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Action Whitewater Adventures
Categories: Active Life Rafting/Kayaking Education Educational Services Rafting/Kayaking, Educational Services [Edit]
6260 Hwy 49Lotus, CA 95651
(888) 922-8466
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
About This Business:
One-half to 4-day guided whitewater rafting adventures. Since 1979 we have been running rivers through out California. From wild to mild, we have a… read more »
53 reviews for Action Whitewater Adventures
53 reviews in English
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Review from Falon J.
West Menlo Park, CA
Updated - 8/29/2011
Another great rafting trip with Action Whitewater Adventures!
I booked a trip with them last year and this year was just as great as last years trip. We went on the full river trip down the south fork (with lunch included). The lunch was very tasty. A full deli spread, fruit, chips and cookies. There was more than enough food for everyone!
Our guide Hank was awesome! He was funny and made sure we had a great time. AWA has much higher standards when hiring guides than some of the other rafting companies I've seen. There rafts, vests and helmets are new or at least not faded and torn like some of the other rafters we saw that day.
It's unfortunate for the people who weren't able to book. Having said that, AWA is only allotted a certain number of permits which allows them to go down the river. (I know because I was asking the guides.) If you wait until the end of the season of course they are going to be sold out!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/23/2010
Went on our first white water rafting trip this weekend and we had a blast! The owner Chris was… Read more »
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Review from Andy D.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012
We bought the deal on Trubates. Booked the trip, got a hotel for 2 nights in Folsom. As we were heading up there from SF for the weekend they canceled the trip so we were stuck with a hotel in Folsom for 2 nights. Maybe that's not their fault, but when we tried back to rebook they never picked up. We kept trying and trying, email and phone and no response. Trubates eventually decided they agreed with us that they were unreachable and refunded us the rafting voucher cost, but we were still stuck in Folsom for 2 nights without rafting.
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Review from Connie K.
Union City, CA
9/15/2011
There are so many rafting companies, there is no need to book this place!!!! Go somewhere else.
We took a day off for this trip, woke up at 4:30am, drove 2.5 hours in order to get there sharp at 7:45, because we were threatened that if we are not on time, they will leave. And guess what?? We were abandoned!
no one ever came, and when we wanted to call them, there was no signal around, there was no way to reach them! We waited for 3.5 hours and left for nothing! There were people from another group who told us that they were not picked up for the second time! How horrible!!! -
Review from Kate Z.
San Francisco, CA
8/20/2011
I'm in the same boat as Tracy P. (ha)
I bought vouchers from Groupon and tried to book a trip last week. Like Tracy, I was told they're completely booked for the season - no, it's not even a matter of weekends being booked - there's NOTHING. They said they will not honor vouchers at the next available booking date (next year), and refused to refund the purchase price of the Groupon vouchers. Their customer service was curt and completely unhelpful. I am extremely frustrated and disappointed by my experience with Action Whitewater Adventures. -
Review from vinh p.
Davis, CA
7/12/2011
PRO
Guide - our guide was very nice and helpful, he even took his time to tell jokes and try to cheer up a grumpy little girl we had on our raft. If the review was for him, it would be 5 stars for sure.
CON
Customer Service - It does not feel like anyone is in charge. No one came around to tell us what we were supposed to do. There are many guides standing around, but they blend in so you really can not tell who is a guide and who is just another adventure seeker. You really don't know who is in charge until you actually get in your raft. Then you'll realize, oh wait, this person is my guide...
My suggestion is for them to designated someone nice to meet and greet customers, brief them on safety, tell them where to go, where to rent equipment, and scheduled times. It would round out the experience a lot more. -
Review from Kendra K.
Union City, CA
7/7/2011
Had such a great time. The staff was super friendly and lots of fun. It's actual the staff and your raft leader who makes the trip worth wild.
We had JO - he was super cool.
A few rafting tips:
1. Don't bring your sunlasses unless you have an attachment band
2. You don't need to carry anything with you in the raft - just enjoy the ride - they provide everything
3. Get wet shoes - it's better than walking around in soggy sneakers all day.
4. Bring a change of clothes - this place has a shower so bring your shower stuff if you'd like.
5. Don't leave anything that'll melt in the car. It gets super hot over there.
6. Get there early so you don't miss the bus that takes you down to the river.
7. Bring money to tip your guides. They work really hard and deserve the tip.
Looking forward to the next trip! -
Review from R H.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2011
I'll start with the good stuff
*Great location to raft
*Awesome guides - Kelsey was super
Unfortunately that's it for the good stuff.
