise travel insurance. If you need to cancel a trip under 14 days prior to your trip, you will receive a credit for a future trip with H2O Adventures within the same calendar year and a $25 rescheduling fee will be assessed. Cancellations made under 72 hours prior to the trip are subject to no credit and zero refund, this includes no shows. Although it is highly unlikely, we reserve the right to cancel or modify a trip due to water conditions, weather, or other conditions beyond our control. For any trip cancelled by H2O Adventures, a full trip refund will be issued.

View Photos Here

We are human too, which means we sometimes forget to get around to things right away. If a member of our staff has yet to send you a photo that they captured on their phone, please contact us and we’ll send it to the phone and/or email provided for your groups organizer as soon as possible.

You can find a copy by visiting this link. Please note, this copy is for review only. We are making every effort to become more sustainable so we ask that you do not print this copy out. When a reservation is made, we send along an electronic copy of our waiver which can easily be signed via your computer, mobile device or with a member of our staff the day of your whitewater rafting experience. These electronic copies help us save resources, stay organized, and make your guides happy campers. Protect the environment and our sanity, by signing your e-waiver today!