rafting down the river

Into the Current

Resources and Blog

Group of rafters faces high water on Dead River.

Whitewater Rapid Classifications in New England

Whitewater Rafting in Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont: Whitewater Rapid Classifications Thanks to the Safety Code of American Whitewater for this outline of the International Scale of River Difficulty. Crab Apple Whitewater Rafting and many of our individual white water staff and river rafting guides are members of American Whitewater, “a national non-profit organization with a mission […]
two men unloading rafts from a truck bed

Off-Season Hypalon Raft Storage

At Crab Apple, each fall we carefully evaluate and store our fleet of hypalon rafts for the off-season. A crew of 3-4 workers take roughly one week to clean, dry, make repairs and store the whitewater rafts for the winter. A detailed inventory and repair history is made for each raft. A crew works at […]
Family of three getting ready to raft down a river.

History of Crab Apple Whitewater & Original Whitewater Rafting Guides

Our History Crab Apple Whitewater was founded by Chuck and Sharyn Peabody in 1983. The Peabody’s first left Hingham on the south shore of Boston to find adventure in Maine in 1981. Chuck left steady work as a foreman in a rubber factory in Brockton and Sharyn gave up homemaking to relocate in The Forks. In […]
yellow face question mark emoji

The Best Questions We’ve Ever Been Asked While White Water Rafting

The Best Questions We’ve Been Asked Getting to go white water rafting every day is the coolest job in the world as far as we are concerned. Each day brings a new adventure, and with every group of rafters comes questions. Lots and lots of questions. While some of them we get—like what to wear […]
Family of 4 on a river raft

What To Bring on a Commercial Whitewater Rafting Trip

  If you are joining a commercial outfitter for a rafting trip, you have a shorter list of water rafting essentials “to bring” than if you are on a private trip. Typically, a professional whitewater rafting outfitter will provide food and drink, all rafting safety equipment, etc., that you may need during your trip. On […]
rafters holding onto the raft rope as they fall sideways down the river

“Dump Truck” Maneuver: Rafting Tips

The “Dump Truck” Maneuver A “dump truck” in rafting occurs when all of the passengers in a raft are “dumped” out during a rapid. There are a few points to consider in determining what constitutes an actual “dump truck”, the main factor being whether all of the paddlers fall out of the raft. If even […]
group of rafters falling in the water as their raft flips over

What to Do If a Raft Capsizes or Flips Over in the Rapids

Commercial rafts can potentially flip over in Class III, IV or V whitewater rapids. Rafts could capsize in very large waves, hydraulics or by hitting rocks. Most flips can be avoided by skillful guiding and good paddling by the crew. However, sometimes Mother Nature wins the “battle” and a raft can turn upside down in […]
group of rafters floating on the river as they all pose for the camera

Minimum Age Requirements for Whitewater Rafting Trips

Guests often ask about appropriate ages for whitewater rafting trips. River rafting outfitters vary and river trips vary on how to coordinate rapid classifications and minimum ages for family rafting adventures. There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some factors in determining minimum ages: length of time on the river, difficulty of […]