Whitewater

Latest Whitewater

Phoebe Lenhart at Tablesaw Rapid on the Ocoee River

Where Whitewater Runs Deep

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Created In Partnership with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Whitewater paddling is the bedrock of adventure tourism in East Tennessee, thanks to the Southern...
Two people on ice pulling kayaks with mountain in background

A Baffin Vacation, Love On Ice: Inside The Best Adventure Film Of 2026

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Choice in tripmate can make or break even a weekend canoe trip in Algonquin Park, let alone a multiweek expedition in a remote...
Person in red whitewater kayak going down big rapid with massive boulders and rocky banks

Big Water Theory: Inside The Best Whitewater Film Of 2026

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Extreme kayaker Nouria Newman says the Indus had been on her mind ever since she saw Aniol Serrasolses paddle it in the film...
Boaters jumped into action to rescue two occupants when this vehicle flew off-road into the North Fork Payette River

Behind The Rescue: Kayakers Save Family After Car Plunges Into River

It was a miracle Jeff Landers was there at all. He’d just finished a slicey lap on the South Fork Payette River when Micah...
illustration showing the steps to thread a quick release rescue belt

How To Thread A Quick-Release Rescue Belt

As a whitewater rescue instructor, I have seen both the power and the dangers of attaching to a rope with a quick-release harness. When...
Two people paddling in red canoe across lake

Guide to Canoe Tripping in Québec’s Kipawa Region

Created In Partnership With Abitibi-Témiscamingue Just across the Ottawa River lies a sprawling labyrinth of deep bays, wild islands, hidden passages, interconnected lakes and spectacular...
Two women in green whitewater kayaks with rapids behind them

Whitewater Kayaking Hits the Big Screen in Apex

If you’ve been browsing Netflix recently, you might have noticed an uncommon sight: a film featuring whitewater kayaking trending number one among English films,...
Woman hugging her teenage child

River Mamma

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} When Elisha McArthur agreed to let filmmaker Sarah Hamilton make a short film about her life, she had no idea how far her...
JT Hartman drops Punch Bowl Falls at dusk

Behind The Scenes On The Photo Of A Lifetime

“It was kind of a dream that all fell together,” says photographer Riley Seebeck. Getting this photo was a seven-person, six-hour mission that pushed...

Whitewater Buying Advice

man paddles a Dagger kayak

Ultimate Guide To Dagger Kayaks

Dagger is a well-respected American kayak brand that’s been making boats for decades. The history of Dagger kayaks begins with whitewater. The company got...
people packraft on expansive waters surrounded by hills

Best Packrafts

The greatest innovation to paddlesports in the past two decades is perhaps the modern packraft. Sure, ultralight inflatable paddle craft have been around as...
two people paddling on hard paddleboards at dawn

How To Buy The Best Hard Paddleboard For You

Inflatable paddleboards are everywhere you look these days, and it’s understandable why. These boards have opened the world of SUP ownership to condo dwellers...
creek boater paddles down a narrow whitewater river surrounded by vibrant green trees

Everything You Need To Know About Buying A Creek Boat

Creek boats have come a long way since 1973, when Tom and Jamie McEwan attempted the first descent of North Carolina’s Linville Gorge in...
woman paddling a kayak on a scenic lake under clouds

Kayaks For Her: What To Know When Buying A Women’s Kayak

Female paddlers shopping for their first, or next, kayak can be forgiven for wondering where all the women’s models are. Nearly every outdoor pursuit—think...
Overhead shot of someone paddling a whitewater kayak through a wave

Best Pyranha Kayaks For 2026

Based in the U.K., Pyranha celebrated 50 years in the kayak-building business in 2021. A lot has changed since Pyranha’s 1971 prototypes first hit...
whitewater paddler in a Jackson Kayak

Best Jackson Kayaks For 2026

Jackson Kayak was founded in 2004 by Olympic champion and professional whitewater paddler, Eric Jackson. At its inception, the company focused exclusively on building...
Two people paddling inflatable canoe towards the setting sun on a lake

Best Inflatable Canoes For 2026

Space is at a premium in so many aspects of modern life. Garages fill to the point that vehicles are relegated to the driveway....

Whitewater Reviews

Elements Adventure Company guide and instructor Emily Cole doing what the Ocoee does best—precision paddling

Whitewater Canoe Review: Esquif Ocoee

Today is February 2nd. Actually. I’m basically Bill, a bitter weatherman forced to cover the same breaking news in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, again and again,...
two women kayakers pose by the water with AIRE's Spud and Tater inflatable whitewater kayaks

Inflatable Kayak Review: AIRE’s Spud & Tater

We don’t typically review seven-year-old boats. These last few years have been extraordinary times, and the Tributary Spud by AIRE, first released way back...
man paddles the new Jackson Kayak Flow creek boat

Whitewater Kayak Review: Jackson Kayak Flow

In a world where nine-foot-long, high-volume creek boats and half-slice river runners have taken over, the Jackson Flow diverges. While other boat categories push...
Side-by-side-by-side creekboat comparison from AQ Outdoors.