Bad stuff
*Has anyone here ever heard of customer service?
*Waited around from 8:30 until 11:45....YES people, we were told to arrive at 8:30 "don't be late" and got in the water at 11:45
*No one seemed to know what was going on, what's the plan, are we supposed to grab life vests yet, what are we waiting for etc etc.
*Just no damn leadership, no one stepping up to say why we were waiting, everyone seemed confused.
Honestly, if someone would have at least said "sorry, it's taking so long", "we don't usually make people wait 3 hours to get started" I would have been more sympathetic....MAYBE
Lots of other companies in the area....I hear ARR is good. Try another outfitter for sure. This place sucked. You'll be waiting around for lunch too. -
Review from Elizabeth V.
San Jose, CA
8/25/2011
I bought a living social deal for this outfitter $60. We rafted the South Fork Upper Chili Bar Section. This was my 4th time rafting the other times I used All-Outdoors Rafting.
Pros
- Prices Include Tax (it sucks when you pay so much to raft then they hit you with the usage fee on top of what you already put in)
- Lunch Was included (Again some other companies charge extra for lunch)
- Our guide Mo was really chill (I think she was a floater guide though)
- NEW gear (if it isn't new it is well taken care of)
- They didn't make us carry the rafts (the last thing you want to do after rafting is carry a heavy a** raft up a hill back to the camp area)
- Easy booking to use vouchers
Cons
- The paper work told us to meet there at 8:30 for the Upper Section and we didn't end up heading to the put in point until about 2 hours later....no need to be that early
- When we got there no one really told us what was going on or where to report to
I am giving this place 4 stars. I would give 3.5 if I could but the easy of scheduling, the guide, and no additional fees will allow me to round up rather then down.
I also bought another yelp deal for Beyond Limits for South Fork and they tacked on an additional $8 for river use fees and there is NO lunch. This was definitely the better deal.
Advice
- Sunblock
- Hat
- Shoes (real shoes are better than water shoes)
- Don't wear socks
- Bring a towel to rinse in their showers after if you want
- Sunglasses if you have one of those strings that holds them on if you fall out
- Take some Ibuprofen after I was so sore especially my butt from sitting on the raft for so long
- I like to wear shorts, a tank top and my swimsuit under -
Review from Majileen C.
Daly City, CA
8/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place should be called AWESOME Whitewater Adventures! AWA!
From the moment I arrived I was knots in my stomach, might even pee in my shorts nervous!
The company provided wetsuits at $20 each rental. Do they sanitize them after they've been worn? I really don't know! Sorry I forgot to ask. But I swear I saw one of the guides throw them into a huge bucket of some kind of liquid.
And of course you will be provided with life vests and helmets!
My friends and I rode a 25 minute old looking school bus to get to the beginning of our full day adventure through the rapids! We were told to be there by 9:30AM because the bus leaves at 10! But we got lost on our way there so they cut us some slack! THANKS! =)
Joel was our amazingly, knowledgeable and super fun guide! He knew all of the names of each scary rapid! He made sure we had the most fun possible during our raft experience, from playing tag on the raft, to riding on the front edge of the raft, to swimming in the rapids when he knew it was safe to do so!
TIPS:
#1 Tip: Follow what your guide tells you! =)
Bring a pair of swim shoes. Walking barefoot around the shore filled w/ sharp rocks sucks!
Wear Sunblock!
Wear sunglasses! Not only does it help reduce glare from sun but helps when water splashes on your face. But make sure they're tied to some string/lanyard around your neck!
Tip your guides!
What an experience! I will definitely do this again!!! Thanks to Joel! -
Review from Johanna L.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Having gone rafting twice before with different companies (ie, http://gotwhitewater.com, etc.) and having been a former capsizing survivor, I wasn't in a rush to go again. Then the Trubates deal emerged, and while I was too shy to pull the trigger on buying it on my own, I caved after some encouragement and prodding from my friends. Fast forward to a month later after earning a spot on Sunday, 7/17. Myself and 7 others headed up to Lotus from the bay the night before and camped out on their very own grounds (definitely recommended) so that we wouldn't have to trek up Sunday morning.
