Whitewater rafting can give you the experience of a lifetime. If you are a lover of nature and adrenaline, this is the sport or hobby for you. Imagine being strapped to lifesaving jackets and knowing that your life can change from one minute to the next, or simply enjoying the beautiful weather and the sight of your best friend tip his raft over.

Like in any other sport, there is basic knowledge that you must know before heading out your front door as well as some precautions. Some of the things that you must consider and that might just make you a dignified whitewater rafter are the classifications of rapids, basic equipment to have, and the best locations to release your energy.

To start off, the way that rivers and rapids are classified ranges from Class 1 to Class 6.

As you may have already put two and two together, Class 1 rapids are small and its waters move slowly. Hardly being dangerous, there are spots to look out for that are easily spotted and can be avoided if you don’t have much experience.

Class 2 rapids and rivers require you to have basic training in order to maneuver or avoid obstacles. The waters in this class, from time to time, have faster moving currents of water that, again, can be noticed with proper training.

As the classifications increase, so must your skills and knowledge. Class 3 has rapids that are constantly changing, many and large obstacles, channels that are long and narrow, as well as harsh currents.

In order to venture into a Class 4 rapid you must have strong and fast boating skills. The violent currents in these masses of water are ones that throw “curve balls” at you by presenting large waves, holes, and masses of rock.

Class 5 rapids are definitely only for the experts. If you are seeking extreme danger, this is where you will find it along with longer and more intense rapids that may hide rocks, waves, and currents that may prove to be too dangerous for the some.

Perfect conditions are a must in order to ride a Class 6 rapid. Unpredictable waters that for the most part no one attempts to ride in characterize these waters.

The second thing a prospective whitewater enthusiast must know is what gear is essential.

First and foremost, you will need a life jacket. Your main objective is to remain afloat at all times while whitewater rafting.

A paddle is what will get you somewhere as well as allow you to maneuver your boat through the water. You have an option between a single or double blade paddle, depending on your sport.

A third piece of basic equipment is ……. A BOAT! Well it’s a given that before you enter rapids and start paddling you need to be onboard a boat but this is just a little reminder.

I’m sure now you think you are ready, but here comes the tricky stuff. You will also need a spray skirt. This is used to keep water out of your boat and consequentially prevents you from sinking or flipping over.

A helmet is also part of your basic gear and always recommended. If you will be paddling and just having a good time you don’t always need one and a simple bike helmet can do. On the other hand, if you are open water kayaking or more seriously involved in this sport, please don’t forget to protect your head at all times.

Now you might be ready to hit the water, and if you have followed and learned the basics, you are. Cconsider any place that has large bodies of water and few tourists, you don’t want to bump into swimmers. But where will you go? Here are some ideas.

The Hudson River in eastern upstate New York is a good bet and is considered a continuous easy III.

The Flathead River located in the Acadia National Park in Montana offers a fantastic environment and scenic rafting trips on a Class 2-3 river.

Lake Champlain in Vermont offers three big rivers that cut through the Green Mountains and flow into it. The river’s classifications go from flatwater to Class 3.

There are many more destinations for your whitewater rafting trip so do the research and head where the waters best fit your family, needs, or curiosity.
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Paddlers worldwide constantly praise them for their maneuverability and ruggedness. In fact if you own one you’ll agree with me that their cutting edge design, stability on the water and sturdy construction is amazing. Dagger kayaks are produced by a prosperous company founded solidly with a vision to flourish kayaking equipment by Joe Pulliam and his three paddling buddies.

It’s the world’s best known innovative kayak producing company. In fact dagger kayak is known for its kayaks’ top performance in many kayaking competitions and recreational use. They’ve been around for just around 30 years and they have a glorious name in kayaking industry. Some of their main products include; Whitewater boats which has different series like Mamba, Kingpin, Nomad, RPM, juice models and the award winning Crazy 88 series.Crazy88 series is known for more hull speed, volume distribution in its deck and easily drives across the waves.

Kayaking is fun, and if you are interested in a boat that cover all bases or may be you are not sure which way to go, then dagger approach hybrid is the way to go. For instance, dagger fiesta does it for recreational paddling both for children and adults. Dagger exodus amazing in using and specially meant for expedition. For competent paddlers dagger Cortes is a lean and fast kayak.

