 Article - Extreme Sports - ActivPursuits.com
Extreme Sports - More on White Water Rafting
White water rafting
One of the most popular extreme sports that is enjoyed by the young people is white water rafting. There are some people who believe that there is nothing more exciting, adventurous, and challenging and blood pumping than white water rafting. The very essence of this sport lies in being able to use a raft to counter the rapids and the strong undercurrents. The bigger the rapids, the more dangerous the sport becomes. Although there are rare accidents of drowning reported because as a rafter you will only be allowed to play this sport if you are wearing a life jacket.
White Water Rafting is a completely recreational sport although you will find people who have a real passion for it. In rafting, the main platform is a raft, which will help you to navigate through the meandering white waters and the larger than life rapids. Where there is no whitewater available, rafting is pursued in different degrees of rough water. Rafting is all about the thrill so whether you are doing white water or rough water rafting, the amount of thrill will remain the same.
Rafting is first said to have started in the mid 1970’s and since then it has come a long way and even the raft today is a completely inflatable boat. The raft is made of durable, multi-layered rubberized fabrics that have many independent air chambers. The length of the raft varies from 3.5 m or 11 ft to 6 m or 20 ft. The width varies from 1.8 m or 6 ft to 2.5 m or 8 ft. The rafts are available in different forms.
For example, In Europe, the most common raft is the symmetrical raft, which can be steered with a paddle at the stern. There are many other types of rafts available like the asymmetrical raft, the rudder-controlled raft and the symmetrical raft with central helm. A typical raft will hold not more than 4 to 12 people. Of course, you can always have a customized raft made to hold more people.
Whitewater rafting can definitely be summarized under dangerous sports and can be fatal especially when the basic safety rules are ignored. Hence it is always safer to pay extra and use a reliable rafting company than go with just about anyone. Although over the years rafting has become a safer sport. Nowadays you will find more experts and pros in this sport that what used to be 10 years back.
Today the rafting equipment is also of very high standard and quality. One of the classic rivers for rafting is the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. There was a time when people died rafting on this river and today it is much safer. Although the river has not been tamed but the quality of the equipments and the availability of professional guides ensure that you will not get hurt.
Some of the most popular rafting destination across the world includes the Bujagali Falls on the Nile in Africa, Ganges white water rafting in India, Zanskar River rafting in India, Zambezi River in Africa, Bhote Koshi River in Nepal, Tully River in Queensland, Australia. Also, River Findhorn near Aviemore in Scotland, United Kingdom, Neretva River, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Deerfield River in northwest Massachusetts, Lachine Rapids in Montreal, Quebec, Yang Tse in China and Colorado River, especially through the Grand Canyon starting at Lee's Ferry, Arizona.
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