{"id":13106,"date":"2024-09-18T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-18T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aorafting.com\/blog\/?p=13106"},"modified":"2025-05-01T11:52:20","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T18:52:20","slug":"whitewater-rafting-terms-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aorafting.com\/blog\/whitewater-rafting-terms-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitewater Rafting Terms Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"
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There are a number of technical terms beyond rafting equipment <\/a>and moves<\/a> that guides must understand before they even get out on the water. Take a look at some of the vocabulary terms necessary for an educated conversation and execution of a rafting trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CFS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This acronym stands for Cubic Feet per Second. This measurement tells us the volume of water passing through a point in the river each second. One cubic foot is roughly the size of a basketball, which can help us visualize its volume. Higher CFS means more water and a faster current. Every river has its own range of flows measured in CFS, within which it\u2019s considered at \u2018normal\u2019 water flow levels for rafting. These ranges are not universal between rivers. Rivers can become unrunnable at higher-than-average and lower-than-average flows. You can monitor river flows with our Real-Time Flow Reports for California Rivers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

River Classification<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whitewater rafting rivers are rated on the international scale of river difficulty ranging from Class I (flatwater) to Class VI (unrunnable). For a description of each difficulty level, check out our visual guide to White Water Rafting Levels \/ Classes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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