Other kayaks are touring line dagger kayaks that will include,exodus Halifax and specter series. Airalite is another model which though expensive is lighter and stiffer. Their kayaks may have slight or minor faults but take the words of people recommending them and basically if its kayaking, they’ve the right kayak for you.
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Back when Michael Caine was a *** symbol, Michael Jackson still black, and Chicken Tikka was considered the height of culinary chic; the perfect stag night simply consisted of a case of beer, your best mates, a fully loaded Polaroid, and an amateur
stripper named Bambi. How times have changed…

According to the office for national statistics we’re now far less likely to get married in the first place and if we do get dragged down the aisle it’s far later than ever before. In fact for men the average age has crept up to an all time high of 30 and a half
years, so there’s little wonder that it’s not just a small cause for celebration when two people in this Bridget Jones world manage to step away from their work stations, microwave-meals-for-one and eBay auctions and actually commit
to each another.

What this means for the stag
weekend is that generally couples have more money to spend on their respective
hen and stag weekends and what that means is that the stag weekends are getting
more elaborate, adventurous and action packed. In other words the ante is being
upped along with the expectations. Forget sitting on your rear and ordering the
seafood special at your local, the typical 21st century stag weekend consists
of action packed days filled with paintball army combat style, canyoning, quad
biking, Munich beer halls, Estonian feasts and coasteering. For those of you who
think crossing Piccadilly Circus during peak hour is about as rugged terrain as
you’ve ever seen, coasteering is the fine art of scrambling around a coastline
and leaping off cliffs into wave lapped coves below. It’s about as close to becoming
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as anyone who works in an office is going to
get. Ever. And the guys are loving it. In fact, coasteering – as well as the trusty
faithfulls like paintball and quad biking – is fast becoming the new black when
it comes to planning the ultimate stag weekend. There truly is nothing like getting
a bunch of lads together adding a strong element of fear, the smell of competition
and the threat of ritual humiliation to bring out the dormant Evil Knieval within.

And it seems this chest beating machismo and daring even stretches into the cultural
realm as scores of quintessential British stags are downloading Google earth,
thumbing through a phrase book and heading off shore to experience far flung destinations
for their weekend of freedom. The foreign office [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029390590] released a detailed survey at
the end of last year and found that a staggering 70 per cent of young Brits “now
prefer to travel abroad for hen and stag
parties”. That sure is a giant leap from our parents’ night out in Bournemouth.
And perched at the top of the destination pack is undeniable the cool of Eastern
Europe. Riga. Vilnius. Tallinn. Bratislava.
Moscow. They’re so cool they’re hot. The Iron Curtain is cool and the Eastern
Bloc is rocking. This is principally from the recent expansion of the European
Union making costly and irritating visas at thing of the past and the fact that
flights are now cheaper than a ticket to see Rod Stewart’s Greatest Hits tour
at Wembley. And let’s not forget the exchange rate. Ah the sweet exchange rate,
where often one humble quid will be enough to buy more than one pint of quality
local brew. This point is often argument enough to entice punters from expensive
metro poles like London (where one quid may buy you a copy of The Sun and half
a mars bar).

So 21st Century Stags unite! The options are as endless as your imagination. That really is the easy part. Now it’s just a matter of convincing her to marry you…
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If you are considering taking up kayaking as a hobby or sport the first thing you need to consider is how much you are prepared to spend on a new or used kayak together with the cost of the essential kayak accessories you will need. The next thing to consider is where you will store your kayak when you are not using it.

Not many people take into account the cost of buying all the kayak accessories which together will often be more than the price of the kayak itself. A decent set of paddles are not cheap and can cost from $60 to $500 or more. Also there is the cost of a life jacket, wet gear, gloves, paddles, paddle leash, dry bags, kayak trolleys and so on. The list is almost endless and before you know it you would have spent well over your intended original budget.

To keep the cost down it is well worth looking into the possibility of buying used kayaks. Kayaks are very durable and used kayaks will normally only have sustained superficial scratches to the hull through general wear and tear.

However you must check over any used kayaks for cracks, splits or punctures especially if it is an inflatable kayak. Furthermore always check out the quality of used kayaks when there is good natural light available.

Once you have purchased your kayak or canoe you will need to arrange for practical and accessible storage facilities.

If you have opted for an inflatable kayak then storage will not present a major problem as an inflatable kayak can be stored neatly away in a wardrobe, under a bed or in the attic. Before storing an inflatable kayak for any period of time you must insure it is completely clean and dry or there will be a risk it will develop mildew and ultimately rot.

Storage for a plastic kayak is not as easy as the inflatable kayak but that said depending on the size of the boat and the space you have available it does not have to be that difficult either.

