Arts, Music, and Recreation Hobbies & Activities Basic Whitewater Kayaking River Features Know How to Identify Whitewater River Features Share Flipboard Email Print Mike Harrington/The Image Bank/Getty Images Hobbies & Activities Paddling Kayaks Destinations Hiking Fishing Sailing & Boating Scuba Diving Playing Guitar Painting Playing Piano Drawing & Sketching Collecting Gambling Card Games Other Hobbies View More by George Sayour George Sayour is an American Canoe Association–certified kayak instructor. He regularly leads workshops on paddling basics, techniques, and safety. Updated January 02, 2018 Whitewater paddling is obviously an exciting yet dangerous activity. The main concerns lie in the water and the water features themselves. It is therefore crucial that the whitewater kayaker, canoeist, and rafter know not only the terminology for whitewater river features but also how to identify them as well as be able to communicate them to other whitewater paddlers. Here is a list of the most common river features and hazards that whitewater kayakers, canoeists, and rafters must know. Whitewater Classification Rapid Continuous Whitewater Pool Flatwater Wave Wave Train Hole or Recirculation Eddy Drop and Ledge Waterfall Line Very generically, a line in whitewater is the path that the paddler will want to take through any rapid, wave, hole, or other river feature. Continue Reading