Waiver, Terms and Policies

Waiver (Required)

A valid, signed waiver of liability is required to participate in all QWPA outings and activities, or to rent our equipment. Please use the link at the bottom right.

The State of New Mexico now requires that all waivers be submitted electronically. Each adult will need to provide a waiver for themselves, and one of the parents will need to add any minors' names at the bottom of their waiver, and sign a second time where indicated. Minors unaccompanied by an parent or guardian will need to bring a waiver, signed and filled out at the bottom of page two, by their parent or legal guardian.

Rental Agreement

Approval of our rental agreement is also required for anyone renting equipment to take elsewhere. We will have a rental agreement prepared for you upon your arrival. (The rental agreement is not required to participate on our guided or self-guided adventures).

Cleaning Procedures:

We're known for immaculate equipment. Although CDC guidelines do not require rental equipment to be disinfected following each use (except in cases of known contact with infected individuals), QWPA will continue to follow a rigorous cleaning procedure of all equipment as we always have. Our specific procedures follow below.

  • Watercraft

All watercraft are thoroughly pressure washed and allowed to air dry in sunlight following each use. All watercraft are also rotated sequentially, which almost assures that several days pass between use of any given watercraft.

  • Life Vests (PFD's)

Following each use, PFD's are thoroughly rinsed by hand, then air dried in sunlight. Hand laundering with detergent and white vinegar is scheduled regularly as well. After air drying, vests are stored on ventilated shelving, and usage is rotated sequentially. Given that the number of PFD's in our rotation exceeds our current watercraft capacity, any PFD we distribute to anyone will not have been used for several days.

  • Paddles and Accessory Items

All paddles and accessory items (SUP fins, pumps, leashes, and packs) are thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, allowed to air dry following each use.

Reservation Policies

  • Reservations are held via credit card. We accept all major credit cards, and payment in full is required at the time of reservation. For tours scheduled 8 days in advance or more, 50% of the payment is treated as a non-refundable deposit.

  • We do require a minimum of 6 registered adult participants (or the equivalent) to conduct any given tour. If you have less than six in your party and are the first to reserve for a given tour, we will contact you to via email to explain your options, which include a full refund, changing to another tour that has reached the minimum, or continuing with the selected tour upon receipt of payment for six adults.

  • Each paddler must sign a waiver of liability in order to participate. A parent or legal guardian must sign for all minors under the age of 18.

  • Please Arrive on Time! Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures operates on a highly structured schedule, not unlike a railroad company or an airline. It is imperative that guests arrive in a timely fashion. We recommend that you plan to arrive approximately 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time for your adventure.

    Any guests not present at the scheduled time, with waivers and all personal preparations completed, will not be allowed to participate, their reservation will be canceled, and no refunds will be provided.

  • Although Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures is not responsible for evaluating a participant's skill or ability, we reserve the right to refuse rentals to those individuals whose skills do not seem suitable for the selected outing or rental.

  • Alcohol use is strictly prohibited. We will not tolerate alcoholic beverages on the water.

  • Please advise us of any health or medical conditions that could potentially affect your party's ability to participate on the chosen outing

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations 8 days or more in advance of your trip will result in the loss of your deposit, although we will generally allow you to reschedule without penalty. We're sorry, but cancellations within 7 days of a scheduled event are not refundable.

Although we generally float rain or shine, NOAA Wind Advisory conditions or active thunderstorms in the area do occasionally force cancellations. If an outing or rental is canceled as a consequence of inclement weather, we will issue your choice of a full credit towards a future trip, or a full refund.

Additional Terms - Self-Guided Guests

Time Management: Please budget your time on the river within the parameters shown below. Our listed tour times incorporate generous allowances for breaks along the way, and we often have subsequent reservations that require the use of the same watercraft we provided for your outing. 

In most cases, a relaxed steady pace with no breaks will get you to the takeout 30 minutes to an hour before we arrive, but if you feel what we're allowing isn't sufficient and would like to allow more time for a given tour, please let us know at the time of your reservation.

In cases where guests do not advise us beforehand and fail to arrive at the take-out at the scheduled time, an additional charge of $85.00 per vehicle required for your party. 

In cases where a late arrival forces cancellations of subsequently scheduled trips, the late arriving party is also responsible for full reimbursement to QWPA for all lost revenues resulting from their actions.

We will advise you when you launch of any anticipated deviations from the schedule below.

Algodones Launch Site Options:

  • "The Coronado Abreviar" - Algodones to Bernalillo (2 Hours)

  • "The Coronado" - Algodones to Corrales (3 - 3.5 Hours)

  • "The Expedition" - Algodones to Alameda (6 Hours)

Bernalillo Launch Site Options:

  • "One Hour Along The Bosque" - Bernalillo to Corrales (One Hour)

  • "The Bosque Grande" - Bernalillo to Alameda (4 Hours)

North Corrales Launch Site Option:

  • "The Bosque" - Corrales to Alameda (3 Hours)

Responsibility for Watercraft and Equipment

Rental Customers and Self-guided guests are responsible for the full retail replacement value of any boats, SUP's and equipment lost, damaged or destroyed while in their possession. 

Current Value of Watercraft and Equipment (Per Item):

Canoes:

  • Old Town Discovery 174 Canoe: $1399.00
  • Old Town Discovery 169 Canoe: $1199.00

Kayaks:

  • Jackson Riviera Kayak: $529.00

Badfish Inflatable Paddleboards: 

  • Surf Traveler: $899.00
  • Monarch: $899.00
  • Badfisher: $1099.00

NRS Inflatable Paddleboards: 

  • Tyrant 4: $999.00

Paddles:

  • Canoe Paddle: $29.95
  • Kayak Paddle: $59.95
  • Cannon SUP Paddle: $99.95
  • SBBC Convertible Paddle (Aluminum shaft): $59.95
  • SBBC Convertible Paddle (Carbon Fiber shaft): $109.95

Miscellaneous Equipment:

  • Type III PFD (All Sizes): $29.95
  • Type IV PFD (Boat Cushion): $11.95
  • Wetsuits: $79.95
  • Splash Pants/Splash Tops: $49.95
  • Ocean Kayak Comfort tech Seatback: $59.95
  • Badfish SUP Backpack: $99.00
  • Badfish Coiled SUP Leash: $39.00
  • Badfish or NRS SUP Pumps: $89.00

Rescue and Recovery Services

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures offers guided tours, in large part to provide an opportunity for those with minimal experience in paddling on moving water to enjoy the experience offered by the Rio Grande. We do recognize that the substantial cost differential between guided and self-guided adventures sometimes leads our guests to misrepresent their level of experience, which can in turn lead to incidents requiring assistance.

While the middle Rio Grande is a very serene, Class I+/II river with minimal hazards, hazards do exist, mishaps can and do occur, and access points are few and far between. Self-guided guests requiring rescue or recovery from the river should contact us immediately via cell phone to report their location, and also contact emergency services if there is an incident that requires immediate professional medical emergency assistance. If no emergency medical assistance is necessary, yet the participants are unwilling or unable to proceed from their location, we can send a recovery team out to provide assistance, and in most cases can arrive within an hour or so (obviously dependent upon the location of the incident).

Fee for rescue and recovery services is $250.00 (per watercraft involved).