A: Class I is low-risk, moving water with very small waves. Class II is for novice boaters and features rapids with wide, clear channels requiring occasional maneuvering. Class III is for intermediate boaters, featuring rapids with strong eddy lines, powerful currents, and waves that can be difficult to avoid, requiring boaters to maneuver quickly. Class IV whitewater is for advanced boaters, featuring powerful rapids that require quick and precise boat control. Class V is for expert paddlers, featuring long, violent, complex rapids. Class VI rapids once were considered unrunnable, but superstar expert paddlers have changed that. Today, Class VI defines often previously unrun rapids with the highest difficulty and the direst consequences for error.
– Source: American Whitewater
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