Frequently Asked Questions

With Whitewater Voyages you get:

• All of California's Best Rivers
• Professional, Friendly, Entertaining River Guides
• 40+ years of Experience
• Our Famous Attention to Detail and Safety
• State-of-the-Art River and Safety Gear
• International Reputation for Leadership and Excellence
• Gourmet Camp Cuisine
• A Fantastic Vacation Value
• Group Discounts & Tons of Fun!
• An Entire Company Dedicated to taking Extra Special Care of You!

Rafting trips are thrilling, exciting, wet, wild and unbelievably fun. That said, as with all outdoor adventure activities, rafting involves an element of inherent risk. Our guides are trained to minimize these risks, and, statistically, rafting is far safer than many other outdoor sports. The most common injury on most rafting trips is sunburn, and most other injuries occur on land, especially when getting into and out of the boats.

We take many first-timers as well as those who do not consider themselves strong swimmers on our rafting trips every day, and they have a great time! When you boat with Whitewater Voyages, all of your equipment, from your Coast Guard-approved, high-float life jacket to your rugged yet lightweight, high-tech, reinforced, T-grip paddle, to your virtually indestructible, self-bailing, compartmented, and unsinkable raft, is state-of-the-art and will serve you well. Your guide will teach you the principles of self-rescue and will also keep an eye on you should you accidentally bump out of the raft. He or she will quickly work with your paddle companions to help you get back in the boat.

Whitewater Voyages offers a broad selection of spectacular river trip choices spanning the full spectrum of excitement and challenge levels. Key factors in choosing the best trip for you are location, level of excitement and challenge, number of days you want to raft, the age, paddling skills and physical abilities of each member of your group. Other things to consider might include availability of camping and proximity to intriguing nearby attractions such as national parks.

Almost all of the trips we offer on the Kern River are suitable for first-time rafters. Class V trips on the Forks of the Kern and the Thunder Run stretch of the Upper Kern are the exception.

Our Adventure Specialists in our reservations center are experts at matching individuals and groups to the perfect stretches of river for them. Call 800-400-7238 from 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri.

Make reservations early! With limited space, some trips fill more than six months in advance. It's best to make reservations as early as possible. However, if you should wish to join a trip on short notice, please give us a call or check the website for availability. Oftentimes an opening or two is still available.

The recommended minimum age varies according to the difficulty of the rafting run, and ranges from 6 on the Lickety Split to 16 on our Class V trips. A recommended minimum age is listed on each trip's page.

Recommended minimum ages for the Jungle Run on the Lower Kern is 9 and Lickety Split on the Upper Kern 5 (however ALL guests must weigh at least 50lbs to participate)

There are many factors to consider, the most important of which is the safety of your child, you, and others on the trip. In periods of high water, we oftentimes raise the minimum age to account for river conditions. The final decision as to the suitability of a child for a particular run or trip will be left with the Trip Leader of your trip.

If you are unsure, call ahead, or let the booking staff know when you make your reservation.

From fun, forgiving Class III to rip roaring Class V adventures, Whitewater Voyages offers trips to suit just about everyone, young and old! Healthy people of all ages, including spry folks in their 70's and 80's love rafting with Whitewater Voyages!

Non-swimmers: are welcome on Class III, provided they are comfortable with the possibility that they might "take a swim", that is, fall out of the boat. In this case their life jacket would keep them afloat until they are pulled back into the raft. Swimming ability is required on Class IV and V rivers.

Size: Each participant must fit into one of our life jackets with all buckles fastened. Our adult life jackets fit a maximum torso circumference of 52 inches. Youths must weight at least 50lbs to fit in our Youth jackets.

Medical Conditions: People with a history of heart trouble, asthma, epilepsy, allergy to bee stings, or any other potentially serious medical condition should consult their doctor before coming on a rafting trip.

Pregnancy: For safety and liability reasons, we advise pregnant women not to participate in any of our activities.

Language: For safety reasons on Class IV and V, all participants must be able to understand our Safety Talk and guide's instructions, which are normally delivered in English. Japanese, Spanish,and Russian speaking guides may be available by special arrangement. On Class III and IV stretches, non-English speakers are most welcome and, unless other arrangements are made, must bring an interpreter.

If you have any particular concerns about any of these issues, please feel free to call our reservation center at 800-400-RAFT (7238) 9am to 5pm weekdays PST.

