Repeat destination? 🏝️ Traveling for merch? Lost, damaged? Tell us What you're owed ✈️
TRAVEL
rafting

Five myths about whitewater rafting

Everett Potter
Special for USA TODAY

Whitewater rafting on wild river rapids is an exhilarating outdoor pursuit. But is it really only for thrill-seekers who also happen to be uber-fit athletes? We spoke with two of the country’s leading rafting companies to dispel five myths about the sport.

1. River rafting is only for adrenaline junkies.

There’s no question that river rafting appeals to those who love thrills and occasional spills. But a rafting trip is about a lot more than whitewater.

“While rapids are a highlight of many whitewater trips, in a way they are like the punctuation of a poem,” says Peter Grubb, founder of ROW Adventures. “Brief, but important. In terms of actual time spent in rapids, it's small. But the anticipation, then the shared excitement of running rapids and the subsequent stories makes them loom larger.”

Nor is rafting only for those who live for such thrilling moments. Grubb says that “it's really the sum of the whole that makes it magical. Waking up to the smell of coffee and dew on the tent, the sun rising over the canyon rim, making new friends, spending quality time with family, magnificent scenery and maybe wildlife. It’s about arriving at camp tired and satisfied, sharing meals with others and star-gazing at night around the campfire.”

It is, in short, the kind of activity that can really transport you, regardless of your age or fitness level.

“My five-year-old son has been on half a dozen rafting trips in the last two years, including a couple of three-day river trips with our extended family,” says Steve Markle of O.A.R.S.  “His grandparents have been on nearly a dozen river trips since they turned 60. Sure there are whitewater rafting trips that are adrenaline-infused, but many river trips are ideal for people of all ages and abilities.”

Markle adds that “on multi-day trips in particular, it’s less about the whitewater and more about the scenery, the hikes, the wildlife, and time together and peaceful moments in nature. If you enjoy being outdoors and belly laughing with friends and family, you’ll probably love rafting.”

2. You have to be a really good swimmer to go whitewater rafting.

All guests on professionally guided rafting trips such as those run by O.A.R.S. and ROW Adventures wear Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Devices (aka PFDs or life jackets).

“Should you fall out of your boat, the PFD is designed to float you face up in the water,” Markle of O.A.R.S. says. “Before you get into your boat, however, your guides will give a detailed safety talk and show you how to properly ‘swim’ a rapid.”

3. An overnight rafting trip means primitive camping.

“Camping is part of what makes river trips fun,” says Markle of O.A.R.S., adding that on most multi-day river trips, the outfitter will provide roomy tents, comfortable sleeping pads and sleeping bags along with waterproof bags. All outfitters also bring a portable toilet system that is set up each afternoon in a discreet location near camp.

“Some rivers like the Rogue River in Oregon and Idaho’s Main Salmon River include the option of staying in riverside lodges along the course of the river,” Markle adds.

The food is something else. On O.A.R.S. trips, you can “expect to eat as well — or better — than you do at home, without having to do any of the work.”

“The meals we serve on our rafting trips are fresh and delicious, complete with locally sourced and often organic fruits and vegetables throughout your entire journey,” Markle says. “You can expect to wake up to pancakes, omelets or eggs cooked to order, complemented by bacon or sausage, juice and plenty of fresh-brewed coffee, tea and cocoa. At dinner, you’ll snack on hors d'oeuvres while waiting for vegetables, pasta, rice and the main course: steak, grilled salmon, Baja tacos, sizzling fajitas or perhaps a delicious Dutch oven lasagna.”

Grubb of ROW offers similar accommodations and food, but cautions that “companies do offer different levels of ‘luxe’ so be sure to ask and understand what you are getting.”

4. Rivers in the western U.S. are running dry.

Although the western U.S. has been gripped by drought in recent years, 2016 brought “average to above average snowfall throughout much of the West,” says Markle of O.A.R.S. “Many Western rivers are fed by melting snow that flows out of the mountains throughout the spring and summer months so 2016 was a particularly good year for rafting.”

One year Colorado may get a huge snowpack and the next year it's Idaho, Grubb of ROW Adventures points out. This winter, California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains have received an abundance of snow. “There are always rivers with plenty of water. “

The fact is that popular western rivers like the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, Utah’s Green River, Idaho’s Snake River through Hells Canyon, Oregon’s Rogue River and California’s American and Tuolumne Rivers are dam-released. Water is collected and stored in reservoirs for power generation, agriculture and drinking water. It’s released at regular intervals throughout the summer months and “generally, those releases are timed in such a way that conditions are ideal for rafting all summer long,” says Markle.

5. River rafting is primarily an American sport.

Get out your atlas. Rafting may have been invented in the American West but it “has been exported around the world,” says Grub of ROW Adventures.  “Today we can find rafting trips on every continent except Antarctica and trips from a day to a couple of weeks in length. Some of the finest wilderness rafting trips are in the USA, but rafting is truly global.”

Markle agrees and OARS, like ROW, offers trips around the world.

“Some of the best rafting rivers are in places like Costa Rica, Chilean Patagonia, Southern Africa, Nepal or even Fiji,” Markle says. “I’d recommend a trip with an outfitter who utilizes local guides. Not only will you be supporting the local economy, but you can learn a lot about a place by hanging out in a boat with the locals for a few days.”

Featured Weekly Ad