Rafting FAQ

• What happens?
• Can you have more than one trip?
• Can I learn more about rafting and guiding river rafts?
• What else can we do?
• Safety & Qualification
• Equipment and Clothing
• Transport
• Insurance
• How to Book

What happens?
Irrespective of the age group or the river, we will always start with kitting you out with the appropriate personal equipment. This will include a wetsuit, a buoyancy aid, a spray top and a helmet.

We will then start the session with a safety brief which will be set at an appropriate level for the age group that is being briefed. This will last for about 20 minutes and will cover paddle strokes, parts of the boat, positioning in the boat, commands that have to be understood and followed during the trip and emergency procedures in the event of someone following out or the boat tipping. Don't worry these occurrences are virtually always at the discretion of the guide and will only happen when and if the time is right and if it is appropriate to the group concerned.

The average trip lasts for about one and a half hours with the session as a whole lasting two to three hours with transport, changing and briefs. The start of the main section we run is only about 10 metres from the centre itself and is about five miles in length.
The variety of stretches of water on the River Tay allows us to operate the activity for a wide range of ages from eight years to as old as you like.

Can you have more than one trip?
Yes you can. After your first introduction to white water rafting, if you would like to do something more challenging, then we can show you other rivers around the area with higher levels of water and grades of rapids.

The Braan - This river is a narrow fast river with a memorable gorge section.
The Tummel - A dam release river which offers grade 4 sections (June to September).

Apart from The Tummel, these rivers are at their best in the off-season when rainfall levels are higher - so come and raft with friends or work colleagues. Use the day as a team building exercise or as a fund raising challenge for a charity of your choice.

We can operate a package of rafting and accommodation at the centre. This offers you the chance to experience several exciting rivers over a couple of days or why not combine rafting with some other activities? We run these packages over the weekends.

Can I learn more about rafting and guiding river rafts? Yes you can. We also offer what we call Improver sessions. These weekends are aimed at people who would like to not just experience rafting but also learn a little bit about what is actually going on. You can learn how to guide a raft over various types of water with the aim of perhaps buying your own raft or taking the Scottish Rafting Association Guide Qualification course at some point in the future. We also run these courses. More info..... What else can we do? Dunolly Adventure Outdoors can offer you lots of other Activities including gorge walking, mountain biking and archery. More info.....

We also offer Duckying for those looking for a bit more of a challenge. It involves a 2-man inflatable canoe trip down the river. You will be accompanied but the instructor will be in a separate craft.

Safety and Qualification
Swimming ability is not required but water confidence is. All medical ailments will have to be checked prior to going on to the river although there are actually very few ailments which will preclude people from going rafting. All Dunolly Outdoor Adventure river guides are Scottish Rafting Association qualified.

Provision of Equipment and Clothing
All safety equipment will be provided by Dunolly Outdoor Adventure. We will provide Helmet. Wetsuit, Buoyancy Aid and Spray Cagoul. You should bring a swimsuit, a long sleeved non-cotton top or fleece to wear under the wetsuit and trainers and socks that you do not mind getting wet. If you wear glasses you should bring a spec band to ensure that you do not lose them. Between October and March, a pair of gloves and a woolly hat without a pom pom to go under the helmet is advisable

Transport
Arrangements for transport will be different for each trip. Arrangements will be made with the group leader close to the event.

Insurance
Dunolly Outdoor Adventure advises all participants to take out personal insurance prior to the event. Dunolly Outdoor Adventure holds all other appropriate insurances.

How to Book
Contact us with an idea of what you want. We can call you to discuss your specific requirements. If you want to visit us first then please do so. We would be happy to see you so that you can get the most from your time with us.
We will record your details on a booking form and send it to you with our booking conditions. You should return the confirmation slip with a deposit of 30% per person booked and your booking will be secure. All deposits are kept in a trust fund and will be returned to you if the product you booked cannot be provided. The balance of your booking should be paid no later than 5 weeks prior to your arrival date. If the booking is made within 3 weeks of your arrival date then full payment must be made at the time of booking.