Hopefully, the river is rated based on it's features, characteristics,
and dangers. What craft you are in has no bearing on the river. It
doesn't care what you may fall out of.

Many novice rafters can safely enjoy a Class (Grade) 4 run, while some
novice kayakers may have their hands full on Class 3. That is not a
hard and fast rule, but an over simplification. Some runs greatly
favor kayaks because of size. Large boats don't always fit where
small boats fit.

I don't think there are many Class six runs being done routinely.

(Wilko, I hope I am correct in assuming that European standards are
substantially the same as U.S.?)


Just my $.02 (while I try to help breathe some life back into RBP)


-Dan


On 11 Sep 2003 02:11:48 -0700, (ZattleBone)
wrote:

Anyone know the differences in the two grading systems?

A friend has just come back from South Africa where (as a complete
rafting novice) he was running Grade 5. The kayakers supporting the
raft all went off to do a Grade 6 run in the afternoon. The numbers
seem a bit high to me.

Any ideas? Is a grade 6 raft-rapid actually a grade 4/5 kayak-run?

Zatt.