Whitewater Rafting: Rapid Classes Demystified

[@chicklechives]

Class 1 - nothing to worry about Class 2 - move around the river for comfort not safety Class 3 - there are things you want to avoid Class 4 - there is a route you want to take Class 5 - there is a very specific route you want to take and doing so requires significant skills on the water and reading the water

[@ryanclark4231]

Two factors: Difficulty to navigate and consequences for messing up.

[@italiancountryball3712]

what about a class 6?

[@meienthing8856]

class 6 - fuck that's a waterfall

[@chicklechives]

Class 6 - at specific levels with specific kit and specific preparation the highest skilled can paddle specific bits. Never run and read, never long sections.

[@williamnewton5556]

@@chicklechivesclass 6 means unrunnable

[@dillonjones1198]

went through some class 5 rapids one time. flipped my raft at the top of 5 or 6 drops. was some of the best fun I've ever had

[@robertduenas777]

Started with a class 3 for the first time in Costa Rica. Thought I was bad ass and did a class IV a day later. I was super exhausted half way through and couldn’t paddle right the 2nd half lol. Needless to say it was amazing

[@BL-zi9wb]

Just ran some class 5 rapids this weekend in Alaska, it was my first rafting trip in ten years. Loved every minute of it, even the butt clenching ones!

[@gs6810]

My toxic trait is thinking I can solo kayak class 5 after watching this video.

[@joec2371]

I've learned that the easier a KZbin video makes something look, the harder it really is. I'm mostly watching woodworking videos, but the principle applies to most things.

[@gw6667]

Your toxic trait is using sentences with the words "toxic trait" in them

[@callahanbryer5523]

Still remember running Class III rapids up on the Upper Kennebec River in Maine. Great spot

[@ancocephala2447]

Just did my first class 5 rapid, Clavey Falls on the Tuolemne, at near 3000 cfs Had a great guide who scouted it thoroughly and it was an absolute blast

[@AlpineRR26]

I just did my first class 5 in a river with high volume. Its in maine and it normally runs 5k cfs but it was at 8 so it was crazy. We did surfing and almost flipped but stayed safe. There was i think 5 class 5s and 8 class 4s it was pretty fun and crazy. The captain had amazing control of the boat and us and he had only done it for 3 years

[@addi.q]

I went with my youth group 2023. It was so fun I loved it!!

[@mrexists5400]

highest i've been on was technically a class 4, most of it was class 3 or lower, but there was one part right before a turn that was considered class 4 where there was a whirlpool where a water fall would pour into during a heavy rain. for the life of me i can't remember the name of the river it was on

[@bryceeckman4294]

which state was it

[@mrexists5400]

@@bryceeckman4294 it was in Colorado

[@Zatoka.]

I'm going on a trip with my troop in a few weeks and we're doing class 3. Super nervous amd excited! I'll update this once I go.

[@Zatoka.]

Sitting in my tent rn, leaving at 11

[@nunzioification]

Yeah I don't remember if the Wenatchee goes through Index but I was on a 2 man inflatable while rapidly deflating in class 4, smashed up shins but what a blast

[@joshpwnsnoobs]

love me some class 2's. feels safe, but still adventersome.. but that was in my canoe. ive recently got a kayak...class 3's here i come

[@Raumance]

The more experience I gain the less sense the classifications make.

[@haydenshores4800]

So true

[@moralbarodriguez5763]

Como me puedo inscribir????

[@SraTacoMal]

Me, not falling out over the course of class -X rapids: "I'm basically a pro."

[@Chrisdvc26]

Why does it say severe hazard in the calmer looking pools of water?

[@Chelsea-88]

Going this weekend to West Virginia Gorge to do this. I'm extremely nervous... 😅😅😅

[@nunzioification]

It's a bit unethical but I'd like to see how class 2 kayaks handle class 3 rapids, because the occasional mishap is important to prepare for, I have a kayak with 1 drain in the stern mire for off shore, wonder what'd happen

[@garrettklein2147]

They would be okay, some kooks take pool floaties down class 3 rapids, it really comes down to the competence of the paddler!

