Several of my friends and I went on a whitewater trip the weekend of 9/21/96. The weekend was not as grand as I would have hoped. Not only did we experience car trouble, (which delayed the trip) the whitewater trip did not live up to my expectations. (Which may have been too lofty in the first place.) If you are planning a trip, I would recommend checking to see the raft size that you will be put in. Most places will charge a little extra for a smaller raft, but I feel it is well worth it. This minor detail was overlooked on our trip, and we were put in a 10 person raft. You couldn't feel anything below a class III rapid and the class V's were also a disappointment. I liken the experience to taking speed bumps in a tank. Another thing to check on is if you can get an adventurous guide. Our guide was more like my mother than a guide. I can see where some dangerous rapids should be avoided, but on the other hand, if there is no life threatening danger that a rapid entails, lets hit it and get a little wet! That's what we came here for!
I like taking a class V rapid in a 6 or 8 person raft, for a good balance of safety and fun. (The real adventurous people should use a 4 person raft - that's a real blast.) Although, I must note that we had a rafting newbie with us on this trip who thoroughly enjoyed the class V in a 10 person raft, so maybe it's just me. Probably is.
Anyway, from the rafting trip this past weekend, I have gained the new desire to start kayaking again.