Whitewater Rafting
Whitewater rafting’s latest news and product reviews. Paddling Life keeps you informed on what’s new in whitewater rafts, rafting competitions, rafting industry news, and much more.
Paddling Gear
Canyon Cooler Prospector 103 – Best Rafting Cooler Ever?
Touted as "A premium expedition-sized cooler for rafting & demanding adventures".
A cooler built specifically for whitewater rafting.
What does that even mean, built specifically for...
Destinations
Lord of the Fork Race (Spoiler: Dane Won) Kicks Off KY’s Biggest Kayak Weekend
It’s East Coast extreme kayaking race season, COVID be damned. And it kicked off the last weekend of October on Kentucky’s Russell Fork. Every...
Paddling Industry News
“He Could Sell Shit to a Cow:” Watch Tribute Video to Martin Litton
Some say he rowed with an angel on his shoulder. But renowned conservationist and dory aficionado Martin Litton was the angel on the shoulder of...
Paddling Life Exclusives
How to Use, Setup, and Clean a Groover.
Groover duty. It's a dirty business but someone has to do it.
Bringing a groover on a river trip is a necessary evil and many...
Inflatables
Catching Up with AIRE Co-founder Alan Hamilton
What better place to run into one of Idaho’s, and the rafting industry’s, most passionate, productive and accomplished players than the banks of Idaho’s...
Events
Grizzly Creek Fire Hits Rafters on Colorado River
Things heated up for rafters on Colorado’s Shoshone Canyon section of the Colorado River when a fire broke out near Grizzly Creek, forcing commercial...
Accessories
Top 6 River Adventure Books (and One to Grow On)
(Compiled by Michael Hughes/Northwest Rafting Co.) With the pandemic cutting into shared time outdoors, now is the perfect time to start in on the reading...
Accessories
Duh, Why Didn’t I Think of That? Witness the AIRE “Cataroller”
You might not find them on AIRE’s website or your typical REI catalog, but if you’re an avid catarafter looking for a leg up...
Destinations
Meet Alpacka Packraft Stud Stanley Mulvany (with Podcast!)
Want to get to know one of the packrafting world’s most ardent — and well-aging — paddlers?
Look no further than New Zealander and avid...
Events
Back to China for 2021 IRF World Rafting Champs
IRF World Rafting Champs 2021 and 2022 Dates/Locations Announced Following the postponement of the International Rafting Federation's 2020 World Rafting Championship (WRC), the IRF has...
Inflatables
How To Buy A Whitewater Raft
Selecting The Right Whitewater Raft For Your Rafting Needs
Whitewater rafts come in a variety styles, shapes, and sizes. Each tailored to specific whitewater needs....
Paddling Industry News
Costa Rica is Navigating Rough Waters with Coronavirus and Tourism
COVID-19 has turned the world of eco tourism upside down. We’re all Paddling a First Descent. Watch this video on Costa Rica rafting operator Rios...
Whitewater Rafting
Is Whitewater Rafting the Safest Outdoor Activity During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
According to the LA Times, whitewater rafting could just be the safest outdoor activity for a family to get outside this summer. It might...
Canoeing
Permit System Comes to Lower Gunnison’s Dominguez-Escalante Canyon
Flatwater aficionados in Colorado might see another one of their favorite non-permitted multi-day floats fall victim to regulation again (like Ruby-Horsethief on the Colorado),...
Destinations
A Packraft for All Occasions
Packrafts are taking the paddling world by storm…
...for good reason. They’re stable, maneuverable and tough, and light enough (some weighing under 5 lbs.) to...
Paddling Life Exclusives
Lessons Learned About Post Corona Life and a Life on the River from a Guide
Emily Little grew up in Northwest Washington, but found her passion for whitewater on the Rogue River. She learned to kayak at age 12...
Destinations
Help Save the Zambezi’s Batoka Gorge!
Anyone who’s ever paddled the Zambezi River’s Batoka Gorge realizes it’s some of the best action-packed whitewater on the planet, packing an entire Grand...
Destinations
Couple Returns from the Grand to “Different World”
(As first reported in the Steamboat Pilot & Today, by Shelby Reardon) When Steamboat Springs residents Patrick Keogh and Michelle Johnson concluded an 18-day rafting...
Destinations
A Corona Note from an Outfitter: We’re all Paddling a First Descent
The world finds itself in uncharted territory in the crisis of the coronavirus pandemic. Longtime river adventurer Rafael Gallo gives some words of comfort...
Destinations
Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Dinosaur Closed to River Running
As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the southwestern United States, the following is an update on closures and restrictions throughout the...
Inflatables
Hyside Sells, Headquarters Moves to Utah
Hyside, a longtime maker of inflatable rafts and IKs, has sold after 38 years
The new owner, John Seiner, moving the operation to Layton, Utah. “It’s...
Canoeing
10 Paddling Skills Every Paddler Should Know!
Paddling Skill 1: Execute a J-stroke
This paddling skill will save your shoulder from having to do extra work. Don’t rudder while your partner pulls...
Events
Colorado team falls short in second speed record descent down Grand
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That was the paddling premise behind the U.S Rafting Team, which, despite a new raft...
Destinations
American Whitewater Stewardship Highlights from 2019!
So the new year has come. What better time to look back and reel in the accomplishments of one of the country's top river...
Latest news
Entering the World of Wood: A Review of Shade Tree’s Custom Bent Shaft Kayak Paddle
With my getting older I thought it was time to treat myself to a custom wood paddle design by...
- Advertisement -
Skate Yak: The Movie!
Well, it's that time of year again in the Rockies when skate skiers head to the hills in the...
NRS Releases Brainwaves
Kayaking is all about fun, right? Not all the time. The newest film from NRS and Matt Devlin (@western_pix),...
Must read
Dire Straits for Glen Canyon Dam; Lodore/Deso to See Higher Flows from Flaming Gorge Dam Releases
Boaters on the Grand this year can expect lower...
Breaking News: Ocoee Whitewater Center Burns to Ground
Site of the 1996 Summer Olympics—and its Olympic flame—the Ocoee...
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -
You might also likeRELATEDRecommended to you
S2O Design Drops New “Whitewater Park Toolkit”
Want to get a whitewater park built in your...
Confessions of an Old-Schooler
Liquid Logic’s Lifestyle Maintenance Technician Woody Callaway has been kayaking since 1980. He’s watched, participated and fueled the sports revolution from 13-foot glass kayaks to the 6-foot playboats and plastic creekers that define whitewater kayaking today. PL caught up with Callaway for a little insight on how he’s seen the sport change over his nearly 30 years on the water.
Elwha River’s Glines Canyon Dam Finally Reduced to Rubble
In Olympic National Park, the Elwha River now flows freely again as the last of Glines Canyon Dam comes down.