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Whitewater rafting can be a dangerous activity if the proper precautions are not taken. Below is a generally accepted classification system used to classify rivers for rafting and boating difficulty:

• Class I - Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves.
• Class II – Novice. Straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels.
• Class III - Intermediate. Strong eddies and current, requiring skilled maneuvering.
• Class IV - Advanced. Powerful but predictable rapids requiring precise boat handling in turbulent water.
• Class V - Expert. Long, obstructed, or violent rapids which expose paddlers to a high degree of danger, requiring expertise and reliable equipment for safe passage.
• Class VI - Unrunnable. Likelihood of death, or destruction of equipment in attempting class 6 runs.

As expertise increases, and equipment becomes more durable, or reliable, what was once considered class 6 becomes class "5 plus", and eventually class five. The Grand Canyon has swallowed whole expeditions, leaving only fragments of boats, yet it is now run by commercial outfitters hundreds of times each year, with relatively untrained passengers.

(Source: http://www.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=1346 California State Parks )

• see also Bill Dvorak, paddling, whitewater, wild water, River