White water rafting is a recreational sport where you paddle a raft along flowing white water avoiding natural barriers such as boulders and other dangerous white water features such as strainers, sweepers, holes, waves, pillows, eddies, undercut rocks, and sieves. White water forms in a rapid, that is, that portion of a river that drops into a gradient steep enough to quicken the normal flow of the water. This speeding up creates turbulence and forms a bubbly current. These bubbles turn the water into a white froth.

White water rafting began in the 1960s but it was its inclusion in the Munich Olympic Games in 1972 that provided the impetus for its development and acceptance as a recreational activity. In the succeeding decade, it became very popular not only in the United States but also in South America, Africa, and Europe.

Today, there are plenty of rafting companies all over the United States that offer white water rafting. There are almost a hundred rivers winding their way across the country that include rapids quick enough to present a challenge for white water rafters. From the West Coast through the Rocky Mountain Region and the Mid-West to the East Coast, you will find rivers with white water.

White water is classified from Grade I to VI with the former as the safest. This reflects both the difficulty and the danger of negotiating the rapid. The grade may be applied to individual rapids or to the entire river. Grade I is applied to a rapid with few rough areas that does not require maneuvering. As the rough areas increase, rocks, and small drops begin to appear, the rating is moved up to Grade II. The more and bigger there are of these, the higher the grade until it reaches Grade VI with its huge waves, huge rocks, and huge drops.

As long as you don’t dream of navigating through waves twice as tall as you, or dodging boulders the size of your house, or perhaps dropping from waterfalls as tall as the Niagara, white water river rafting is a safe sport. However, if you are a beginner without any experience, it is advisable to use the services of white water rafting companies who can outfit you with the proper gear and raft and, more important, guides who are experts in the waters. As you gain experience, you can probably venture out on your own, but keep in mind that most accidents and fatalities occur on private trips.

While it is conceded that there are inherent dangers in white water rafting, these are greatly affected by the fitness of the rafters and their propensity to panic in the face of the dangers. The grade of the white water and the temperature of the water are also important factors to consider. The quality of the safety equipment and gear are likewise important. Thus, by preparing yourself physically and mentally, by choosing the Grade of the white water suited to your experience, and by using the proper safety gear, you go a long way in minimizing the risks of the game.

If you think you can handle the dangers of white water rafting, if you are sensible enough to acknowledge your personal limitations relative to this sport, and if you are willing to listen to those with experience, then you are ready to board your raft and begin your first journey in a series of white water river rafting trips.