[@Chocolateweasenthal]

Did a class 3-4 for the first time and it’s so fun and not to hard

[@michellebutrick1224]

Where is the gorge, where is this company, how do I contact them? These are things I needs to know

[@ScientificEndevourOfTheMind]

No class VI??

[@cruzloera4931]

I did level 2 and even that I’ll never do again

[@TheYarcob]

I love me some class III's, but after that I stay away from it.

[@nocrit_9004]

Just went on a what i guess was a class 4 rapid 2 people got flug out of our boat and 5 on another, definitely more extreme then i was expecting

[@gundamgunpla4685]

Do you guide Class 6 at all?

[@MrJaccdem]

unnavigable

[@stevestones7083]

Class 6 in noagera falls

[@Oject]

The first ever time I went canoeing I went on a grade 3 rapid lol

[@lilayork6410]

The class five looks like the s bend at marblemount ❤

[@JamesDavis-jw6nj]

Ruth, Hurt? Hut?

[@BeatLUX_official]

im class V

[@pablocifuentesespinoza]

here in Chile your Class V is a class III 😁

[@moralbarodriguez5763]

Por qué está todo en ingles???

[@berrycrawford5579]

What is that last rapid?

[@AdventuresOnTheGorge]

Second Drop of Lost Paddle on the Upper Gauley.

[@PatriciaHewitt-r5r]

I. Can only due class 1 i cant swim

[@SalandFindles]

No, thanks. Almost died 4/20/2009. Bad trip. Got injured. Learned my lesson. My brain is helping me survive and stay alive.

[@broadcasttttable]

I'm curious...in retrospect what would you have done differently? Take more lessons? Did you overestimate your abilities? Are you a kayaker? If so, did you have a solid roll on both sides?

[@SalandFindles]

@@broadcasttttable Here's what happened. It was a private trip, like so private that no pictures even exist of it. I tried looking recently on the hard drives at the photography place that I recently started working at. Anyway, it was a free, private trip for someone's birthday. It was my first time ever rafting. I was scared most of the time and didn't enjoy it. Up came Middle Keeney Rapid and only I was ejected. I thought I had broken my right arm. It was jerked out of its socket, come to find out. I couldn't swim. We all flipped later on down the river. I almost died in the Meat Grinder due to my inability to swim with an injured arm. I feel like our guide didn't do a good job. I still remember her name and I'm pretty sure she still works for the company we got our gear from.

[@ronanrogers4127]

@@SalandFindles wow. That really would have been frightening. To be injured in the water is one of the worst possible outcomes. Glad you made it.

[@SalandFindles]

@@ronanrogers4127 Me too. It traumatized me. I'll never get back on the river again.

[@richardcarrier9536]

@@SalandFindles I went rafting when I was 20 - no issues. I went again at nearly age 47 and took my family. Not sure what happened between ages 20 and 47, but the second trip had me so scared, I was praying to Jesus Christ the entire time and really couldn't enjoy myself. No injuries, thankfully - but I kept thinking, "what do I do if I get tossed from this raft or get stuck under it?" So, I get how you feel. Glad the Lord was with you there - sounds like it could've been a really bad situation.

[@godlikewr888]

It looks like I'm class 0....

[@RaftingayungInfinityubud]

🤩🤩

[@williamnewton5556]

That was not a V lmao

[@TheChanpants]

Lol your class IV and V rapids are actually class III rapids

[@ryanclark4231]

yes, this video has an off-by-one bug. 🙂

[@AdventuresOnTheGorge]

Middle Keeney on the New River is widely regarded as class IV, but I suppose you could make a case that it's III-ish at some levels. The V is Second Drop of Lost Paddle on the Gauley. I don't think you'd find many people who agree that it's only IV. Of course, the primary issue with the entire grading system is its subjectivity. I suppose on some river, someplace, Lost Paddle might be considered IV-ish, but in no universe is it a class-III rapid.

[@TheChanpants]

@@AdventuresOnTheGorge it’d be called a III+ at best over here in the PNW. I’ve ran stuff on the Lochsa and the Chilli that are way rowdier than anything shown in this video

[@jayyoung4857]

@@TheChanpants Have you run this section of the Gauley?