FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Learning how to kayak correctly, or more importantly, paddle correctly, can be a rewarding fun experience, correct technique is everything.
Remember all Walking Rivers tours include all food, transportation, kayaks, professional guides, and safety equipment.
Why ? because we found this means you don’t need to worry about anything but having fun and getting the most from your time in nature.
No, you don’t. Everyone can learn how to kayak whitewater. We teach you how to paddle your kayak during your trip and provide a full safety briefing daily. In addition, any of our qualified guides will be happy to give you any extra personal instruction you may require.
Firstly, on the first day, we spend whatever time is needed to ensure everyone has the necessary skills for safely paddling their kayak. Secondly, as we progress downstream for the first time, we stop at each set of rapids and give detailed instructions on a variety of topics to ensure everyone paddles the rapid safely. The rapids are all grade one and two, well within the capabilities of people new to kayaking.
All watersports are thrilling, exciting, wet, wild and an enormous amount of fun. However, as in all adventure sports, an inherent risk is involved. Even after training, there is still a risk, and you must accept that risk when you elect to participate. That uncertainty contributes to the excitement and is one of the reasons people love it so much. It is important as you learn how to kayak you stay within your experience limits. Start on Grade one and only move to grade two when you are comfortable.
Internationally all whitewater rivers are graded as follows:-
Class I: Waves small, passages clear; no serious obstacles. Also described as gravel races. Often no deeper than knees.
Class II: Rapids of moderate difficulty with passages clear. (Great Kayaking for families or for people looking for an introduction to kayaking.)
Class III: Waves numerous, high, irregular; rocks; eddies; rapids with passages clear though narrow openings, requiring moderate expertise in maneuvering. (This is the most popular classification for whitewater, and is the recommended level for beginning Kayakers)
Class IV: Long rapids; waves mighty, irregular; dangerous rocks; boiling eddies; powerful and precise maneuvering required. (Kayak paddlers seeking action and having extensive experience search out these rivers.)
Class V: Exceedingly difficult, long and violent rapids, following each other almost without interruption; riverbed extremely obstructed; big drops; fierce currents; very steep gradient. (Paddlers must have prior Class IV or better Kayak experience. High level of fitness required as well as the right mental attitude for very high-risk activities)
Class VI: Commercially unrunnable.
Single-person crossover Kayaks. Designed for touring on rivers, our Kayaks make good time on the flat stretches and are fun in the rapids. Additionally, they are easy to paddle, safe, and carry a lot of gear.
When there is the right amount of water in the rivers is super important. We have tried to make tour dates coincide with the best times of the year. For instance, the Snowy River is best paddled during spring on the snow melt while the Barrington River can be paddled anytime after a decent squirt of rain . Our Nymboida River is the most unpredictable and often requires flexibility by everyone to try and get everything just right water level wise.
Unfortunately, for this kayaking whitewater , the answer is a definite yes you do. However, olympic swimming is not required. Ideally, we would like you to be capable of swimming 25 meters in some fashion. Breaststroke, doggy paddle, freestyle, anything, it doesn’t matter. It would help if you were comfortable in the water. You should always be wearing a PFD (personal floatation device). We will train you on all our trips what to do if the boat rolls over, so don’t worry.
While height is not an issue being considerably overweight may be. We require people to be under 120Kgs on our whitewater tours for safety reasons. A medium level of fitness and agility is also required. You will need to be able to paddle for approx six hours a day, scramble over rocks and walk through sand carrying your kayak. If you have concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
No problem. We cater for vegetarians every day. In addition, some of our guides are vegetarian. Before our multi-day trips, there is a pre-trip questionnaire covering medical and dietary requirements. Please call our office at +61 438563307 if you have any concerns you would like to discuss further.
Like all wildlife, we can not guarantee to see them; however, they are very active in spring, as the males aggressively seek out the females. As a result, we recognized and photographed many more platypi during this time.
All our river adventures are strenuous to a degree, so we like people to have some fitness level and good health. However, it’s ok to avoid being paddling fit as the river is flowing downstream and the boats will drift downstream even without paddling sometimes. It’s essential to have an adventurous spirit and a willingness to have a go.
Everyone participating in one of our multi-day trips needs to complete our medical questionnaire. Significantly few medical conditions will prevent you from taking part.
However, our guides need to be aware of any issues in case something goes wrong and you need their assistance.
Pregnant women are not able to participate as the risk is too high.
We recommend a sports strap or tie while to learning how to kayak. Because of the nature of the adventure, we can’t guarantee the safety of your glasses. If they are vital to your vision, we recommend bringing a spare pair. We also recommend two pairs of sunglasses, one pair as an extra.
Yes, however, waterproof or throwaway cameras are best. Also, if you are bringing big cameras, think about battery life, as charging can often be tricky. Finally, there is a risk your pride and joy camera may get wet or damaged. Our guides have waterproof cameras that take reasonably good quality photos. We are happy to give you a dropbox link to the pictures at the end of the trip.
Walking Rivers P/L caters to all ages of adventurers. However, we prefer a minimum of 14 years for our multi-day river tours. Family tours are available for younger children on flat water. People concerned with being in ‘their older years are welcome to contact us to discuss their physical abilities.
Yes, there may be please contact us on 0438563307 for information on group discounts.
Tipping is not part of Australian culture. If you would like to show your appreciation, we would be more than happy with a good review on our website, or trip advisor.