ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to build an understanding of the whitewater industry, its environment, clientele, standard practices, and, when applicable, illustrative case law and outcomes of particular situations. While the safety of each client is in the hands of his or her guide, ultimately every person who embarks on a commercial river trip is presented with the inherent risks of the activity and must make the conscious choice to accept and assume that risk. Whitewater rivers are unlike other aquatic environments. Water parks, pools, lakes, and reservoirs have well-defined and obvious hazards, like diving into a shallow pool. Rivers are more similar to the coastal ocean where water levels are in constant flux and environmental conditions play a major role in identifying potential hazards. Hiring guides with the appropriate training is the Industry's number-one defense against accidents and injuries. Guides need to be trained on each river section they are going to be guiding.