Waking up to go rafting after a night of camping was somewhat rough, but drinking a 5 hour energy drink (not recommended) and taking that bumpy, windy road bus drive to the river was even worse. Even though we were gunning for Joe as our guide, we ended up with JoeL - a cat from New Zealand with a penchant for impersonating an "American" accent via a Southern drawl. He did this trick where he had us close our eyes and then open them right as a rapid attacked us (likes this).
But for his grand finale, in the process of looking for 2 people who fell out of rafts, we capsized! Not that cool in the moment since the raft flipped and we didn't know where half of our group went, but in retrospect it was a good time and made the trip more exciting. You can actually see part of it here: http://www.youtube.com...
Some tips:
- wet shoes, so necessary (cheap ones at CVS or Big 5, easy)
- wetsuit: I didn't want to fork up $20 and was fine in the water, but half of my group did rent and didn't regret it
- camp either the night before your rafting tour or the night after
Also, I guess when a guide flips over they have to get the rest of the AWA crew beers. We one upped them when we went home and left the crew with an entire pack of beers that we didn't want to haul back to SF. Thanks Joel, Joe, AWA, and Trubates for making this trip happen! Hope you enjoyed the warm brews we left behind.. -
Review from CeCe C.
Citrus Heights, CA
8/3/2011
Went to Action Whitewater Adventures this past weekend... What a GREAT Experience !!!!
Signing up, was easy. Dylan was fast and friendly over the e-mail getting me all set up and ready to go....
Directions were good... of course like anything else.. you could miss it if your not looking were your going... apon arrivng met with Dylan to turn in paperwork....
They had morning snacks of chips and fruit and water.... to make sure no one was hungry before we left....
Josh o. gave instructions about where to get your life jacket and helment... how to correctly wear them... lol then we got on the bus to head up river to start our day........ When we got to the river... Josh O. went over rafting instructions as well as guide assigments were given.. I got BEN (from New Zeland) what a GREAT GUIDE!!!! !!!!
Snacks midway down were Oranger Slices, Carrots & Celery with Peanut Butter & Ranch.. BEN pulled them out when we much needed that boost of engery!!!!!!
Lunch was exactly what i expected, sandwiches.... what i did not expect (last trip with different company, SUCKED) was a COLD fresh deli style with all kinds of choices in meat, cheese and toppings!!!! SUPER JOB!!!!! Chips, fruit, cookies!! served with Lemonaide and water.... of course if i wanted something else... I could of brought it and had it in my car...
Thanks again for a SUPER TIME!!!! I did this trip on my own and will be doing so again!!!! Can't wait to get back.....
BEN, thanks again!!!! you really made the trip AWESOME!!!! had fun riding on the front of the raft.... WOW :D -
Review from Jan S.
Aiea, HI
6/19/2011
What a great time!!!!
Thank goodness for the LivingSocial coupon, this was a great deal. We camped at the rafting site and that was a deal as well. The rafting experience was organized, the guides were professional and fun. We didn't fall out of the boat, but had a nice story of almost flipping over.
Good times!
The lunch wasn't anything to brag about though. The junky chips and cookies were nothing special and the buffet style sandwiches were okay, but the fresh watermelon and grapes were awesome and the perfect snack after rafting.
Would definitely go with them again.
Thanks AWA! -
Review from peggy w.
San Leandro, CA
9/15/2011
Judging by the reviews, looks like it's a hit or miss? But for a rafting trip, it is a huge waste of time if it turns out to be a "miss", so I suggest you to not take the chance and go some place that's more reliable.
It sucked for my group because we booked our trip but didn't get to go.
We started emailing AWA in July to set the date for our trip. They were pretty prompt with their responses and we eventually scheduled for 9/9. We got a pdf file from them detailing what we need to fill out and what we need to bring. The last email we got from them was a week before the trip, telling us that we need to be there at 8am sharp.
The day came and we were there at 8am. There're several other groups waiting with us. Then we waited. No one showed up, no one called us. We called them and no one answered (the voice msg said their phone is down). We all waited until around noon and figured that even if they showed up then, we would not go because we scheduled for a whole day trip, not a half day.
