Kayaking in Asia

Since ancient times, people have always been fond of animal statues. Apart from being used for day to day activities, animals were being represented in more inert forms such as toys, statues, sculptures and many more. Therefore, even in modern times, wooden animal statues are extremely popular in the recent times.

With the help of skills and technology available today, the wooden sculptures look pretty real to life. There are loads of different varieties available in the market today. These wooden animals represent different kinds of virtues and characteristics unique to them. Most people believe that it would be beneficial to place the statue of their most loved animal in the home, so as to extend the same kind of power.

When you choose from a variety of statues for sale, you would notice that elephants and horses are the commonly chosen animals. There are different kinds of woods used for these statues and based on your budget, you can pick from a selection of rosewood, sandalwood or whitewood statues. These statues can be placed in the home or can also be used in the gardens. With the selection available today, you can find almost any shape in any size today. Such a way, you can pick a wooden statue in accordance to the size of your garden.

You might have wondered what exactly is Whitewater Rafting? Basically it is the use of a raft whilst navigating a river or lake, and is probably best explored on rough water for the thrill of the ride! Whitewater rafting is a challenging water sport, which requires experience and skill on the water, so please take due care, and maybe do plenty of research about the area before you venture into challenging waters.

The following are our top 10 Places to enjoy the sport in the USA…

1. Rafting on the Colorado River. In the Grand Canyon area, you can certainly capture the beauty of the river as you travel down it. Here you can raft a total of over 200km in six days. The divine beauty of the Grand Canyon is something to savour, with walls and waterfalls that are just waiting to be explored. Find out more about Colorado River Rafting.

2. Whitewater Rafting in West Virginia. This area of West Virginia at the Summersville Dam and Lake is a magical place for rafting. The summertime sees the river water flows touching great levels to make the falls even more pronounced. In fact, the fall and spring are just as exciting when rafting, as the dam ejects water from the bottom of the lake all year round.

3. The Great Rivers of Montana. Springtime is possibly the best time to raft the Flathead River. You can enjoy the sheer thrill of the rapids of “Bone Crusher” and “Jaws”! The top middle fork of the Flathead River is not for the faint hearted with some challenging drops and jumps!

4. Rafting in Idaho is best enjoyed along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. You can enjoy the power of the 100 rapids in the beautifully scenic area. The River actually drops a total of 3,000 feet through the hugely impressive River of No Return!

5. Rafting on the Rogue River. The Rogue River in Oregon is one of the most impressive rivers in the USA, and is a huge favourite of whitewater rafting enthusiasts. Rogue River Rafting offers a wonderful adventure vacation, combining beautiful scenery, fresh breeze winds, fantastic wildlife viewing and rolling waters!

6. Rafting on the Chattooga River. The Chattooga River has its source in the Whitesides Mountain of North Carolina and runs to the southwest to create the border between South Carolina and Georgia. It is an impressive location for rafting, with sheer rapids and wild and wonderful scenery. Spring and early summer are the best times to raft the river, when the water table is much higher!

7. Durango Rafting Colorado. Rafting in spring is wonderful on the Animas River. You can savour the aesthetic beauty along the River of Lost Souls. You will learn all about Colorado’s mining past as you float along the rivers, with ruins from the mining industry prominent along the riverbanks.

8. California Whitewater Rafting. Whitewater Rafting in California can be enjoyed on the Kings, Merced, Tuolumne, and American Rivers, which are all located near Yosemite, the Kings Canyon National Park and Lake Tahoe.

9. Whitewater Rafting in Alaska is best enjoyed at the Alsek and Tatshenshini Rivers. The sheer size of the waters, the natural beauty of the area, and the remote nature of the area make for a thrilling rafting experience. You can also enjoy challenging rafting on the Yukon River.

10. Whitewater Rafting in Washington. One of the best places to enjoy rafting in Washington is on the Skykomish River where you will be guaranteed action and adventure! The Skykomish River will take you on an astonishing journey of breathtaking drops and series of rapids, and the famed “Boulder Drop” is not for the faint hearted!

Whitewater rafting is one of the most exciting ways to spend a vacation. But what about the guides who get to do it every day?

Every guide started exactly where you might be, with little to no experience on the river. All that an individual needs to be a raft guide is the desire to be outside, working with people and be active every day.

Imagine spending your day floating down a scenic stretch of river, canyon walls on either side of the river banks and the sun warming your skin while a slight breeze keeps you cool. Every day you meet new people who are excited to experience an incredible day on the river. They want to know everything you have to teach them, making you an adventure expert. On top of it all, you get paid to have such a great day.

