On each whitewater trip we provide on the Savegre River, our professional guides give a safety talk, as well as demonstrations on the commands utilized during your trip on the river.
While this post won’t go into all of the details of the safety talk, we will go through some of the basic rafting commands that you’ll hear from our professional guides while on the Savegre River. Before we get into the details of these commands, please note that the only time you STOP paddling one of these commands is when your guide says STOP. Ok? This is important.
FORWARD or ‘ADELANTE’:
While this command may seem totally obvious, it’s important to note some elements here. Firstly, when your rafting guide says ‘forward!’ it means you need to paddle now. Hesitation doesn’t help your guide or fellow rafters. When any command is stated by your guide, its go time, now! The other thing to note is that this command heavily relies upon the rafters seated in the front of the raft. It’s very important to watch your fellow rafters to keep a good rhythm and be in sync while on the river.
Those rafters in the front determine the pace at which the whole raft paddles. Make sure whoever is sitting across from you has the same pace of stroke, otherwise, the raft can turn in a circle. For those of you in the back of the raft, focus on aligning your timing with those in front of you. If for some reason this timing gets off, you’ll likely notice it very quickly; paddles tend to hit each other when the timing is off.
BACK or ‘ATRAS’:
Very similar to the forward command, the BACK command requires very good timing on all of those involved. This is a team activity, and the forward and back commands quickly shine through if there is someone not paying attention. When everyone on the raft is tuned in, it’s a great feeling and very noticeable in how well your raft will be able to navigate the rapids.
GET DOWN!
When you hear this on the river, you know there is a nice rapid coming! In all seriousness, you need to pay attention to all of these commands. This one in particular needs to be responded to as quickly as possible. This command means that you put your butt on the floor of the raft and tuck yourself in the raft. A VERY important part of this command is timing, just like the other commands… this comes with a particular nuance; you need to be very aware of where your paddle is.
While in the safety talk this topic is covered at length, what is important to know in this particular post is KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE END OF THE PADDLE AT ALL TIMES. This is a very big deal. Sometimes, beginning rafters will hear this command and forget about their paddle. Remember that you have a hard paddle and the end of it is not friendly to yourself or your fellow rafters. You need to maintain control of it at all times, including when you GET DOWN inside the raft. That means keep your hand on the end of the paddle the whole time.
LEFT BACK, RIGHT BACK PADDLE
While at first this command can be confusing, you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly. This type of command is to enable your boat to turn to the left or right. If your guide says left back, that means the right side needs to paddle forward. This enables your raft to more quickly turn in either direction. This is frequently used on the Savegre River in the more technical sections where the guide needs more assistance in steering the boat.
HIGH SIDE!
All of these commands for whitewater rafting are very important. This particular command is a big deal. If for some reason a raft starts riding up the side of a boulder on the river, you’ll need to listen to your guide and perform the high side command. This can happen for many reasons, the point is to know what to do.
The scenario: let’s say your going down the river and for whatever reason a boulder comes between the raft and your down river path. The raft turns sideways, or perpendicular to the boulder and becomes stuck. It then starts to ‘climb’ up the boulder. Now if it goes to high, it’s likely the raft will flip over, something we want to avoid. So, what are you options? Your guide will yell, ‘HIGH SIDE!’ which means to go to the higher side of the raft.
One side of the raft will be much higher from the water than the other. If you’re on the side that is close to the water, you simply move your body weight up towards the side that’s higher up on the boulder or obstacle that the raft is stuck on. That’s it! Of course there are many details of particular situations that your guide will help explain on the river, the basics are as outlined here.
With these basic commands and an awareness of what is going on, you’ll have a great time rafting the Río Savegre with us here in Costa Rica. Our professionally certified guides love to share the river with our guests, and river education is a big part of what we do on every single trip.
BOOK YOUR RAFTING TRIP HERE 🙂
Want to know how you can push your limit on your adventure while still making sure that you and your party are staying safe? Ask about certifications!
Our river guides at Autentico Adventures are routinely trained and certified in white and swift water rescue. This includes the basics of CPR and wilderness first aid as well as advanced techniques for handling rafts on the river. The majority have grown up rafting the same sections of river they guide guests on, so you know that they have plenty of experience.
We believe that prevention is key – which means that we are continuously looking for ways to improve safety on the river. Your safety on the river is of utmost importance and we take that seriously. In this way, you are able to let loose, kick back, and just have a great time while we worry about the serious stuff.
Each of our guides undergoes an intense week-long re-certification process every year, with more specific technique practices periodically throughout the year. These certifications are earned through Rescue 3 International (RQ3) and internationally recognized.
Keep your standards for safety high, while still enjoying your wild adventure on the Savegre River – let us take you with us to enjoy and explore safely!
