Whitewater kayaking

For people who check facts

Whitewater kayaking or playboating is a recreational sport of taking a kayak down a moving body of water, typically a river. Whitewater kayaking can be a challenging, adrenaline filled sport, or be a fun, graceful, technical ride.

Whitewater Racing is the competitive sport of racing canoes down a river as fast as possible.

The kayak (or just 'boat') used in whitewater kayaking is different than those used in Whitewater Racing or Sea Kayaking. The boat is typically made of a tough linear-linked plastic that is slightly flexible and very strong. Boats can range in size from barely long enough to hold the paddler, up to 12ft or longer.

There are generally three 'sub-hobbies' in whitewater kayaking: river running, rodeo (playboating), and creeking.

River Running can be thought of as more of a tour down a river. You're there to enjoy the scenery and some challenge of the whitewater.

Rodeo (sometimes called just Playboating) is a technical and artistic kind of kayaking. Playboaters usually stay in one spot in the river, usually in a hole or wave. On the wave they perform a variety of tricks while riding the wave. These can include surfing, spinning, and many vertical moves (cartwheels, loops, blunts, and many many others).

Creeking is a pure adrenaline form of kayaking involving very technical and difficult rapids. This is typically in the class IV or V range and can include waterfalls, very small and tight rivers, and/or very large and big volume water.

A great place to learn more about the details of whitewater kayaking is in the whitewater kayaking faq

See also: canoeing, paddling, whitewater