Throwbags

Throwbags

On all our courses you will need to bring your throwbag with you, which should comply to the "Clean Rope" principles outlined below.

The throwbag has to be without a doubt the most versatile item of swiftwater rescue equipment available. If you don't have a throwbag or throw rope on the river then your only rescue options are chase boating or reaching rescues.

Cylindrical Throwbags

Most bags on the market are made with a cylindrical form. These bags fly well and are easy to pack if wide enough to fit your hand inside easily. You can buy them either with standard Polypro rope which is braided or a more expensive but stronger kernmantel rope. Throwbags should only have floating rope in them between 8mm and 10mm diameter. Non floating rope sinks in the river and gets caught on rocks in the main current being more of a hazard than a help.

Guides throwbag and belt

A combination of Q/R belt and throwbag into a waist mounted "throwbag system" is comfortable and convenient. This is especially good for raft guides and rescue personal who need a bag always at their side. Kayakers can have a small bag waist mounted on themselves and a larger bag stowed in their boat. This is a useful technique on steep creeking runs that are not so wide and have lots of bank support options. We like mesh inserts to aid in drainage of the bag so that it doesn't end up being so heavy.

Clean Rope

We only recommend “Clean Rope Technique” for all throwbags. This means that our bags have no loop in the non-bag end of the rope. This is a much safer system, as there is less risk of entanglement or entrapment from the non-bag end of the rope. The bag end should also have a loop that is small enough that it is not possible to put a hand through the loop.