If you have a garage or shed then the easiest way of storing your kayak is to hang it on wall bars. This will keep the kayak out of harms way and will provide the best way of storage as you will not be constantly tripping over it or having to move it to get to something else. Furthermore hanging your kayak on wall bars will ensure any residue water will completely drain away.

You can even buy a mechanical pulley system which will enable you to store your kayak in the roof of your garage. This has the added advantage of allowing you to store your paddles and kayak accessories inside the hull and makes it easier to mount on a roof rack by simply driving your vehicle directly underneath it.
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Most of us are tired of the same old vacation and are looking for something just a little more exciting, while remaining safe and fun. Are you one of the many? If you want a good summer vacation, why not try a river rafting trip?

I know what you are thinking “but the kids”- not to worry, white river rafting is available at all levels. More and more of us are taking to the back country for our vacations. We’re tired of the commercial vacation and looking for something that’s more alive and that will stimulate our senses like never before. That’s just what a river rafting trip will do for you. You’ll get to see and hear the sights and sounds that nature has to offer.

If you are new to whiter river rafting, when you plan your rafting trip you’ll want to make sure you choose the right package. A beginner rafting trip will be designed to get you hooked. You should start with a level one or two, which will provide you with all kinds of great adventure while keeping you save and at a level that’s not difficult for you. Even as a beginner, you want to enjoy the thrill of paddling the rapids, never mind the breathtaking scenery that surrounds you.

As you get more skills you can turn it up a notch eventually making it to level five which requires a great deal of skill and stamina. But wow what a ride! Enjoy the rush of the challenge of navigating through the rapids, and don’t forget to take in the invigorating surroundings. Now that’s nature at its best!

The more experienced you get the more fun you’ll have. Of course like any other sport or hobby it’s going to take some work to develop the more advanced skills, but worth every minute. And besides what could be more fun than being able to develop those skills on the river while enjoying the sites and sounds around you.

There are some great white river rafting packages. How about a trip through Lodore Canyon? This river rafting trip will keep you enchanted from beginning to end. If you’re an advanced rafter, you’ll enjoy a highly technical ride that will have your oars busy all the time. And what an adrenalin rush!

Or maybe a river rafting trip through Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid country is more your style? Explore the remote canyons, crystal clear waters, and with more than 84 miles to explore you’ll have the adventure of a lifetime.

Perhaps this is the summer to let the kids experience something outside the bounds of the concrete urban world most us live in. They’ll have a great time and so will you! And think about the stories the kids will have to tell. Isn’t great memories what life is made of?

It doesn’t really matter where you plan your river rafting trip, nor the level of your skills. Because you see, your river rafting trip isn’t just going to be a good summer vacation; it’s going to be extra-ordinaire! And you’ll have a tough time beating it next year. Get ready for the experience of a lifetime!
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The Nith River offers an excellent whitewater kayak trip every spring. This river is about one hour west of Toronto and is the only south-western river in Southern Ontario with a 2 kilometer whitewater kayak section that offers Class III waves. Kayak guides should be used on this unfamiliar river to be aware of fallen tree hazards.

For the beginner kayak enthusiast, a whitewater kayak trip on the Nith River in mid April is the best time to experience a day trip. Every kayak trip is accommodated with an instructor-guide to insure safety and enjoyment. The Nith is an excellent whitewater kayak river for the novice to gain experience and confidence.

The whitewater kayak trips on the Nith River normally start in the village of Canning. The river averages a meter in depth and about 50 meters in width. The kayak trip is about 19 kilometers long to the Grand River in Paris. The trips are about 4-5 hours in length with a lunch stop included.

The Nith starts out with a selection of small rapids, swifts and pools. The scenery of clay bluffs and wilderness is relaxing. For the first 3 hours the novice kayak person is given instruction, taught how to read water and the opportunity to lead on short sections of the Nith River. The purpose is to give everyone the time to adjust and gain the skills needed to enjoy the concluding whitewater splash. Eskimo Roll kayak techniques are not required or taught because the river is too shallow… people that tip simply slide out.

At the end of the kayak trip there is a 2 kilometer section of splash with a variety of standing waves, mini foot-drops and water slides. This section offers the beginner a whitewater kayak thrill within their comfort level. The final destination is Bean Park where everyone’s vehicles are parked for the return journey home.

Few people know about this whitewater kayak trip in Southern Ontario so near to Toronto. But as the Nith is discovered it is sure to become one of the best spring whitewater kayak attractions in Southern Ontario.
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