How long is white water rafting

Whitewater rafting is an exciting sport and, despite how it looks, you don't need to be incredibly brave or technically skilled to enjoy it. Even beginners and older kids can enjoy a rafting adventure.

Whether you want to add a half or full-day whitewater rafting excursion onto a trip or like the idea of spending several days (or even weeks!) on the river, there are all kinds of rafting destinations and trip types to suit your needs.

From gentle floats along tropical rivers to epic expeditions through some of the world's greatest river canyons, here's everything you need to know about whitewater rafting.

River Grading System

The first thing you need to know when planning a whitewater rafting trip is about the grading system.

The channels are almost one-half mile long, and most trips consist of approximately one hour of paddling.

The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale created by the American Whitewater Association used to rate the safety of a stretch of river or a single rapid. The grades can be summarized as follows:

• Grade I, Easy: Fast-moving water with some small waves.

  The risk to swimmers is low

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