White water rafting is a thrill-seekers sport that almost anyone can do, and it’s ideal for groups too. Rushing down a rocky river and with adrenalin rushing through your veins

Booking a rafting trip with a professional,experienced, white water rafting company guarantees high standards of equipment and safety. They use trustworthy, stiff inflatable boats (known as rafts) and supply crash helmets and life jackets for you and your group. Expert training is provided, and your instructor demonstrates all the safety procedures before your paddles get wet, and remains in the raft with you all the way down.

The level of difficulty changes according to the river, and there’s a big difference between rafting on a meandering, waterway, and tackling a rough, pounding torrent. There are established gradings for white water rafting rivers around the world, ranging from Grade 1 which is easy, to Grade 5 which is extremely difficult. (There’s actually another grade 6 above these which is reckoned to be “unrunnable”.)

The level of water in a river will also impact the level of difficulty, so it’s wise to check beforehand with the tour guides about the river conditions. When river levels are low, after a long dry spell for example, a river will run faster, and more boulders will be exposed, affecting navigation and speed. When rivers are high, they tend to slow down and have fewer obstacles. Whichever, the whole aim is to enjoy yourself, so ensure that you’ll have a decent challenge, but not so much that it will scare the living daylights out of you!

White water rafting is a fantastic group activity, and this is another reason why it can be incredibly good fun. It’s brilliant if you’re in a group of mates, or a team of work colleagues looking to enjoy and participate in a thrilling day out. With everyone’s paddles going like blazes, guiding the raft away from boulders and currents, working together and splashing water everywhere, you’re certain to have a great experience.

Screaming down a river with your workmates or group can also do wonders for morale, even if there are shy or untalkative ones amongst you. For the same reason, white water rafting is spot on for hen or stag weekends when members of the party come together for the very first time. By the end of the experience, everyone will be buzzing from the days exhilaration, grinning from ear to ear and utterly bushed!

Safety is the one most important thing to consider while taking a rafting holiday. Rafting companies have an established set of safety measure that they will follow and teach you about. But when you decide to go rafting by yourself then you have to pay attention to these safety measures.

First and foremost you should have a life jacket for each member of the family and you should insist that they keep it on. The white water currents prove dangerous even for good swimmers and so it is imperative to keep the life jacket on. It could be this personal floatation device that could save a life in a dangerous situation. Clothes made of fabrics that dry out easily should be worn. You should favor shoes, which are light since heavy shoes are not helpful in case you fall and have to swim.

Check out your equipment thoroughly is especially necessary when you are going to be using equipment borrowed from someone who is known to someone whom you know! Make sure that your raft is solid and paddles are in good order. On the other hand, if you are renting from a rafting company, then you need not be overly worried about this aspect. Make sure that every one in your team is fully aware of what this adventure entails. Being prepared mentally is very important as panic often makes people do foolish things, and could end in a calamity.

Ensure that your life jacket is specially rated fit for rafting. It is also wise to have water proof bags to carry your stuff, for it would be awful to end up with soaking wet gear at the end of a day of rushing down a river. Understanding the specific needs of white water rafting in terms of equipment and attitude is essential.

Food for the boating trip is another important thing to consider. It should be easy to prepare, tasty and also nutritious. Should you run out of ice for your cooler, the riverside is not a place where ice will be readily available, so do not take foodstuff that needs to be refrigerated. After a tired day, no one would have the energy or the patience to indulge in a long cooking session. So take things that you can prepare fast and eat.