Looking for something exciting to do around Dominical other than surfing? Let us take you with us to the river to cool off!
With our new office opening in Dominical, transportation included from town and on-site lunch, Autentico Adventures has got you covered. All skill levels are welcome – from beginner rafters to more experienced ones, we offer three different trips on sections of the Rio Savegre, located about 20km (~12mi.) – visit here to check out the options.
Whether you’ve decided your rafting trip is going to be adrenaline-packed or more tranquil and relaxed, take a moment during the middle of your trip to enjoy the waterfall just off the banks of the river.
The Savegre River is easily accessible, plus a well-known destination from Dominical. Only a quick backroads 40 minute drive to the put in, you can even plan this rafting trip as one of two half-day activities, due to our convenient pick up and drop off policy. Regardless of your timeframe, the convenience of transportation makes it easy to experience the Savegre River without feeling rushed.
We take safety very seriously and have a team of professionally certified guides, many of which have been rafting the Savegre for the better part of their lives.
What are you waiting for ? Find your trip here!
It is with PURA VIDA for us to announce that we now have an office in Playa Dominical in addition to our office located near San Isidro del General. If you’re looking to go whitewater rafting in Playa Dominical, Uvita, or Manuel Antonio, our Dominical Rafting office can assist you with any details you need to book your trip. We runs trips daily starting at 8AM.
As usual, all of our rafting guides are professionally certified. We love sharing the experience of whitewater rafting on the Savegre River! We offer three sections, depending upon your interests. Many first time rafters go with the class II and class III section, you can find those details HERE.
Even if your a first time rafter, we offer sections that include Class III and Class IV rapids. What does this mean? Well, it has to do with the power of the rapids, the technicality, and the overall systems involved. For you it likely means an increase in adrenaline and focus, along with paddling hard and listening to your guide!
We’re the only company in the area (to our knowledge) that offers the upper section. We are able to do this because our guides and instructors grew up alongside the Río Savegre. We’re a family run business and we’re from this region of Costa Rica.
We love what we do, and we want to share the beauty of the Río Savegre and Costa Rica.
The options of Whitewater Rafting Rivers in Costa Rica are just about endless. From the North to the South of Costa Rica there are valleys with incredible rivers. Some of these rivers are reserved only for very experienced or professional kayakers traveling the world to find the best rivers out there.
A region of Costa Rica with three great rivers for rafting is in San Isidro de General. Also known as Perez Zeledon, this region that is just 3 hours South of San Jose has three excellent whitewater rafting rivers – the Rio Savegre, the Rio General, and the Rio Guabo.
These three rivers work at different times of the river, but the Rio Savegre is a great river to raft all year long. During the dry season in December, January, and February the Rio Savegre has a lower water level but is still a lot of fun.
The Rio Guabo is also a great river. This river is only 45 minutes from Playa Dominical, and just 1 hour from Manuel Antonio. The Rio Guabo can only be run during the rainy season as it becomes to dry to raft from December to May. If you want to raft the Rio Guabo, plan your trip from June to November and you will have a great time.
The Rio General is one of the largest rivers in all of Costa Rica. It features very big waves that are a lot of fun with higher water levels. The Rio General is also close to Playa Dominical at just about 1 hour away and is very close to San Isidro del General (15 minutes). On the Rio General you can do 3 day river trips camping alongside the river (a very cool experience immersed in nature).
Take a look at the options for booking these excellent rafting trips in Costa Rica HERE.
PURA VIDA
Located just 3 hours of San Jose, San Isidro del General (also known as Perez Zeledon) is home to three great whitewater rafting rivers. Visitors come to this region to hike Volcán Chirripó, the highest peak in Costa Rica. This region is not as developed for tourism so there are plenty of opportunities to get ‘off the beaten path’ and find some genuine Costa Rican rafting adventures.
The Savegre River is one of the more famous rivers of this region. From strong class IV sections to more calm class II sections, this river really has it all. Stop on the side of the river to indulge in a waterfall massage session, eat fresh pineapple on the side of the river, and admire the lush rainforest on both sides of the river…it’s hard to beat the Rio Savegre.
The Savegre River put in is just about a 2 hour 4×4 drive from San Isidro del General. The upper section starts off with an intense and technical string of class IV rapids, ideal for the adventurous!
It’s pretty simple to book a tour on the Savegre River from San Isidro. Hotel pickup is included and lunch is included for the trips starting further up the river.
You may find yourself wondering where there is a great place to go rafting near Playa Uvita. Well, fortunately for you, there are some great options 🙂
The Savegre River, or Río Savegre, is an amazing river with beautiful views of the rainforest, and features up to class IV rapids depending upon your interests and starting point.