3 Top Creekboats Go Head-To-Head

Somehow, creek boat designs continue to evolve. Paddling steep, difficult whitewater has never looked or felt smoother with moves like leaning boofs and skipping...
Jackson Kayak Flow

First Look: Jackson Kayak Unleashes The Flow (Video)

Jackson Kayak has taken the success of the recent Gnarvana and built it into a smaller, more nimble river runner built for your favorite...
man paddles the Pyranha Scorch whitewater kayak

Whitewater Kayak Review: Pyranha Scorch

The Pyranha Scorch hit the market in 2021 as a successor to the classic Burn. Billed as a boundary-smashing river runner and creek boat...
man paddles the Zet Chili whitewater kayak beside a mossy riverbank

Whitewater Kayak Review: Zet Chili

Boatercross, or extreme slalom as it is referred to by the International Canoe Federation (ICF), is taking the international race scene by force. The...

Pyranha Ripper 2⁠: Field Test With Bren Orton (Video)

Earlier this year, Pyranha Kayaks released its highly-anticipated Ripper 2. The new half-slice kayak is an evolution of its popular predecessor, the OG Ripper. When...

Whitewater Gear

Werner Stealth and Covert paddles.

First Thoughts: Werner Stealth And Covert Paddles (Video)

Whitewater paddlers have caught on to the stroke power benefits of blade-forward offset, and with this we are seeing more paddles incorporating the design...
AQ outdoors whitewater paddles

2 Top Whitewater Paddles Go Head-To-Head

Sure, the kayak is the main attraction, but for whitewater kayakers, the paddle is doing all the work. And that means it is a...
a selection of whitewater helmets are arranged on a river rock

7 Best Whitewater Helmets For Safety, Style & Comfort

This summer, we hit the river for a roundup of the best whitewater helmets, seeking out the latest in lightweight design and protective power....
male kayaker stands on river shore wearing rescue PFD and holding paddle and throw bag

River Safety & Rescue Gear: Your Head-To-Toe Guide

Whether you are brand new to whitewater or a seasoned paddler, it’s important to know what gear to take along to prepare you for...
a whitewater rescuer leaps into the river to save a kayaker using rescue gear

3 Pieces Of Rescue Gear Worth Spending Extra On

Pop quiz. Which three pieces of paddling safety equipment would you choose to spend a little extra on? Take a minute to think about...
a group of female whitewater paddlers scout a river while wearing womens drysuits

5 Top Women’s Drysuits Go Head-To-Head

We’ve come a long way since the rain-jacket-adaptation drysuits of the late 1970s. The first leap towards a more inclusive drysuit offering for paddlers...
The best memories come from bad ideas done with good friends. | Photo: Robert Faubert

4 of the greatest river running essential no one talks about

I couldn’t even begin to guess who figured this out first. I grew up on a farm, and it never occurred to me while...
Kokopelli Recon Packraft

Kokopelli Showcases Recon Packraft, Animas River Bag And Delta Inflatable Dry Bag

Kelley Smith with Kokopelli Packraft takes us through the new Recon Packraft targeted at avid whitewater paddlers. The Recon differentiates itself from the rest...

More Whitewater Stories

Skills

Boaters jumped into action to rescue two occupants when this vehicle flew off-road into the North Fork Payette River

Behind The Rescue: Kayakers Save Family After Car Plunges Into River

It was a miracle Jeff Landers was there at all. He’d just finished a slicey lap on the South Fork Payette River when Micah...
illustration showing the steps to thread a quick release rescue belt

How To Thread A Quick-Release Rescue Belt

As a whitewater rescue instructor, I have seen both the power and the dangers of attaching to a rope with a quick-release harness. When...

5 Expert Tips To Improve Your River Running

Too often, no matter whether on a big play wave in a spring creek, beginner and even quite seasoned paddlers run straight-ahead-Fred green runs...
Shane McManus running Big Splat on the Lower Big Sandy in 2022

Accident Debrief: Inside A Veteran Boater’s Scary Swim

Shane McManus reckons he’s run Big Splat on the Lower Big Sandy 500 times. Almost every time he runs the West Virginia classic, he...
Paddler demonstrates how to get in a kayak.

