subject: The 6 Grades Of White Water Rafting [print this page] Taking to the white waters to experience rafting is certainly a thrilling activity and great sport to take part in. It can be quite dangerous and before heading to a river to test out the rapids you should be aware of the 6 difficulty grades. These range from 1 being very basic and a great type for those who have never experienced it before up to 6 which is considered near on impossible.
Grade 1 is a very basic type to take on. If you are heading out on a family trip and fancy a go at the sport but are slightly worried this will be the perfect type for you. It requires nearly no manoeuvring and will only have small rough areas to give you that thrill.
Moving up to grade 2 means that the amount of rough water will have increased, there may also be some rocks to manoeuvre around. You should have acquired some basic paddling skills before moving up to this grade.
Grade 3 is the middle choice and is where you will see proper white-water and feel more force against that raft from the medium sized waves. There may be some small drops which are 3 to 5ft deep to watch out for, or simply enjoy if you are a fan of adrenaline! You should have experienced paddling skills to take on the grade 3 as there will be a much greater amount of manoeuvring to take on. Most rafting companies who offer trips will only go up to grade 3 as this one and the previous 2 grades do not have the serious dangers that the next three face.
Grade 4 requires white-water experience as you will take on water with continuous rapids and there could be a sharp drop. Manoeuvring skills will have to be much more skilled than the previous grades as there is much more to take on. Grade 5 is the toughest level that people usually face. It requires advanced white-water skills as you will face large waves and volume, possible hazards and large rocks and maybe a large drop. You need to be confident with your skills. Grade 6 comes with a warning of serious injury and possible death. Even experienced rafters would find this extremely challenging as they would face real danger. Many have said that you are either very lucky or have incredible skills to make it in a grade 6. So make sure to check out which grade of river you are heading too and that you feel prepared.
