On many of our trips, we participate in whitewater rafting, which is a lot of fun (my favorite adventure activity), but can be dangerous. Of course, we only work with reputable companies and highly experienced guides, but if you are new to this sport, it's important that you have an understanding about the rating system (International Scale of River Difficulty), where whitewater (usually rated as an individual rapid, but can be the entire river) is classed in 6 categories from class I (the easiest and safest) to class VI (the most difficult and most dangerous). The grade reflects both the technical difficulty and the danger associated with a rapid, with grade I referring to flat or slow moving water with few hazards, and grade VI referring to the hardest rapids which are very dangerous even for expert paddlers, and are rarely run. Class 1: Very small rough areas, requires no maneuvering. (Skill Level: None) Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, small drops, might require maneuvering. (Skill Level: Basic Paddling Skill) Class 3: Medium waves, maybe a 3–5 ft drop, but not much considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering. (Skill Level: Experienced paddling skills) Class 4: Whitewater, large waves, long rapids, rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed. (Skill Level: Advanced Whitewater Experience) Class 5: Whitewater, large waves, continuous rapids, large rocks and hazards, maybe a large drop, precise maneuvering. Often characterized by "must make" moves, i.e. failure to execute a specific maneuver at a specific point may result in serious injury or death. Class 5 is sometimes expanded to Class 5+ that describes the most extreme, runnable rapids (Skill Level: Expert) Class 6: While there is some debate over the term "Class 6", in practice it refers to rapids that are not passable and any attempt to
On many of our trips, we participate in whitewater rafting, which is a lot of fun (my favorite adventure activity), but can be dangerous. Of course, we only work with reputable companies and highly experienced guides, but if you are new to this sport, it’s important that you have an understanding about the rating system
