Have a ball river rafting Whistler waterways.

River rafting whistler waterways is a lot of great fun. When the snow melts in the mountains and the rivers flow fast it’s time to don the helmets and flotation devices and climb aboard.

It’s called rafting or whitewater rafting but it all means that it’s a recreational activity using a rubber raft to navigate a river or lake. No matter how you may try to describe it, it all comes down to a fantastic ride.

Rafting is one of the earliest forms of transporting goods on water. It goes back thousands of years. It is believed that a form of raft was used by the people of the south seas to find their way to Hawaii by the Polynesians. During the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s rafts were used to navigate the Yukon river. The rapids at Whitehorse proved to be devastating to boats that attempted to navigate the wild waters, but most rafts made it through.

The earliest form of a raft using rubberized tubes were back in 1842 on the Platte River. The raft consisted of four tubes and a wrap-around floor.

In the early 1960s rafting had become popular on the Colorado river when it was really wild. These rafts were huge as the rapids were so powerful they would flip over smaller units. Once the river was dammed the river was tamed and is now a much less dangerous ride.

Then came the 1970s when rafting took off with the introduction into the Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. In the 1990s rafting in the Olympic Summer Games continued as a major sport during the Barcelona and Atlanta games. River rafting whistler waters has benefited from technology deriving from the construction techniques used to build the rafts used there.

In 1997 the International Federation of Rafting was formed to oversee the rules of the rafting competition. This led to the first Official International Championship being held in Costa Rica in 1998. The championships are held every two years with the next one slated for Bosnia in 2009.

River rafting has been gaining in popularity over the last few years. Hi tech manufacturing techniques have improved the rafts considerably and the companies operating river rafting whistler waters have had an opportunity to gain experience in selecting water conditions that are safe for all ages.

A great many river rafting articles have been written about the construction of rafts. The rafts themselves consist of very durable, multi layered rubberized fabrics and divided into many independent air chambers. They generally are approximately 12 to 20 feet long and 6 to 8 feet wide. They have a wrap around floor and hand grips are applied around the outside in case of rollover.

The invention of Hypalon has been responsible for the boom in the manufacturing of Folding Kayaks.

Of course river rafting whistler waters is not always perfectly safe. Improper behavior, sunken trees, hazardous boulders all are capable of causing problems. This is why it is very important to raft with experienced guides who are familiar with potential problems. Moving water may exert a tremendous amount of force against anything. Most sport fishermen will attest to this while they have stood in fast flowing river waters.

Generally rafting outfitters will ask that you sign a waiver before the trip as a precaution. Some people treat rafting as an amusement park ride and don’t take it seriously that they face potential risks.

Expedition Raft

This is the style of raft that would be used for expeditions down a river with stops for camping and exploration. All of the equipment would be stored inside waterproof containers. Stove, tents, table and chairs, sleeping gear, food and water would be aboard. All of the storage equipment compartments are removable. A raft equipped in this manner costs around $8,000. What to wear.

Of course what you wear depends upon the weather. Keep in mind, you are outdoors in the mountains. River rafting whistler waters wind their way through cool canyons. Take along an extra sweater. Soft soled shoes are a requirement. No dress shoes. Most outfitters will provide rain gear. As the water in the whistler rivers comes from glaciers it is very cold and not really perfect for swimming.

Memories

Long after you have run the last rapid, you are bound to relive the memory of the water splashing over the gang. As time passes and the rapids grow higher and rougher in the retelling, the urge to do it again will be with you for years to come. Perhaps you would consider trying a kayak or canoe next time. Kayaks are amazingly stable and a lot of fun. They can be used on flat water as well as rivers and oceans. They may be hard shelled or folding.

One thing is for certain, river rafting whistler waters will provide you with a lifetime of fantastic memories.

Click here to view our page on Folding Kayaks.

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