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Ocoee River Rafting: Stories Worth Living

Am I good enough to go rafting?

Jul 4, 2019Uncategorized0 comments

The answer to your question is yes, yes you are! It doesn’t matter how bad you think you might be, you are good enough. Rafting is a team sport and the crew will make each rafting trip unique, but paddling is not about being fit or strong, it is all about the togetherness of the crew. Some people worry they are not strong enough, sporty enough, or fast enough, but none of that matters if you listen to the guide and work as a team. Rafting is a good tool for team building because the success of the trip is related to how good a crew can work as a team.

Everyone is good enough to go rafting and there are only two things that can keep you off the river, if you are intoxicated or pregnant. The minimum age to go rafting is 12 years old, and there is no age limit or weight limit. If you have any medical conditions, we ask you to tell the guide in advance. It won’t keep you from rafting, it will just make the raft guide aware of any precautions he or she might need to take and it can prevent future confusion and stress.

Once at a rafting trip, a member of the crew fell of the boat and swam, he went one way down the river and his leg went the opposite way. The raft guide in charge started to freak out watching his costumer’s leg drift downstream while the costumer said to him: “Get my leg! Get my leg!” It would have been nice to know in advance that this costumer had a prosthetic leg. He would still go rafting, and probably wouldn’t have scared the raft guide as much. I had a girl told me half way down the river she was blind from one eye, that would have been nice to know from the beginning.

Any medical conditions are best dealt with by talking about them before you go on the water. Now, if you don’t have any medical conditions and you still think you’re not good enough, come rafting and you’ll realize you are much better than you might take credit for. Every year we take hundreds of people down the river that explicitly state they aren’t good enough. It is beautiful to see how much their confidence grows throughout the trip and how much fun they have.

Whether it’s the mom that is only rafting to please her children and ends up having the most fun; whether is the scary camper that came with a group, overcame his fear of the water and had a blast. Whether you are the guy that thinks he’s too out of shape for this and ends up enjoying the experience and surprising himself and his own views of what his body is capable of; or whether it is any other reason you might have that can make you think you are not good enough, get ready to surprise yourself! Because the answer to your question is yes, yes you are good enough to go rafting!

By: Laura de Leers

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Five Star Rated on

    
 
 
       Amazing trip, great guides and great company
My gf and I decided to take a quick trip to the mountains. We look at OAR for whitewater rafting. We called about 9pm and Sarah Beth answered and took our reservation for the next morning. Sarah Beth also ended up being our guide on a half day trip. She talked a lot about being assigned more office duties and spreadsheets versus guiding runs down the river. My gf does not know how to swim so I was a little nervous. Sarah Beth was truly amazing asking at every section of rapids if we want to go big, risky do 360’s take the hard path or easy path. Thankfully my gf agreed to go big every time. We did get completely thrown on the last run of the day and we loved that part of the experience. Sarah Beth should definitely be on the water more whoever makes up the schedule. She knew everyone on the river and had many friends from other companies stopping to talk to her. The 3 other rafts with OAR were also guided by great guides who were a lot of fun, very kind, funny and interacted with the guest so well. I am now trying to schedule a trip with my son and his high school buddy’s for a few days. Thank you Rick and Diana
  
 
     O8735XWrichards 
 04/05/2024
 
 
 
      White Water Rafting, Camping & Hiking
This was my first White Water Rafting trip. As a solo gentleman of 60, I was excited. I camped at their location for 5 days. The showers & restroms were large & clean. The Staff, friendly, accessible and accommodating. I did the Upper & Middle Rafting, along with a tubeing event. All the Guides were professional, explained each persons responsibility and explained Safety in detail. I will use OAR every year. This was a great location for trail hikeing and off road biking. The trails at the 1996 Olympic were fantastic to ride along, and to watch the rafters Also, with their location to Lake Ocoee, I was able to Paddleboard for hours, each day. If you brought your trailered boat, this campground with plenty of room for boat trailer & camping would be a top choice
  
 
     John-Lester G 
 23/03/2024
 
 
 
      Best Honeymoon Adventure Ever!!
In July my husband and I were celebrating our honeymoon in Tenessee, and I had never been whitewater rafting before. Now I can't wait to go back!! we signed up for the daytrip and requested Jon Hall which was the best decision ever! he was so skilled, and just the most fun guide ever, with an incredible blend of experience, immaculate vibes and knock your socks off adventure! It was worth every penny, and we can't wait to visit again for our anniversary and will absolutely be requesting him again! (P.S. the other rafting companies might have exciting pictures on their website, but this place is the real deal!)
  
 
     Jessica S 
 10/01/2024
 
 
 
      Great Weekend Experience
OAR hosted our Men's Retreat this weekend. Good people at OAR treated us like family!The food was great and they didn’t hold back any. they did everything possible to make this a retreat to remember. OAR had many activity options available, but I chose to rest in nature. I look forward to going back again. It was Great!!
  
 
     Michael W 
 16/10/2023
 
 
 
      Best trip of the summer
Best trip of the summer! Staff was fun and professional. Our guide asked what kind of experience we wanted and she delivered.
  
 
     Corey K 
 16/10/2023
 
 
 
      Amazing Men's Retreat at OAR!
OAR hosted our church's Men's Retreat this weekend. What an amazing place to grow closer to the Lord and to fellowship with other brothers. The kind folks at OAR treated us incredibly well. The food was delicious and plentiful; they did everything possible to make this a retreat to remember. OAR had many activity options available, but I chose to go river rafting! The guides were thorough and professional. Their knowledge of the river and equipment made this a safe and exhilarating adventure. Special thanks to my river guide, Tyler, whose skill and antics made this such a fun, exciting and memorable rafting experience.
  
 
     Scott D 
 08/10/2023
 
 
 
      We loved our trip.
We had a great time rafting this weekend! Rodney was a wonderful guide. I highly recommend the trip.
  
 
     Orrin T 
 02/10/2023
 
 
 
      Exciting and fun trip for a first-timer!
One of the most fun things I did the whole time I was in Tennessee! I joined a larger group of rafters as a solo traveler and had so much fun. I felt very safe even though it was my first time rafting, but it was such a blast! Cowboy did a great job guiding us through the rapids and answering all of my questions about the rafting industry and the natural/cultural/industrial history of the area. Wish I had signed up for a longer trip!
  
 
     Clara S 
 28/09/2023
 
 
 
      An absolute blast
Great fun for all ages - our group ranged from 12 to 50+ and everyone had the thrill of a lifetime. Our guide, Jon, was top notch and will definitely plan a return trip one day. OAR had great prices and very easy to book online.
  
 
     Gregory H 
 25/09/2023
 
 
 
      So much fun!
My wife and I went rafting as part of a birthday package I made for my wife. We had the best time with OAR and our guide Charlie! He was ver knowledgeable of the area in general and a very experienced guide on the water. He knew just how to cater to our experience to make it memorable. We will definitely be back with other friends, family, and colleagues!
  
 
     Rainer S 
 18/09/2023

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Outdoor Adventure Rafting

629 Welcome Valley Road
Benton, TN 37307

info@ocoee.com

(423) 338-5746

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