Whitewater Rafting: Rapid Classes Demystified

Class I? Class II? III, IV, V?! What does it all mean?
Rapid ratings don't seem simple, because they really aren't. The American system of whitewater rapid ratings is subjective (for example, a class-V rapid on one river can be totally different from a class-V on another) and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Further complicating things, a rapid's rating DOES NOT vary by water level, even though water-level changes can have DRASTIC effects on the objective difficulty and hazards of a rapid.
Well don't fret! In just a little more than a single minute, we're going to show you a typical example of each rapid rating from West Virginia's New and Gauley Rivers, and explain why it's rated that way. (Just keep that whole water-level thing in mind though, okay?)

[@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

[@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!

[@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

[@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

[@addi.q]

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

[@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

[@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

[@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

[@michellebutrick1224]

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

[@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

[@moralbarodriguez5763]

Como me puedo inscribir????

[@SraTacoMal]

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

[@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!

[@Raumance]

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

[@haydenshores4800]

So true

[@Oject]

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

[@cruzloera4931]

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

[@gundamgunpla4685]

Do you guide Class 6 at all?

[@MrJaccdem]

unnavigable

[@stevestones7083]

Class 6 in noagera falls

[@ScientificEndevourOfTheMind]

No class VI??

[@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

[@RaftingayungInfinityubud]

🤩🤩

[@moralbarodriguez5763]

Por qué está todo en ingles???

[@lilayork6410]

The class five looks like the s bend at marblemount ❤

[@JamesDavis-jw6nj]

Ruth, Hurt? Hut?

[@Fuckstupidlibtards]

Class V aka FULL SEND

[@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?

[@berrycrawford5579]

What is that last rapid?

[@AdventuresOnTheGorge]

Second Drop of Lost Paddle on the Upper Gauley.

[@pablocifuentesespinoza]

here in Chile your Class V is a class III 😁

[@BeatLUX_official]

im class V

[@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....

[@williamnewton5556]

That was not a V lmao