We offer three distinct rafting trips on the Rio Savegre:
Lower Section (Rio Blanco):
This section of the Rio Savegre features class II & III rapids and is a great river trip for those looking for an adventure on the river. This trip includes a stop at a beautiful waterfall, and a snack alongside the river. It takes approximately 45 minutes to an hour to reach the place where we ‘put in’ the rafts to begin our journey.
Depending on the Savegre river levels, this river trip typically lasts for approximately 3 hours on the river. We pick up in Uvita at 8AM in the morning, and typically return to Uvita around 1PM. Overall, it’s about 14 kilometers of rafting 🙂
Make your reservation HERE.
Middle Section (El Brujo):
Looking for more time on the river? This may be your choice. This section features up to class IV rapids depending upon river levels, and includes approximately 20 kilometers of rafting! Please note that this river trip starts with about a 2 1/2 hour drive to the river put in.
And yes, you will still be able to experience the beautiful waterfall alongside the Rio Savegre. Plus, you’ll be served a full lunch prepared on the side of the river. Make your reservation HERE.
Upper Section (El Llano):
Ok, so if you’re looking for the longest river trip that we offer, as well as the biggest rapids…you got it, this rafting trip is for you! This section starts off with a series of class IV rapids – you’ll need to be ready to paddle hard and listen to your rafting guide.
This trip is approximately 27 kilometers of rafting! The real deal, as they say. Please note that this section typically is able to be booked starting in June and going up until mid December on some years.
Make your reservation HERE.
Rio Guabo river rafting:
Believe it or not, there is a fourth option. The Rio Guabo is a beautiful, pristine river that features class II & III rapids winding down water etched canyons and beautiful views of the rainforest. This river is approximately 45 minutes to an hour drive from Uvita and can be run during the more rainy months of the year here in Costa Rica.
Make your reservation HERE.
PURA VIDA Y GRACIAS!
DE LA FAMILIA DE AUTENTICO ADVENTURES!
Enjoying the beautiful beaches of Dominical? Dominical is an incredible place to surf, enjoy sunsets, and the ‘pura vida’ lifestyle. Kick back on the black sand beach and keep an eye out for the occasional macaw flying above. The long stretch of beach is perfect for long walks at sunrise, and the surf is incredible most of the year.
Playa Dominical is also close to some excellent rivers for whitewater rafting. The Savegre river, or ‘Rio Savegre’ is an incredible whitewater rafting river. It features sections with rapids for first time rafters, to rapids reserved for experienced kayakers only.
If you’re looking to explore more of the rainforest and gain a new perspective of the Playa Dominical area and it’s beautiful surroundings, go rafting!
Rafting trips start at $100 USD for roundtrip transportation from your place of stay in Playa Dominical, and a snack on the river.
Book your whitewater rafting trip on the Savegre River HERE.
PURA VIDA
Family rafting trip on the Savegre River!
There are some great whitewater rafting rivers here in Costa Rica for the whole family. Starting at age 12, these recommended rafting sections are great for the whole family and for first time rafters in Costa Rica. Up to lighter class III rapids, these rivers provide a great time, but also not too intense for some members of the family.
Savegre River, lower section. Often referred to as the ‘Rio Blanco Silencio’ of the Savegre River, this section has a lot of class II rapids and a few fun class III sections ideal for the family.
Of course as with any river it depends upon the river levels at the time of your trip, but this section is pretty ideal all year long for rafting. Typically for the month of October it is at it’s peak level and in March it is at it’s lowest level. Peak level and lowest level offer different rapids and challenges, it does not necessarily mean it is easier at a lower water level.
This trip includes transportation from Playa Dominical, San Isidro del General, Uvita, and $5 additional for trips in Manuel Antonio.
Book your Savegre River Family Trip HERE.
The Rio Guabo (pictured above) is another great river for rafting. This river has a much shorter season for rafting as it does not get as much water as the Savegre River. The Rio Guabo typically is a great river for rafting anytime from June to November.
The Rio Guabo is very close to Playa Dominical and Uvita, and features class II and III rapids.
This a trip that offer 14 Kilometers of rafting and is about a 2 1/2 hour journey
Uvita is one of Costa Rica’s gems. The beautiful Marino Ballena National Park will captivate you with its surroundings and lush rainforest up to the beach. Walk for hours with just a few people around on the beach up to the famous ‘whale tail’, and learn to surf with excellent beginner waves.
Uvita is full of great activities for your time there. Many travelers don’t know this, but whitewater rafting is also an option in exploring the surrounding area. The Savegre River is a world class river just 1 hour from Uvita and the National Park. The Savegre River features lush rainforest, warm waterfalls, and up to class IV rapids.
This river has three sections depending upon your interest. Trips start at $100 USD for round trip to and from Uvita. The trips last from 3-5 hours on the river. All gear for whitewater rafting is included.
Book from rafting trip from beautiful Uvita HERE.
PURA VIDA
