Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or severity of the rapid. Grade/Class VI can be described as severe or almost unrunnable whitewater, such as Niagara Falls.

The kayak (or just ‘boat’) used in casual whitewater kayaking is different from those used in whitewater racing or sea kayaking. Traditionally, kayaks were made of animal skins stretched over wooden frames. Early whitewater boats were fiberglass or kevlar, and this is still preferred for racing due to the light weight, but most modern whitewater boats are typically rotomoulded from a tough plastic that is slightly flexible and very durable, if easily scratched. Boats can range in size from barely long enough to hold the paddler (around 6ft long), up to 12ft or longer.

Entering into the world of whitewater kayaking is a challenging and at times intimidating endeavor. To say that whitewater kayaking is a sport where you paddle a kayak up or down stream in a river would be a dramatic oversimplification. Kayaking, especially in whitewater situations, is challenging and can be dangerous.

Riverrunning is a bit schizophrenic. It takes the kayak from a leisurely row down one section of a river to a portion of the river that is a frenetic obstacle course through fast rapids and even over waterfalls. Not for the faint of heart, riverrunning puts the kayak and its pilot through almost every possible adrenaline-pumping maneuver. This category of whitewater kayaking includes day-trips, multi-day trips with overnight camping on shore and river races known as whitewater races.

Kayaking is an ever-growing and rewarding recreational activity. Nothing beats sneaking up on wildlife from the convenience of a kayak. You will have experiences in a kayak that you simply cannot by any other means. If you would like to learn more about kayaking and more advanced paddling technique, take a kayak school course.

—————

The Truth About Pet Food Nutrition - An informative story of the pet food industry and what to look for when choosing a pet food.