There is no doubt about it – an adrenaline rush is something people are seeking more and more. There is something intoxicating about, for the want of a better word, fear. One of the biggest adrenaline rushes to be had can come from white water rafting. It’s the classic man versus nature scenario. If you have never come across this sport before you are probably wondering what it is?
The clue is really in the name of the sport. White water is caused by fast-flowing water and the idea is to navigate a raft through it. The raft designs vary depending on what part of the world you are in, but are commonly inflatable rubber or PVC craft utilizing several separate inflatable chambers. Most often the rafts will carry four to twelve people and are steered using paddles.
Although rafting is a sport that is both thrilling and exciting, it can be dangerous and should never be underestimated. The types of white water are categorized into grades of difficulty and they range from simple to very dangerous with the potential to cause serious injury or death. The six categories range from Very Basic to extremely lucky. The 6th grade of water should be avoided at all costs.
Unless you are a very experienced white water rafter, it would be folly to go it alone. There are many organized white water rafting that you can take advantage of, enabling you to get maximum thrills from this extreme sport whilst minimizing the risks involved.
Despite all the talk of risks such as danger of death or serious injury, it is a popular sport and does provide all the thrills that it promises. With a carefully organized rafting experience, all safety aspects will be covered well in advance to shooting the rapids and over the years expertise in the sport has increased and equipment has been improved. Using experienced guides on rafting trips who use the correct procedures will greatly reduce any risks. Thousands of people enjoy riding the rapids every year and although accidents can happen they are quite rare these days.
It makes perfect sense therefore, when planning a rafting trip, to make sure you go with experienced guides who are familiar with all the safety protocols and make sure that you only raft white waters of a category suited to your experience. It is possible, however, to experience higher grades of white water quite safely as a passenger with more experienced rafters. At the end of the day, man versus nature is really the ultimate thrill.
