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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question? Maybe here you can find the answer! Here are some frequently asked questions and related responses about white water tours in Bovec Slovenia.

General questions:

If you're a beginner rafter and you are a bit scared of white water rafting, you don't have to worry!

Here, at Soca Rider, we do half-day and full-day white water rafting tours. If you have never been rafting before you do not have to worry about flipping over with the boat, or falling into the water. Before we take you to the river we tell you all the important safety information. After that, our well experienced guide takes you down the river, which he knows well. At first, you will experience some smaller rapids and as you proceed with your tour the rapids get a bit bigger so you could have the experience that you came for.

Soca river is closed for paddling from the first of November until the 15th of March, so in between this period, we do not organize tours. We reopen our office on the 26th of March and stay open till the 31st of October. During this period all those who want to join our rafting, canyoning, or kayaking tours are welcome.

Below, you find a summary of the seasonal weather, and what activities we recommend.

April
Usually, the snow still doesn’t start melting, therefor the water is not that high yet and it is suitable for doing kayak courses. The Soca river is also not crowded and it has the most beautiful emerald color! Full-day and half-day rafting tours are also an option. As for the Family rafting and canyoning tours, we only recommend them if you like cold water!

May
The snow usually starts melting at this time, and the water level rises. Thanks to the increased water level, rafting is a promising activity. Kayak tours and courses are still an option for those seeking something other than rafting. Family rafting is only recommended if the weather is good. Other than that, canyoning is still for those who like cold water!

June
Summer officially begins in June, but it’s not the high season for tourists, so if you don’t like big crowds then June is the perfect month to book a trip to Soca Valley! During this time we recommend our full-day rafting tours that start on the upper section of the Soca River. Our canyoning, kayaking, and family rafting trips are also liked during this month!

July - August
This is the high season in Soca Valley, so it’s best to pre-book the accommodations and the programs. The temperature also reaches a climax, and the river is the warmest but still under 16 degrees Celsius. The water level decreases, but rafting is still a lot of fun.  Although the waves aren’t the highest, the river becomes quite technical seeing as a lot of rocks surface. During this period, a lot of activities are available. The most popular being family rafting and canyoning. Kayaking tours and courses are also suggested.

September
The high season ends by September. All our activities are still available. Rain is more common during this month, and the water level rises, so you can expect bigger waves and more adventure on the river

October
Autumn begins and the leaves begin to change color. The emerald green Soca really stands out in such surroundings. This is the post-season. Rafting is still recommended, but canyoning and family rafting are only an option for those who don’t mind the cold water.

Whitewater tours proceed regardless of the rain, as you usually get wet by doing the activity anyway. In case of a cold weather, we provide you with ticker neoprenes and jackets. The only time we cancel our tour is if there’s danger of flooding extreme weather circumstances or natural disasters. But in that case, we let you know in advance (if we can).

Rafting is an enjoyable activity where all people of average body condition have fun. You do not have to row constantly, you just have to do the strikes that help to steer the raft properly. Of course by the end of the adventure, everyone will be a bit tired as the movement and the clean air have that effect on us.

You’ll receive all the equipment that you will need for white water rafting, kayaking and canyoning from us. The things you should bring with you are :

  • swimsuit
  • towel
  • dry underwear (for after the tour)
  • glasses/sunglasses strap
  • sunblock

For rafting, canyoning and whitewater kayaking you will receive the following equipments from us:

Whitewater rafting, canyoning, kayak tour and kayak course equipment :

  • neoprene suit (4mmthick)
  • neoprene jacket (3mm thick – in case of a cold weather)
  • splash jacket
  • neoprene shoes (size 26-50)
  • PFD Personal Flotation Device( from kids size up to 112cm chest size)
  • helmet(adjustable)

We make sure that all of the neoprene equipment gets washed after every tour.

Other whitewater kayak course equipment:

    sprayskirt (Peak UK and Palm)

  • Ainsworth paddles (different sizes)

Available white water kayaks

  • Dagger Mamba 8.0
  • Dagger Mamba 8.5
  • Dagger GTX
  • Dagger Nomad 8.5
  • Liquidlogic Flying Squirrel 85

Our kayaks are the most suitable for paddling on the Soca river. They're also suitable for beginners, who would like to gain knowledge of white water kayaking. We upgrade them constantly with the newest versions and brands.

