Ambiguities with the Rapids Rating Scale

[Glenn MacGrady]

"Difficulty does not always reflect consequence, and the consequence does not always reflect difficulty. Calling a rapid “a chill class V” or “a big class IV” does not change the physical rapid; the terms only change our expectations and our perception. Some will underrate a rapid not to scare a friend, others will overrate a rapid to inflate their egos, and others still will give you their honest classification and be wrong in your opinion."

Difficulty Demystified: A Modern Guide To The Rapids Rating Scale

The scale is not an exact science. Here’s what you need to know.

paddlingmag.com

 

[MrPoling]

Yeah, my gripe has always been there isn't enough risk built into the scale. I've paddled several rapids that are class 2-3ish technically, but 1/4 mile wide and 1/3 mile long. Think the long rapids on the New river between Hinton and Thurmond. Lovely canoeing rapids. But if you
swim you are going in the drink a long long time.

I've seen several discussions rate Double Z, farther down in the Gorge, a 3+. Nonsense. Yes, done right in a creek boat it seems easy. But 3+ doesn't communicate the consequences of messing up and swimming into an undercut.

Plus the experienced paddlers who rate rivers are often so good they've forgotten what it's like to be normal.

 

[memaquay]

Becky Mason and her partner Reid came up here one time for a dedication to her Dad in Nipigon. I set them up with a trip down the Namewaminikan River. I had graded the rapids according to my limited skills, and as they paddled away, I told them it was a pretty easy milk run. I hadn't rated anything over Class 2 I believe.

When I talked to Becky later, she said that the trip was much "wetter" then they had expected, which I took to mean I had rated things too low. It made me wonder if I have been running big things my whole life without even knowing it.

Or maybe they just ran some of thing I cut ports around, I forgot to ask her that.