We were pissed because we all took a day off from work, only to wake up at 5:30am, drive 2.5 hours, and wait 4 hours in our car for nothing. It's our only rafting trip this year and since it's so late in the year, we won't be able to go until next year.
I emailed AWA and the response was quick. He said he contacted our guide and was sorry that we did not get to go (didn't say why our guide ditched us though). Because we got our deal through LivingSocial so he said we should be able to get our refund from LS. I don't even think this place deserve a 1-star if not for his prompt response. -
Review from Tracy P.
Aptos, CA
8/20/2011
I am giving one star because I can't give NO stars. I purchased vouchers for full day rafting trips (2), and now I'm told that the season is booked and I can't use them. Soooooo I totally wasted a lot of money on a business that can't deliver what they offer. Just be warned, if you ever make the same mistake I did and buy a voucher for THIS company, than call and book your trip IMMEDIATELY or else just throw your money out the window....
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Review from Ali A.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2011
I regretted that I ignored Yelp's previous 1-star reviews on their horrendous punctuality(by punctuality I mean no show) or customer service.
We purchased a deal on Living Social for a rafting trip on Middle Fork with this company. When we called Action Whitewater Adventures to redeem the voucher, we were told that there were not enough people/water is not good and our options would be to accept a downgrade(no refund) or try next year.
We accepted the downgrade and arrived at our appointment at the agreed upon time, which is 8am. We waited from 8am till noon, because it wasn't easy for for all of us to schedule a day off, drive hours to the destination; plus we heard on Yelp that some parties had waited from 8am and they showed up close to noon. But no, nobody showed up for us and of course the company was not reachable by phone.
At night they finally emailed us, they said they are sorry, but there's nothing they can do at this time and let's reschedule NEXT YEAR.
This is one of the most unpleasant experience from start to finish. If you are debating whether to book here, I recommend that you go somewhere else; by all the 1-star reviews on this company, it doesn't look like we are the only ones. -
Review from Jaime S.
San Francisco, CA
2/11/2011
I. had. the time of my lifeeeeeee. and i owe it all the AWA! haha probably a slight exaggeration, but I really had such a good time when I went back in August 2010.
AWA really took care of my group of 6 people, and made sure we were having fun throughout the route. Chris, the owner, came out to meet my group in a very friendly and accommodating manner. He explained the whole process, took us out to a local sandwich shop for some fuel before he headed out.
The whitewater rafting itself was different than I expected. I think we were on Level III rapids... and it was a little too tame for my taste. The instructors were understanding, and I think they even tried to add to the intensity of the drops with their paddles on multiple occasions. (Did I mention they had Kiwi accents?! It was really soothing and nice to hear.. "yeea, yeea. all right.") They surprised us with snacks and fresh fruit at the end of the trip too! NO other rafting company does this. Trust. The other people with other companies were staring at our pineapples, chips, pretzels, berries, cookies, you name it - enviously.
We swam in the river for fun, enjoyed the warmth of the sun and ended the trip on a happy note. Everyone in my group was thrilled with their experience - especially since it was our first whitewater rafting experience. I am definitely going back right when the ice melts to catch stronger rapids.
To sum it all up: GREAT for large groups, GREAT for families, GREAT way to have a good time!! -
Review from Valeria B.
San Francisco, CA
8/4/2011
The only reason I gave 1 star was b/c we had a fantastic guide (Josh). Otherwise, the organization sucks to work with.
We bought one of those Living Social coupons for both me and my husband. All booked on Middle Fork- super excited about our trip! Until they called us 5 days before to tell us they overbooked (by 70 people!!) so they were cancelling our trip. Huh? After many emails & calls later, we got back on the trip (we were constrained by flights and couldn't change the trip)
THEN, we go rafting on the SOUTH Fork (b/c they weren't running Middle), which we were told beforehand and we had been promised a refund of the difference ($20/ person). When we went to get our refund, she said we were entitled to only $5/ person b/c "food and gas prices had gone up." HUH?!?! How does that even make sense? So, the people who paid $80 for the same trip, paid $80, but I have to pay $95? When I tried to explain to Dylan how that totally made no sense, she basically talked to me like I was an idiot and said that she was not budging. Fortunately, when I talked to Living Social, they agreed with me and refunded the money (Action Adeventures- Take note of GREAT customer service!)
