Overview
The Rafting Operator Accreditation (ROA) is a credential issued by the International Rafting Federation (IRF) to operators that offer rafting guided or instructional services. The purpose of the system is to provide a means of recognizing operators that meet or exceed internationally accepted safety, environmental, and quality standards. The process consists of a period of self-evaluation against published standards, a peer-review by an expert committee, and a site-visit by a trained assessor.
See the full ROA Overview here.
Rafting Operator Accredited operators
Fully accredited operators:
- Cardiff International White Water based in Wales in the UK, operating on the Artificial White Water course / River Usk / Tawe / and various Scottish rivers.
- Xavage by Xcaret based in Mexico has the only white water rapids in Cancun and the whole Yucatán Peninsula, on the longest man-made course in the world. It starts in calm waters and goes increasing until it reaches class III waters.
- Val di Fiemme Outdoor was born from the idea of creating synergy between the Outdoor professionals present in the area.
Operators who have completed the Peer-review stage:
Apply to be assessed
Step 1 – Operator completes the Application Form. Once we have received and assessed their form we contact them re the next step.
Step 2 – Operator pays the Application Fee. Application Fee: $20 (includes self-evaluation materials). Once we have the Application Fee we send them the Self-Evaluation Form/s.
Pay ROA Application Fee by Credit or Debit Card
Pay ROA Application Fee by EFT – request Invoice from IRF Admin
Step 3 – Self-Evaluation: The operator compares itself to the ROA standards and gathers evidence that demonstrates compliance to the standards.
Step 4 – Peer-Review: Operator pays the Peer-Review Fee, and then an expert committee assesses the operation against the ROA standards. Peer-Review Fee: $100-$200 (depending on complexity of operation)
Pay ROA Peer-Review Fee by Credit or Debit Card
Pay ROA Peer-Review Fee by EFT – request Invoice from IRF Admin
Step 5 – Site-Visit: A trained assessor verifies that the operator has implemented the policies, procedures, and practices related to the standards. Site-Visit Fee: $500 + ROA Assessor travel expenses (assuming 2 days of assessment). Ideally the Assessor combines the visit with other assessments so as to reduce these costs.
Step 6 – Annual renewal. Renewals will be done each year and will vary according to what is needed. Annual Membership Fee: $100-$400 (depending on gross annual revenue)
