The New River is one of the most famous rivers for white water rafting on. There are about 20 rapids and they are all class three or higher. We where traveling with three friends: two adults, and their child. We got on the raggedy old bus from our campground and this is when it all began. The bus ride wasn't bad but the bumps didn't help to settle my stomach. Although this was my second trip, the first time I fell out in a class five rapid, got sucked in a whirlpool and didn't come out for a minute. It wasn't a great way to get interested in something new, but I sucked it up, and I was back again. .
We were at our first rapid at about 8:45 am. The water was still cold because rain just came through the area about two hours earlier. The river was deeper than when I was there the first time so the rapids here were much larger. The rapid crushed our boat like a bug. The boat flew about three feet into the air like salmon would when going up stream. When we came down I fell inside the boat, but got right back up and continued paddling. .
The second rapid also had a surf spot where boats got sucked into a whirlpool and would sometimes flip over. We were one of the last boats to get into the spot, and I still haven't seen anyone flip or even fall out of the boat. But as luck would have it, when our boat got sucked in, our guide slipped out of his seat and lost control of the boat. We were moved by the large rock where water tumbled over, and caught the side of the boat. The boat started to flip because of all the pressure. It seemed like time just stopped. Thinking I was going to experience the same thing as last time, I tried to keep my balance. I was the first person in the water, even before the people on my other side, the side which went in first, did. I did get sucked into a whirlpool but this time I came out unscathed. This incident scared everyone on the boat; even the guide was rattled. .
At around noon we stopped for lunch, gave me the time to look around.