So, like another review said, if this review were for the guide, it would be 5 stars. If you're looking forward to a relaxing, fun, easy camping/ rafting trip, don't book with Action. There are so many more companies that are organized and professional. Go with them. -
Review from B c.
San Bruno, CA
11/15/2011
It looks like this place is for sale. Maybe the new owners will be better.
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Review from David O.
8/23/2010
Alright, so basically this trip was a BLAST. It was serene, relaxing, exciting, and exhilarating all at the same time. Yes, I know some of those are in conflict with others, but whatever, it was a lot of fun!!
The guides were awesome. Kiwis they were, for the most part. I totally felt like I was in an episode of Flight of the Conchords and Bret, err Jermaine..errr.... I mean Jess, was our guide/navigator.
I noticed right away the raft with the frightened middle aged women were navigated through the more calm areas of the river, while our more adventurous group got more of what we wanted- ACTION. It's called Action Whitewater, right??
Anyway our guide had us rowing into rapids, drops, and straight into rocks! It was AWESOME. We got soaked. We bounced off rocks. People were ejected left and right.
This might seem dangerous, but it was completely safe as were thoroughly instructed how to react if we went into the water and how to help if others went into the water. If you aren't down with that you could always ride with cougars and take the "It's a Small World" version.
I told Chris, the owner, that I came in with no expectations since the last time I went rafting was like when I 6, but the 5 hours on the water flew by so quick it only had to be because I was having such a good time. This is totally something you have to try once. DO it!Listed in: Get out of your rut
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Review from Viet P.
San Leandro, CA
9/17/2010
Thanks to Living Social, I was able to experience white water rafting through an awesome company, at a discounted price! Almost anything becomes exponentially better when it's free or discounted!
When you go rafting, this is the type of business you want to deal with. Chris, the owner, was very professional in my contacts by phone and e-mail and he was prompt and helpful. All of the AWA staff were professional and they were there to make sure you had fun, and to steer the raft of course. Shout out to our guide Kelsey who was proficient in guiding us and was fun to hang out with. She did a good job controlling our rowdy, argumentative, and hostile raft. A lot of that anger was mainly directed at one guy who kept stroking and paddling at the wrong time (that's what she said).
Lunch was very filling and delicious, none of that cheap one dollar store bread, this was the real deal! It was do it yourself sandwich station which they set up, there were even avocados! (I'm allergic, but nice to know I had the option).
The river had its mellow spots, which gave people the opportunity to splash each other with freezing cold river water utilizing our paddles. And if you didn't want to splash your enemies with water, you could just spray them in the face from the pressurized pump of the gun.
The whole day was very satisfying, except for one part where I fell into the river, which I blame on the faulty raft which couldn't control itself on a rapid. Go with AWA, you won't regret it! -
Review from cristina w.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
AWESOME TIME! :) See below for 1) our experience 2) great tips 3) things to note 4)shout-outs.
My friends and I love to get together every month and are always looking for something new and fun. We found the AWA deal on living social and bought it. We decided to go yesterday 7/30.
Coming from SF - we decided to stay in Sac Friday night and drive in early Saturday. Got up early, organized paperwork, and waited for the day to start. This was a must - driving in day-of would have been a disaster.
When things were ready to get going - Harvey our instructor talked to the crowd about safety etc., we got our vests and helmets, got on the bus and started on our adventure.
The 6 of us stayed together on one raft, with our instructor. If you can have a perfect size group of your friends (in our case 6) this enhances the experience. We chatted, laughed and had a great time with our guide. He was awesome, sharing stories, leading attacks on other boats (water wars ;)), and maintaining the tone through-out the day.
Lunch wasn't a 5 star course meal at the Ritz, but exactly what should be expected for a day out at the river- sandwiches, chips, watermelon, water.
There are great tips on most reviews already - but here are mine:
-waterproof clothing is a must - my one piece swimsuit and waterproof swim-shorts were awesome and easy to peel off after the end of the day.
-water-proof shoes - get at target or walmart, cheap and easy and doesn't take long to dry.
-water disposable camera - we didn't get one, but wish we had. It could have enhanced the experience. We got the photos @ the end of the day but could have gotten some cool POV shots.
-enjoy the experience - have fun, let loose and enjoy the moment, and enjoy your guide, especially if you do the full day route. They become your buddy-in-crime and it personalizes the experience.
