“          I shouldn’t have searched for that, I shouldn’t have searched for that” is most people’s reaction to consulting the internet for any medical symptoms. Even a simple headache can turn into a nasty disease online. The same can apply to rafting: an innocent search for rafting videos can present the nastier river carnage. Don’t panic, though! If you are overwhelmed by the video you watched where the boat is going in ways you never imagined a boat would go and people are swimming everywhere there is something you should know: what you have searched online is probably not the most accurate description of how your rafting trip will go.

          It is not unusual to have costumers tell me they looked up some rafting videos of the Ocoee online and almost didn’t come. In other posts I have mentioned that raft guides are weird and beautiful creatures and if there is one thing they enjoy is to watch river carnage, it is our version of America’s funniest home videos. Eager filmmakers populate the Ocoee riverbanks on a daily basis aiming their camera at the dozens of boats that run the river every day. Throughout the year, those photographers can edit their footage and select only the moments where extreme action happened, like flips, dump trucks, etc. There are usually many swimmers, flooded boats or upside down boats, and an emphatic narration to pump up the spectators and cheering from the bank from the people watching what we like to call “river carnage”.

           Will you be in the next video? That is unlikely. Unless you are a wild rider and you ask your guide for a super wild ride, chances are you are not going to appear in the footage of best river carnage of the year. If you ask for a mild ride and do not want to go crazy in the water, just let your guide know in advance. Just remember, the river is an entity to be respected and there are only two things we can guarantee: you will get wet and you will hear corny jokes. We can try our best to give you the ride you want, but the river has the last word. If you come here scared of the “everything went wrong” scenario you might have seen online, chances are you will be relieved. If you come here excited by the “everything went wrong” scenario you might have seen online, chances are you will be disappointed. Don’t let the internet scare you away. Just come, and have your own experience with the Ocoee river.

by: Laura de Leers