If you’re like most of our guests at Southeastern Expeditions, once you’ve experienced the thrill of white water rafting, you’ll want to do it again and again. But a challenge that many rafters face is finding like-minded individuals to go with them on their next adventure. After all, it’s not easy to coordinate the schedules of eight to 10 friends or family members for any event — including a rafting excursion.
Joining a white water rafting community can provide the ideal solution. You’ll meet lots of friendly, interesting people who share your passion and are happy to chat about their experiences on the water with others. You’ll also get helpful tips and advice you can apply to your rafting activities. Best of all, you’re likely to come across other rafters who are trying to plan an outing or need someone to fill a seat on an upcoming river adventure.
Ways to Join White Water Rafting Communities
There are several methods for locating and joining a rafting community as well as expanding your network:
- Join forums: Online forums and blogs are an excellent way to connect with many white water rafters and kayakers at once. Mountain Buzz is one popular online forum where you can discuss and share your insights on pertinent topics like trip planning, gear and safety. Other options include BoaterTalk and Mountain Project, as well as groups on various social media platforms.
- Search for local group events: If you’d prefer to do your networking in person, look for white water rafting meetup groups in your area. The Meetup site has a dedicated white water rafting page where you can find groups across the U.S. and around the world. You can also try typing “white water rafting clubs near me” into your web browser. Many of the groups offer access to rafting and related events that are open to all members.
- Raft consistently: Go rafting as often as you can, and when you do, make a point of meeting as many of your fellow rafters as possible. You never know when a group will need someone to fill a raft on their next river adventure. Exchange email addresses or become Facebook friends so that you can keep in touch throughout the year.
- Become a rafting guide: Wouldn’t it be great if you could meet others who share your passion for rafting — and get paid to do it? By becoming a rafting guide, you can spend your days on the river and help other rafters maximize their adventure. You’ll find guide schools in many areas of the U.S., and they usually start in the spring before the peak rafting season. Courses typically last seven to 10 days, and they’re often hosted by outdoor adventure companies looking to hire students that complete their program.
Get More Ideas for Joining White White Rafting Communities
Contact us to learn more about joining white water rafting communities. We can also provide information regarding how to become a white water rafting guide.