For groups of 12 or more, we offer a 10% Group Discount. Additionally, Non Profits and Church Groups are afforded a 15% discount on most of our trips.

Big Groups may join us on either the Upper or Lower Kern Rivers with the Upper Kern being able to accomodate groups as large as 90. On the Lower Kern, our Overnight and One Day trips are subject to a maximum of 35 participants, however our 1/2 Day trips can accomodate more via staggared start times. We have an unlimited capacity on our Lickety Split trips on the Upper Kern.

For more information about the maximum group size for each section of rivers, give our office a call at 1-800-323-4234 and we'll help you make arrangements for your group.

Rivers can be cold during the spring run off period and require wetsuits and paddling jackets. As the spring heads into summer, however, the vast majority of our trips do not require these items. The water temp on the Lower Kern in the summertime routinely comes close to and even can exceed 70f degrees making for perfect rafting conditions.

Dress with both the water temperature and the air temperature in mind, since you'll be getting wet. In the warm weather of summer, shorts and a T-shirt are good. In the spring time and on cooler days (and always on Class V stretches), we require wet suits or wet suit/paddle jacket combinations. Ask us about renting wetsuits when you call to book your trip. For extra warmth on cool days, it is a good idea to also bring some synthetic fleece, polypro, capilene, or wool garments. In cold weather, don't wear cotton. Wet cotton saps heat, while fleece, poly, wool, and similar fabrics provide insulation even when wet.

Shoes: An old pair of tennis shoes or running shoes provide the best foot protection on the river. Wet suit booties are good if it is cold. Tevas and other aquatic/strap-on sandals are okay in warmer weather, but don't offer as much protection.

Sunglasses, especially prescription glasses, should have a pair Chums or other retainer that cinches tight. Instead of contact lenses, it is better to wear an old pair of glasses with a head strap.

Sunscreen: Use sunscreen, especially on your more horizontal surfaces, including tops of upper legs, shoulders, back of neck and top of nose. However don't put sunscreen on your forehead or the backs of your legs. It may run into your eyes, or cause you to slip off the boat. Protect your forehead and face and back of neck with a hat secured by a chin strap.

On most of our trips, the essentials will include a personal water bottle, and some sunscreen to touch-up during the day. Keys, prescription glasses without a retention strap, wallets, or anything you can't lose, should not be brought on the boat with you.

If you have medications such as an EpiPen (for bee-sting or food allergies) or other items that should stay completely dry but remain accessible, place them inside two ziplock bags, and let your guide and the trip leader know. They may put them in with the first aid kit that is brought on every trip, or some other more secure location.

If you have any questions, ask your guide, or our friendly staff members when you check in for your trip. They're always willing to help.

Medical Condition Alert: Bring Your Own Medication Our staff is prepared to provide basic First Aid, but we are prohibited by law from providing, and we are not trained to administer medications or advanced medical care. So, all guests with medical conditions such as susceptibility to anaphylactic shock from bee stings, etc., should bring and keep handy and inform their guide(s) about their own medication/anaphylactic kit.

Our boats accommodate 5 to 8 people plus your River Guide.

Our Kern River trips are a short three hour trip from the L.A Basin. For complete travel information,including directions, go to the Trip Details page.

For early season and Class V trips, wetsuits and Paddling Jackets (a type of windbreaker made specifically for whitewater rafting)are available for a small fee at our Kern Outdoor Center.

A professional photographer shoots most of our trips and normally you will have an opportunity to view and purchase these after your trip or on-line shortly after your trip. You are also welcome to shoot your own photos however, we recommend bringing only waterproof cameras. Please keep in mind that items you bring onto the raft may fall out and will sink, thus losing the item. The quality of the pictures is pretty good, and if you lose it, it's not the end of the world. If you do bring a non-waterproof camera or video camera, please make sure you also bring a waterproof pouch or box – these items are available at camera and sport stores like REI or even Amazon.

Our guides work hard to provide you with the finest possible trip. If you feel their services have been extraordinary, a gratuity would be appreciated. This can be given to either your guide or your "Trip Leader'" who will distribute it equally among the crew. Tipping is, of course, optional and solely at your discretion.

All of the campgrounds and lodging accomodations are close in close proximity to our Kern Outdoor Center. For details on camping and lodging in the Kern River Valley go to the "Trip Details" page.