Lifestyle /
The Rush Of Whitewater Rafting
Thrill-Seekers' Outdoor Adventure
The best way to enjoy the outdoors is by exploring the wilderness, soaking in the sun and making a splash. Better yet — make it the most memorable summer by going whitewater rafting!
Whitewater rafting is an extreme water sport. It involves navigating across a rough river on an inflatable raft. Even though this activity is not for the faint of heart, there are levels or grades of water roughness. So beginners can try whitewater rafting in calmer waters. Most places allow you to participate even if you don't know how to swim. However, you should be a good swimmer so that if you're thrown overboard, you can swim out of the rapids towards safety.
This is a great bonding activity to enjoy with friends since the rafts come in different sizes. You can choose a raft for six, eight or 12 people. You get life jackets, paddles and helmets. Some places offer helmets with mounted Go Pros so you can record your adventure (usually for an additional cost). You can dress in swimwear or a T-shirt and shorts — but be prepared to get soaked! All whitewater rafting places have tour guides, so you should always have one on your raft — not only to show you the way but also to coach you on paddling and manoeuvring the raft.
Before you start your adventure, the guide goes over some terminology, tells you where the first aid kit is and shows you how pull someone back into a raft when thrown overboard. Once you start paddling towards your first rapids, the guide will tell you, if thrown overboard, which direction to swim in to get out of the rapids and where to get out of the water for further help.
As soon as you hit rough waters, the guide yells “paddles in” and “get down.” At that time, you stop rowing, pull your paddle in with one hand and grab onto the rope around the raft with the others and duck inside the inflatable raft. It feels like the most amazing roller coaster ride, but you're also getting splashed by the river the entire time. It all happens very fast, so enjoy every second. When you're almost out of the rapids, the tour guide yells “row forward.” You come back up, put the paddles back in the water and start rowing out of the rapids. Depending on the river grade and manoeuvring around rocks, you can find yourself rowing backwards — even getting up and switching sides!
Whitewater rafting is completely customizable — from the water grade and raft size to the length of your adventure. You can find this activity anywhere in the world. Some popular locations are in Canada, New Zealand, Norway and India. You too can be like Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna and try whitewater rafting in Rishikesh, India.
All images and video courtesy of Naemah Abid.
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Naemah Abid
Author
Born in Saudi Arabia and originally from Pakistan, this Canadian immigrant is all too familiar with airport life. After taking her first pleasure trip abroad post-graduation, Naemah was hit with the travel bug. Find this frequent traveller sharing pictures and experiences, offering up advice and tra...
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