Many full-time rafting guides began as weekend warriors, keeping their regular jobs during the week. These individuals might have first been a customer on a raft trip. They find themselves wondering the whole time how they can return to experience the rush and thrill of rafting again and again. These individuals find weekend training programs to easily fit into their schedule. Others opt to train over a shorter period of time so that they can begin work as soon as possible.

Rafting outfitters all over the country provide training courses for first-year guides who are looking to learn the trade. These courses cover everything a new river guide needs to know in addition to providing ample time to practice these new skills.

In training, guides will learn to use safety equipment such as ropes, pulleys and carabineers. They will be instructed on how to read water and maneuver a raft down a rapid safely and smoothly. Trip logistics will be reviewed, from outfitting a guest with safety equipment upon arrival to filling out trip reports at the end of the day.

However, these hard skills are only a fraction of the skills a new raft guide will learn during training.

New raft guides also learn leadership and teamwork skills that build stronger characters.

Callie Morgigno, a raft guide on Pennsylvania’s Youghiogheny River, believes that the most valuable skill she learned as a raft guide is confidence. She says that she values, “just knowing that I can do something even if at first it scares and overwhelms me.”

Working on the river inherently develops teamwork skills. Raft guides must work with each other and with the clients to successfully descend any stretch of river, no matter how difficult. Raft Guide Amos Ludwig affirms that “guiding a raft without teamwork skills will result in chaos.” Raft guides learn to bring together people from completely different walk s of life in one raft, leading them down a river. At the same time, guides ensure that everyone is having the best possible experience.

Raft guides discover the unique and highly valuable ability within themselves to turn any situation into a good one. Knowing that customers wait years for the opportunity to go rafting, a raft guide does everything possible to make a client’s river trip memorable. Guides tell stories about rapids, teach natural history of the environment or simply provide guests with an example of the type of positive attitude that turns any day into a good one.

Working as a guide gives individuals more than an excuse to be outside everyday. This is the type of job that allows individuals to enjoy life more. Being surrounded by a community of extraordinary people in the country’s most beautiful places brings out the best in people.

Veteran guide Amos Ludwig began working on the river during his summer breaks. He has been guiding ever since, claiming that “once you get started, you get a little addicted.”

No matter how you get there, you will not regret the decision to make raft guiding a part of your life.

If you are new to the sport of paddling in whitewater, be it canoeing, kayaking, or rafting, it is essential that before you hit the water or even before you go shopping for a boat you learn some of the basic vocabulary.

To avoid the uncomfortable feeling of the novice when shopping for your vessel, here are some helpful terms that you will be able to use with some understanding when talking to a shop clerk. Some of this vocabulary will also give you a heads-up when it’s time to take your first lessons.

Amidships: This term refers to the area in the center of a boat when measuring lengthwise.

Beam: This is the width of a kayak or canoe measured at the widest point.

Bulkheads: These walls form sealed compartments in the rear and front areas of a kayak.

Chine: The area between the bottom and the side of the boat. This area is considered the transition area.

Coaming: The coaming is located around the edge of the cockpit of a kayak and is used to secure a spray skirt. It takes the form of a curved lip.

Cockpit: The opening in the kayak where the paddler sits.

Draw stroke: This stroke is used to move a boat in a sideways direction.

Feathered paddle: This type of paddle is used in kayaking. It is designed with the blades set at an angle to each other and helps to present an edge to the wind which reduces air friction.

Ferry: A maneuver used across current with little or no downstream travel.

Gunwales: These boards run along the top of the hull, which lend support to the boat. Strips along the inside of the boat are called inwales; strips along the outside are called outwales.

Initial Stability: This term describes how resistant a boat is to tipping.

Keel: A strip along the bottom of a hull which prevents side slipping.

Portage: The act of carrying a boat around rapids which are too heavy to negotiate, or between bodies of water.

Rocker: Upward curve of the keel line from the center towards the end of a boat. If you have a lot of rocker, it means you’ll be able to make quick turns with ease.

Roll: A basic technique in kayaking and canoeing in which an overturned boat can be righted without the paddler leaving the vessel.

Skeg: A stabilizer located at the rear of the boat.

Stem: The piece at the end of a canoe or kayak, which connects the keel to the bow.

Tracking: The ability of a boat to hold a straight course because of its hull design.

Of course, there are many other terms you will be using in your whitewater learning experience, however, these should be enough to get you started and to save you from some embarrassment. If you come across a term that you are not familiar with in the course of your lessons or while shopping for your boat, remember the Golden Rule: never be afraid to ask.