White water rafting

[bzek74]

I was thinking about doing this sometime soon, Is it worth the high price? Or is rollerblading naked on acid about as fun?

90prf

[john9001]

i have done it , it depends on the river, the river conditions, who you are with, size of raft.  Be advised, the more fun , the wetter you will get.


PS
i was referring to the rafting, never roller-bladed naked on acid. not that i can recall.

[Airscrew]

I spent an entire summer whitewater rafting, oar boats and paddle boats.  I dont remember how much it costs,  I got to do it for free.  Volunteered to work OAP (outdoor adventure Program) at Mtn Home AFB in Idaho in 87 or 88.   Spent from Mar to May in training (reading rivers, piloting the boats, river rescue, knot tying etc)  and then almost every other weekend taking rafts down different rivers in Idaho, South Fork Boise, North Fork Payette, South Fork Payette,  Class I to Class IV rapids.   Mike's Hole, Fiddler Flats, Devil's Hole.    Read the descriptions of the trips.  Class I to Class 2 rapids are real mild.  Class III little tougher, faster water but if you know what you're doing easy to do.  Class IV insane, very tough but doable.  Class V, not me, basically Class Vs scare the crap out of me.      Depending on the time of year rapids can change classes,  early Spring to early summer a rapid might be a Class IV then later in the summer change to a Class III.  its also dependent on how the dams and lakes up river are regulated.  

Its alot fun, alot of work, and an experience you'll never forget.

[Maverick]

If you are not the pasty faced nancy boy geek nerd who has a hard time spelling sports much less doing any, you'll likely enjoy white water rafting. As has already been pointed out there are varying degrees of intensity in the sport. While conditions may change somewhat, start at the lower end of the scale and then work up to other locations. Frankly I thought it was an absolute blast and would do it again in a heartbeat.

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Airscrew
Read the descriptions of the trips.  Class I to Class 2 rapids are real mild.  Class III little tougher, faster water but if you know what you're doing easy to do.  Class IV insane, very tough but doable.  Class V, not me, basically Class Vs scare the crap out of me.      Depending on the time of year rapids can change classes,  early Spring to early summer a rapid might be a Class IV then later in the summer change to a Class III.  its also dependent on how the dams and lakes up river are regulated.  

Its alot fun, alot of work, and an experience you'll never forget.

I had a friend who was a pretty serious kayaker; he did rivers beyond Class V.  In 1997 he was kayaking a Class VI river in Idaho and was sucked into an eddy; that was the last they saw of him.

[Airscrew]

Sorry about your friend,  white water rafting can be fun but never forget the River is not your friend.   I was never comfortable enough to kayak, but my wife did it.

Holes can be scary,  Class IV not so bad, Class V and up can actually hold a boat in place and not let it go if you dont hit right.  Its almost like a standing wave, it pushes you right back into the rock.  Some Hole's are called Keepers, they suck ya down and then you can get caught under the rock and the force of the water wont let you up

During training I got tossed into a hole when I screwed up.   We were using "funyaks"  kind of inflatable kayaks but more like inflatable canoes.  early April, still some snow on the ground.   Took my hat off and stuffed down inside my wetsuit and zipped it up,  fastened up my PFD, and tightened up my croakie for my glasses and proceeded to row down the river.  First rapid we come to is Mike's Hole.  as you come down you cant see the hole or the rock but there is a slight bump in the water so you have an idea where not to go and steer around it.   Each person was following the last person through the rapid, I was about 2nd from the end.  I saw the person in front of me make it through so I took that line, got to close and the wave just popped my boat straight up in the air and I got dumped.  It sucked me down, bounced me off the bottom a couple of times and then spit me out.   All I had to remember was keep my feet up in front of me and paddle to the shore.   I lost my glasses and my hat was retrieved floating down river ahead of me.

[Tarmac]

It is fun if you're into adventure sports - unathletic and fat people sometimes don't like it because they can't get into the boat if they're tossed.  Your experience can range from "weee" to "Holy **** that was awesome" depending on how difficult your stretch of river is.

[eskimo2]

I’ve been kayaking for 20 years and have been very cautious in rivers and cold water.  In Alaska I usually only did little creeks, rivers and lakes.  I dislocated my shoulder my first year and learned a lesson.  In Hawaii I surfed some pretty bug waves; enough to end-over-end my 19 foot kayak.  I had some pretty close calls and got my butt kicked many times.  Now I mostly do lakes.  Last month I did paddle 2/3 a mile UP and then back the Cuyahoga River during a flood; that was exciting enough.  I still go out in the winter and bust through the ice sometimes.  Pictures from January 21st:


Scooting on ice, heading toward the tunnel and open water.



On the other side of the tunnel, breaking through the ice.

[Shuffler]

I have been Kayaking for years.... love the sport. I currently have a 14' Dagger Charleston. It is great for multi-day trips.

It is not a whitewater kayak but I have had it in Class IV. In my younger days I had a whitewater kayak (Phoenix)...

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Shuffler
I have been Kayaking for years.... love the sport. I currently have a 14' Dagger Charleston. It is great for multi-day trips.

It is not a whitewater kayak but I have had it in Class IV. In my younger days I had a whitewater kayak (Phoenix)...

I had to look it up:



Nice boat, just about ideal.

[eskimo2]

I have a small fleet.

Here’s my 17.5’ Baidarka:

It’s too small for me and nearly killed me, so now it’s a living room decoration.

Then there’s my main two:

I bought the 14’ white one 15 years ago at a garage sale for $100.  It’s a beater but its nice when it’s cold.  The 17.5’ red one is my faster, warm water distance boat.  

Then I have this $35 garage sale 2 hole leaky POS.  I re-glassed the bottom but it cracked again, it’s a flat 23” across the hull.  Stable but slow.


I still have my first boat (14’ glass).  It needed new glass again so I figured while I was at it I might as well make it a three hole and stuff my kids in it:


I had a lighter 19’ glass one in Hawaii; my wife had a 17’:

[mietla]

Originally posted by eskimo2
.

Then there’s my main two:

did you try those kayaks in water? I can do it on a front lawn too.

[wooley]

Originally posted by eskimo2
I have a small fleet.

Here’s my 17.5’ Baidarka:

It’s too small for me and nearly killed me, so now it’s a living room decoration.

I'm guessing earthquakes aren't a huge concern in Ohio then...