How To Get In And Out Of A Kayak In 6 Steps

As the owner of a specialty kayak retailer, AQ Outdoors, my team and I are often the first information source for many people who...
three whitewater rafts sit on the banks of a western river that requires a lottery system permit to paddle

Why You’re Not Winning The River Permit Lottery

Permits for the United States’ most iconic river trips are difficult to secure, and it’s no surprise why. Data from the U.S. Forest Service...
paddler Quinton Kennedy is silhouetted as he paddles through raging whitewater

Pro Boaters On Why Expeditions Fail

Even the pros know that not every whitewater expedition goes as planned. From overlooked prep to unpredictable weather and challenging team dynamics, a lot...
canoeist with permit travels down the John Day River surrounded by massive striated rock cliffs

How To Score A John Day River Permit And Plan The Ultimate Trip

Standing on river left at Clarno Rapid, I watched the water tumble over a wide ledge, forming a hole that stretched from bank to...

Trips

Phoebe Lenhart at Tablesaw Rapid on the Ocoee River

Where Whitewater Runs Deep

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Created In Partnership with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Whitewater paddling is the bedrock of adventure tourism in East Tennessee, thanks to the Southern...
Two people paddling in red canoe across lake

Guide to Canoe Tripping in Québec’s Kipawa Region

Created In Partnership With Abitibi-Témiscamingue Just across the Ottawa River lies a sprawling labyrinth of deep bays, wild islands, hidden passages, interconnected lakes and spectacular...
a woman paddleboards in an idyllic tropical location in Indonesia

Our Favorite Paddling Trips You Can Do

 h5.trip-hotspot { font-family: 'acumin-pro-condensed'; font-weight: 300 !important; font-size: 1.3rem !important; line-height: 1.3rem...
overhead view of a kayak resting on sand dunes on the banks of India's Ganges River

Source To Sea On The Lifeline Of India

Regardless of where you’re from, you’ve probably heard of India’s Ganges River: It is one of the world’s longest rivers at nearly 2,700 kilometers....
two kayakers sit on placid waters surrounded by mountains while on a summer paddling trip in Alaska

10 Best Paddling Trips For Summer 2025

Sometimes headlines can be deceiving. Rather than highlighting specific trips, our list of best paddling “trips” for this year showcases regions with multiple world-class...
drone shot of Lake Harriet in Minnesota's Chain of Lakes showing moored sailboats with city in background

Your Guide To The 9 Most Magnificent Kayaking Destinations In Minnesota

Known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it makes sense there’s a lifetime's worth of incredible kayaking in Minnesota. From the vast horizon of...
a family paddles in kayaks on a trip on Ontario's Georgian Bay

15 Best Family Kayak Trips In The World

The longest, most scenic or ambitious kayaking expedition in the world still cannot compare to the joy of paddling with your family. There’s something...
Blue waters and yellow hills in New Zealand

15 Of The Most Beautiful Places To Paddle In The World

The question we faced in curating this article was simple: how to list the most beautiful places to paddle in the world without playing...

News & Opinions

Brenna Kelly guides a whitewater river rafting trip with Wilderness Tours

8 Essentials In Editor Brenna Kelly’s River Guiding Kit

Being a whitewater paddler may give outsiders the impression you are smelly, risky and low-budget. In other words, a river rat. A river god,...
long exposure photo of a man whitewater kayaking in breaking rapids

Pro Paddlers On The Scariest Thing That Ever Happened To Them

Spend enough time on the river and, sooner or later, you may collect a story that still gives you the chills. We asked pro...
Paddling Magazine Editor Joe Potoczak lays on grass surrounded by his river running gear selections

What’s In Editor Joe Potoczak’s Class Fun River Running Kit

When I want to laugh, truly laugh, I go to rapids well within my comfort zone—the ones I’ve started to lazily drift through—and hunt...
Phoebe Lenhart at Tablesaw Rapid on the Ocoee River

Where Whitewater Runs Deep

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Created In Partnership with Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Whitewater paddling is the bedrock of adventure tourism in East Tennessee, thanks to the Southern...
Two people on ice pulling kayaks with mountain in background

A Baffin Vacation, Love On Ice: Inside The Best Adventure Film Of 2026

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Choice in tripmate can make or break even a weekend canoe trip in Algonquin Park, let alone a multiweek expedition in a remote...
Person in red whitewater kayak going down big rapid with massive boulders and rocky banks

Big Water Theory: Inside The Best Whitewater Film Of 2026

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} Extreme kayaker Nouria Newman says the Indus had been on her mind ever since she saw Aniol Serrasolses paddle it in the film...
Two women in green whitewater kayaks with rapids behind them

Whitewater Kayaking Hits the Big Screen in Apex

If you’ve been browsing Netflix recently, you might have noticed an uncommon sight: a film featuring whitewater kayaking trending number one among English films,...
Woman hugging her teenage child

River Mamma

.video-container-first{display:none !important;} When Elisha McArthur agreed to let filmmaker Sarah Hamilton make a short film about her life, she had no idea how far her...

Whitewater Videos