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!
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.
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
The Savegre River is a world-class whitewater rafting river located close to the beaches of: Manuel Antonio, Quepos, Dominical, and Uvita in Costa Rica. The largest nearby town of San Isidro del General (just about 3 hours South of San Jose) is a region full of biodiversity and rainforest climate.
The river features three starting points for rafting:
- Upper section – known as ‘El Llano Silencio’ a 27 kilometer run taking you down class IV, III rapids.
- Middle section – known as ‘El Brujo Silencio’ a 20 kilometer run with strong class III rapids.
- Lower section – known as ‘Rio Blanco Silencio’ a 14 kilometer run with class III, II rapids.
The minimum age for rafting the Rio Savegre is 12. Most of the time the upper sections are reserved for rafters age 14 and up.
You need to bring plenty of sunblock for your rafting adventure. Bringing a water bottle is also a great idea. Be sure to wear your bathing suit, you will be getting wet! It’s great if you have a rashguard to protect you from the sun during your trip. If you don’t have a rashguard, just use a shirt you don’t mind getting a little dirty.
Along the way on your trip, weather permitting, you’ll get to stop by a waterfall where you get to go underneath the falls. Often time the water from the falls is warm. This stop provides a great time to use your waterproof cameras or GoPro’s you bring along while rafting on the Rio Savegre.
Many of the rafting trips on the Savegre River include lunch. The lower section trip includes a snack and you can request a full lunch for just $5 more on your trip price.
It is common to see exotic birds on the sides of the rivers. From egrets to Toucans, it is also a treat to see some of the local wildlife as you’re heading down the Savegre River.
Trip duration depends on where you are coming from. Picks ups from Manuel Antonio, Dominical, Uvita, and San Isidro del General are very common. Just be in touch to confirm details on where you are when you make your booking.
First time rafters can start with the upper section of the Savegre, but it is highly advisable that you can swim and feel comfortable in the water. Otherwise, the middle and lower sections are appropriate for first time rafters!
If you have a big group to go rafting, it’s not a problem. Trips can be as large as 40 people on one trip, just make sure to be in touch at least one month in advance to confirm details.
Enjoy your time rafting the Savegre River, it is truly an experience you will enjoy!
PURA VIDA y GRACIAS!
Rafting near Manuel Antonio and Quepos offers great whitewater on the Río Savegre. We offer rafting trips up to class IV, one of the only companies in the area that offers this, primarily because our guides grew up in the village in the mountains along the river 🙂
Rafting near Manuel Antonio is excellent, and the Savegre River is a world class rafting river for all levels at age (starting at age 12). Trips start at $100 USD including roundtrip transportation from Manuel Antonio or Quepos and include a snack on the river.
The Savegre River is one of the Americas cleanest rivers. Not only is the river clean, the surrounding area is full of waterfalls and lush rainforest. This is a rafting experience you just can’t pass up if your visiting Manuel Antonio National Park. Rafting is an addition to your natural exploration that allows you and your family to see another side of Costa Rica – the rivers!
Pura vida!
Book your Savegre River rafting trip HERE.