Some of our helmets have head mounts for GoPros on them and they come in 2 sizes. If you wish to use one of those please let us know in advance, and we will put it  aside for you!

After your rafting, kayaking, or canyoning experience there are many opportunities to have fun in Bovec. If you would like to have a drink, with your friends you can choose from three places in Bovec center :

  • Kavarna cafe house ( where you can get a first class cappuccino),
  • Gouf Bar
  • Felix Bar ( a pub with excellent service)
  • A little further away from the center, there is Crna Ovca, black sheep Pizzeria (5 minutes walk). A cozy wooden house, good music, and wide selection of drinks. Tennis courts, outdoor grill, playground, boulder wall, and part of the basement has billiards facilities.
    In high season (July- August) a stage in the main square is set up and a wide range of programs become available for visitors: concerts, folklore evenings, dancing, and much more.

Questions about reservation:

Yes, we recommend that you book in advance, in this case you can be sure, we are waiting for you, and you can adjust other programs to your schedule. As we are a small company and we have limited places, it is best to book as soon as you can.

We recommend you to book your whitewater adventure with us at least 2-3 weeks before you come. For weekends, long weekends, and for July and August even earlier, as those days tend to get booked quickly.

There are a few ways you can contact us and reserve your rafting, canyoning, or kayak tour:

  • fill in the reservation form on our website
  • send an email to the info@socarider.com
  • call us on +38641-596-104
  • come to our Rafting Base (Industrijska cona 4/a Bovec 5230) and make a reservation personally

For the reservation we require a deposit payment, which is already calculated on our webshop (approximately 20% of the total price). You can finalize your reservation with a successful deposit payment. Please note, that filling in the reservation form is not completing your booking!!!

If you don't get an answer to your mail or the reservation form, firstly, please check your SPAM folder, maybe our answer is already there.. If you don't find anything, please contact us again via phone (+38641-596-104), or try via email again!

Please contact us as soon as possible via phone or email! If we have availability we would be happy to help you reschedule your tour.
If you would like to cancel your tour, please let us know, so we don't wait for you. The required deposit that you paid for the reservation can applied to book another tour in the same year as it had been paid, (till the 30th of September)

Questions about payment:

To reserve our whitewater programs we require a deposit payment, which you can make on our website with VISA, MASTER, MAESTRO cards, or via Bank transfer. The remainder of the price can be paid in our office in Bovec, before the tour starts. Here we can accept cash only!

An approximate 20% advance payment is required. All the deposits are already calculated on our webshop, so you just have to add the number of people attending to your cart

No. At our office we can only accept cash. Please be prepared!

Questions about safety:

Rafting is an enjoyable activity where all the people of average body condition have fun. You do not have to row constantly, you just have to do the strikes that help to steer the raft properly. Of course, by the end of a white water adventure day, everyone will be a bit tired as the movement and the clean air has that effect on us.

Yes. For all whitewater programs swimming ability is required, due to safety reasons.
During the tour you can fall our from the boat and in that case you should be able to swim out to the shore. We provide PFD (Presonal Flotation Device) but a PFD cannot move by itself.

Required health conditions for whitewater programs:

We need to know if you have a medical condition when you participate in our whitewater rafting, canyoning, whitewater kayak tour. This way we can take better care of you and it's easier to avoid accidents, if a problem occurs, our guides are more prepared and can solve the problem faster. All of our guides are certified whitewater rescuers, they renew their licence every 2-3 years and have a wide variety of experience.

Unfortunately you can not participate in any of our whitewater programs if you are

  • cannot swim
  • are under the influence of drugs and alcohol
  • are pregnant
  • are physically or mentally disabled
  • are blind or deaf

You might be able to join to our whitewater tours
Please consult us about your medical condition if you :

  • have asthma, epilepsy, or diabetes
  • have a heart condition
  • have a spine problem (spinal hernia, a problem with discs...),
  • had an operation in the last 2 years
  • had an injury in the last 2 years (broken bones, dislocated shoulder..),
  • have a blood clotting problem
  • serious allergy
  • or any other medical condition which is not listed above

Please let us know if you need any medicatiom during the tour, you can take it with you to the river or the canyon. Our guides have a waterproof box for First aid kit, they can put your medicine into it. And last but not least Please inform your guide about your medical condition! .

Any other questions? Please get in touch with us!

You still haven’t found what you’re searching for? Then we look forward to hearing from you!
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