Lessons on a Raft/Live It!

In my dozen or so times on the river, I've been in the water once (unplanned) and have pulled fellow crew members out of the water two different times. This past summer, after successfully navigating a tough series of Class Four/Five rapids in the Royal Gorge area, our guide informed us that another rafting company had lost a crew member in the same passage the week before.

So more than a few times I've appreciated the preparation given us before we launch into the whitewater.

Rafting is obviously serious business. But it's also a lot of fun. Between the rapids, on calm parts of the river, you have a chance to look around and enjoy the scenery. The conversation is always good. There is something about a shared experience that allows men to open up and communicate deeper. You learn a lot about those you work with. After every rapid, there's a celebratory high five with the paddles.


Life is a lot like that. Having a team that helps you through the rough times and then joins you in celebrating the good times makes the journey worth the effort. Don't forget to take advantage of the calm times, no matter how short. Enjoy the scenery that's around you in the moment. Enjoy those who are close to you as well. Together, you share this journey and there are times when you will count on one another to get through to the other side.

Whitewater on the river is created by the combination of fast-moving water and boulders--some seen easily because they stick out of the water and stand in your path. But some are hidden under the water. The only thing you can see is the turbulence created by the water being diverted over the rock.

This is when you need an experienced guide, someone who has been through these waters before. Sometimes, the guide gives commands "right" or "left" to move the raft around the hazard. But, at times, the guide knows that the best route is over the rock and he calls for more power. You paddle with all your heart to get over the hump so you can move on down the river and not get high-centered.

Again, a lot like life, some hazards are best avoided, especially if you can identify them in advance. Somethings, though, you don't know what's causing the turbulence around you and you just have to power through. A key to succeeding is to be aware, to pay attention. It always helps, though, to have a guide who has travelled these waters before and can advise you.

My last life lesson out of this illustration is a rather personal one. As I mentioned above, I've been in the water and have had to be pulled back into the raft. I've done the same for others. The proper method for pulling someone back into the boat puts the responsibility fully on the person IN the boat. The person in the water must find the raft, grab the side and hang on till help arrives.

The crew member opposite the person in the water drops his paddle in the raft, goes to the fallen crew member, grabs him by his life vest at the shoulder, and pulls him straight up. The buoyancy created by the water makes it easier to lift. But as you are lifting, you also fall backwards into the raft. Your own weight becomes a significant tool in bringing the person fully out of the water and he falls on top of you in the raft. At that point, you both scramble to find your paddles and rejoin the crew in fighting the rapid.

At times in life, you let go of what seems important and turn your attentions to saving part of your crew. You give it all you have as if your life depended on it as well. You pull them back into the raft so they can rejoin the team and help the raft make it through the rapids and back to the safety of headquarters.

That's what it means to be part of a team.

Lessons on a Raft/Go Deep

Lesson two: A day of rafting begins with preparation. That involves proper equipment, necessary training, and practice.

First comes the piece of equipment that makes success possible, the paddle. Then everyone is fitted with a helmet and a life vest that fit snugly—both contingencies that keep you afloat and safe from injury. In case you do end up in the water, you want to be pulled out in good shape so the journey can continue with a complete crew (refer to Lesson One).

Then your guide covers the instructions:

• the need to listen carefully and follow instructions fully


• the importance of moving together so your paddles aren’t fighting each other and you deliver maximum power


• the need to respond quickly to orders and to interpret correctly the urgency in the guide’s voice so you can respond with proper intensity


• the emergencies to expect and how to act in each case
  

Practice starts with everyone in the boat on dry land. Talk about feeling silly. The guide delivers instructions and the crew goes through the motions together. The theory: it’s better to make mistakes on dry land than untested in the middle of the real deal. Plus, it’s amazing the confidence a few dry runs can build.

The next practice happens in the water, not in the rapids but in a calm, slow-moving part of the river. Again, the crew has a chance to apply what's been learned and see exactly how the raft responds while on water. Suddenly, head knowledge becomes experiential when the commands and actions are translated into a real setting.

Now, with the equipment, training and practice under their belts, the crew's ready for their first real test. It's time to tackle a rapid. And that's when the real lessons start.

Lessons on a Raft/Think About It

When I go rafting, learning lessons is usually the last thing on my mind. I’m looking for a break. I’m thinking sunshine, fresh air, whitewater, and good exercise with good friends.

But sometimes, I can’t help myself. Everything about my rafting experiences on the Arkansas River this summer kept bringing to mind practical lessons about how a team should work.

In the same way shooting the rapids is an apt metaphor for navigating the troubles of life, the teamwork involved when seven people power a rubber raft through the chaos of those water hazards is a great example of how a team should act in order to succeed.

The first lesson: Rafting is about the team, not the individual.

Rafting ideally involves seven people—six paddling (three on either side) to provide the power and steering. A guide sits high on the back of the raft so he can see the river ahead, call out orders and steer with his own paddle.

The paddling provides forward motion. It sounds strange that you need forward movement while sitting in a rubber raft on a river that’s flowing at 1,800 cubic feet per second; but power makes control possible. Without it, you flow with the river on its terms, going where it takes you. And you will undoubtedly end up in the river rather than staying on top of the river.

It takes all seven people to make it through a Class Five rapid with an eight-foot drop and a series of boulders that have to be dodged. Everyone is important. No one is more important than the other. When they all work together, they successfully finish together. If not, they don’t. It’s that simple.

There is so much in today’s media that glorifies the individual. The star actor gets top billing, the football receiver gets to dance in the end zone, and the top cyclist wears the yellow jersey. But in every case, there’s a team that made the win possible. It’s always that way.

What team are you a part of? Do you want your team to win? Think about it!