Can you go white water rafting in winter? Where to raft in the UK

Yes, you can go white water rafting in winter. Artificial white water courses such as Cardiff International White Water use pumps to create their rapids, so they rely less on rainfall, and centres provide wetsuits, helmets and buoyancy aids to keep you warm and safe. River trips in South Wales run in the colder months too, though they depend on water levels on the day.

Quick picks

• Cardiff International White Water: white water rafting on Cardiff Bay's pumped course, for ages 12 and over
• Cardiff International White Water: family white water rafting on gentler rapids, for ages 6 and over
• Adventures Wales, Porthcawl: a full-day white water rafting trip on a nearby river
• Holme Pierrepont Canoe Club, Nottingham: beginner raft racing sessions on the white water course

What to wear rafting in winter

The centres provide the specialist kit. At Cardiff International White Water, wetsuits, wetsuit boots, helmets and buoyancy aids are included, so you only need swimwear, a towel and a coin for the lockers. Adventures Wales also supplies wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets, and asks you to bring swimwear, a towel and trainers or walking boots to wear in the water.

Holme Pierrepont's club sessions work a little differently: you bring clothing you're happy to get wet that will keep you warm, ideally a wetsuit, plus a pair of trainers. Whichever you book, pack a full set of warm, dry clothes and a hot drink for afterwards, and ask the centre before adding any layers of your own under the kit they provide.

River or artificial course: which is better in winter?

Artificial courses use pumps to create the rapids, so the flow is controlled. Cardiff even turns its pumps down on certain days for family sessions, which is how children as young as six can raft there. That makes an artificial course the more predictable choice in winter, especially if you're booking for a group or a birthday.

Rivers are wilder and more scenic, but they depend on rainfall and river levels. Adventures Wales notes that its rafting is very subject to river conditions, and if the river isn't suitable on the day the session switches to gorge scrambling instead, so read the booking terms first. For the full comparison, see our guide to river rafting vs artificial river rafting.

Cardiff International White Water

Cardiff International White Water, in Cardiff Bay's International Sports Village, is home to South Wales' only white water rafting course. Its standard white water rafting session lasts two hours, including kitting up and a safety briefing, with up to six people per raft, for ages 12 and over. Families with younger children can book family white water rafting on gentler rapids, and over-14s can try mini rafting, steering a two- or three-person raft themselves under instruction from the centre's guides.

Photo: Cardiff International White Water

If you want natural white water, the centre also runs a River Usk white water rafting trip for over-14s, with transport from Cardiff and all the kit provided. See our Cardiff International White Water spotlight and our guide to things to do in Cardiff.

Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham

Holme Pierrepont Canoe Club is based at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham and runs raft racing on the white water course. The beginner raft racing sessions are led by club coaches and GB club paddlers, and mix time on the flat water with runs down the white water course, teaching you to control a raft as a team. They're for ages 14 and over, and you'll need to be a club member or take out a temporary membership.

Already have a crew? Teams can book a Friday raft racing session together. Find more to do nearby on our Nottingham page.

Adventures Wales, Porthcawl

Adventures Wales runs guided outdoor days from Porthcawl, including gorge scrambling, paintball and white water rafting. The rafting is a full day: you meet at the centre, collect your wetsuit, buoyancy aid and helmet, then follow your instructor by car to a river about 25 minutes away for a safety briefing and three or four descents. You'll need your own transport to the river.

Photo: Adventures Wales

Make a weekend of it with our pages on Porthcawl and outdoor activities in Cardiff, Porthcawl and Bridgend.

FAQ

Is white water rafting safe in winter?

Rafting with a recognised centre is guided, and you'll get a safety briefing, a wetsuit, a helmet and a buoyancy aid before you go on the water. You need to be confident in and around water. If conditions aren't safe, operators change or move the session.

What should I bring for winter white water rafting?

Swimwear, a towel, old trainers or other footwear that can get wet, and warm clothes for afterwards. Centres such as Cardiff International White Water provide wetsuits, wetsuit boots, helmets and buoyancy aids.

What age can you go white water rafting?

It depends on the session. At Cardiff International White Water, family rafting is for ages 6 and over, standard rafting for 12 and over, and mini rafting and the River Usk trip for 14 and over. Holme Pierrepont's raft racing sessions are for ages 14 and over.

More to read

New to rafting? Read white water rafting grades explained, then take your pick from the best spots for white water rafting in the UK.

Plan your next adventure on eola

Rafting, gorge walking, indoor surfing and plenty more: search for activities near you and book online on the eola marketplace.