Whitewater Paddling Travel Guide
What Is RallyCrew’s Whitewater Paddling Travel Guide?
We’re calling it Paddling Passport!
Whitewater paddling travel is about more than just picking a country or a river. Knowledge of water levels, seasons, and local tips can make a big difference when researching and planning from home. It’s the kind of info you get from chatting with a friend who has already been there. RallyCrew’s Whitewater Paddling Travel Guide is built to help paddlers explore rivers around the world, whether you’re actively planning your next adventure or traveling virtually to learn about new paddling destinations and cultures.
RallyCrew’s Paddling Passport speaker series is the foundation of our paddling travel guide. It connects paddlers with on-the-ground, place-based beta from locals who know their home waters best, making it easier to understand where to paddle, when to go, and what to expect. By tuning in to one of RallyCrew’s Paddling Passport presentations live, watching it on YouTube, or flipping through the slide deck, you get a local perspective on trip planning insights, regional paddling culture, gear considerations, as well as colourful stories from iconic whitewater destinations and the people who know them best. Paddling Passports are designed to help you plan smarter or simply explore new rivers and paddling communities from wherever you are.
How to Plan a Whitewater Paddling Trip
Whether you are after roadside classics or remote packrafting missions, good planning takes the stress out your valuable time on-location. Whitewater paddling travel requires understanding when to go, how to move through a place responsibly, what gear to bring, and how to stay safe while getting the most out of every day on the water. Local tips and tricks can go a long way, and having a local guide you through their home watershed is a special treat.
We want www.rallycrew.com to become the go-to location for paddlers planning trips abroad. All RallyCrew’s Paddling Passport presentations will live here, and in time, will create a digital whitewater paddling guidebook, where you can find all the details from past presentations. In addition to Paddling Passports on specific locations, you can also find more general information, especially for those traveling with a boat for the first time. Topics like:
Choosing a destination based on skill level and season
Understanding water levels, weather, and regional geography
Packing for international paddling trips
Travel logistics, access, and local ethics
(Each of these will link to detailed guides as they’re published.)
Paddling Passport = Local Knowledge from the Source
Paddling Passport is RallyCrew’s speaker series designed to give paddlers direct access to local experts. Each session focuses on a specific destination and covers:
Where to paddle for kayaking and packrafting
What to pack and how to prepare
Travel logistics and off-water considerations
Local paddling culture and community
These sessions are hosted by instructors, guides, outfitters, and experienced local paddlers who live and paddle in the regions they present.
Featured Paddling Passport Destinations
This is your place to explore some of the world’s most exciting whitewater paddling destinations. This section will grow over time, highlighting new locations, expert insights, and cultural stories from paddlers around the globe.
Kayaking and Packrafting in New Zealand – Read the recap, or watch it here.
– Jess Matheson, New Zealand Kayak School
– Hue Miles, Packrafting QueenstownSoutheast Rivers of the US – Coming in February 2026
– Anne Levesque, Mind, Body, PaddleCowboy Whitewater of Alberta – Coming in February 2026
– Simon Coward, AQ Outdoors
As each episode is published, these entries will link directly to a full Paddling Passport recap blog post and Youtube video, giving you insider tips, trip inspiration, and essential beta for planning your own whitewater adventure.
Why Local Knowledge Matters
Guidebooks and internet searches can only get you so far. And ChatGPT can’t tell you what the perfect water, or best season to paddle is. Local knowledge helps paddlers understand changing conditions, avoid common mistakes, and discover rivers and experiences they might otherwise miss. RallyCrew’s Paddling Passport exists to share that knowledge responsibly and build stronger connections within the paddling community.
Stay up to date on the next Paddling Passport by joining RallyCrew, where you’ll find all future Paddling Passports in the Events section.
Join the Whitewater Paddling Travel Community.
Join RallyCrew. It’s Free!
RallyCrew is built for paddlers who want to share stories, learn, progress and connect with the paddlesports community.
Before the next Paddling Passport starts, be sure to create a free RallyCrew profile, and let us know where you want to travel next!
What’s RallyCrew
Like a giant online eddy, RallyCrew is your digital home for whitewater boating: find fellow boaters, plan trips, and discover courses and other events—all in one place.