-constantly apply sunscreen - a full day out in the sun, 3 applications, and I still got nice and red (can't wait for it to turn into a tan - keke.)
One last note for the complainers, -opps mean critics. :):
-the guides have to make the day happen - they are loading and unloading the rafts at both locations. The also have to ensure the rafts are ready and secure so they are doing safety checks, etc. There are a lot of logistics involved, so before and after the experience give them a break if they can't wait on you or hold your hand. This may require waiting around. They do a general group overview at the beginning and explain, so listen. :)
-The reason they want you there early is so you are not LATE. Nothing worse than a late group who slows it down for everyone else. :)
-You own the experience too - don't expect it to be given to you, take it. :)
Great work team AWA. You guys are all fun, sharing your "office space" and working together to give us an incredible experience. Shout-out to team Harvey and the river bitches! :)
good times. xo! -
Review from Eileen Z.
8/21/2010
My first white water rafting and I had an AWESOME time with AWA in the American River. Our 1 day excursion started at 12 pm and rafted until 4-5 pm. I gotta say, by the end of the day, you'll get a good tan and will feel GREAT.
First we were given a short training about the safeties and what-ifs of rafting in the rapids. After putting on our PFDs (personal floatation device) and helment and grabbed our paddles- we were off to the river. We practiced a couple of drills and then we were off to our excursion. I came in a group of 10 so we got split up: I was on a raft with 3 other girls and our guide. Since we had the fewest number on our raft, we were also carrying lunch and water coolers for our lunch break! (included in the package).
Our company had about 5 rafts so we all rafted together from class 1-3 rapids. Water guns were also included in the raft so we had a chance to have water fights every now and then with the other rafts. We are also allowed to jump into the river for a swim or to cool off whenever the guide says it's okay. OVERALL, it was a great experience and I would love to raft with AWA again in the future.
Some useful stuff to bring:
- swim suits (tho you can wear anything comfortable over your suit)
- SUNBLOCK
- chapstick with SPF
- towel
- waterproof camera (altho there are professional photographer that will take 2 different shots in 2 different rapids/ gorge that you rafted in but you'll have to pay for those photos...)
- shoes! (watershoes, sneakers, sandels with straps, NO flip flops, NOR crocs)
- water bottle
Shout out to our guide, like most of the guides at AWA was a 23 year old Kiwi (New Zealander), Leela (spelling). Leela was so fit, as like the other guides! and very nice to talk to. As long as you listen to the guide's calls- you won't get thrown off the raft. -
Review from Jennifer H.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2010
We had a great time with Action Whitewater Adventures this weekend! I would definitely raft with them again.
We went up with a group of 7 people for a birthday celebration, and had a very memorable, unique weekend. Chris was very accommodating of our last minute plans, and we were in very good hands. They are one of the only companies that use 12' boats instead of 14' boats, so the river is more fun. Every guide was knowledgable, the food was tasty, and we had a blast. If you like the water, sun, fun, and good company, don't think twice about using this family owned company. What more can you ask for in a weekend on the water??
Just remember your sunscreen! Now go book that trip! -
Review from Stef D.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/5/2010
Tried out Action White Water Adventure because of the Livingsocial deal, and they turned out great! This company is easily worth the full price.
Unlike other companies, they provided helmets, and good ones too. They also provided:
*personal flotation devices, paddles, water launchers and water on the boat
* a delicious lunch consisting of sandwich making goodies (turkey, ham, cheeses, avocado, lettuce, bell peppers, mayo, pickles, onions, and PB&J for the non adventurous,) chips, cookies, lemon aid and water
*a jetski tow down the flat portion of the river at the end (right when you don't want to paddle any more!)
*cold drinks at the end of the trip with a bus back to our cars
Our tour guide Geni (not sure I spelled her name right, we were calling her G) was super fun and knowledgeable. She made us feel safe without being condescending (we've all experiences those tour guides.) The entire group of guides seemed to enjoy their jobs and have fun with their boat. We played games to fall in the water, had water fights with other boats, were given chances to jump in the water during mellow spots, and had a generally great time. Because it was the end of the season, the rapids were not so rapid, but our tour guide still made it a great trip!
The guides were taking pictures with water proof cameras that will be on their facebook fan page, and I'm looking forward to seeing those. There were also two photo companies taking pictures at two spots, so rafters could buy those photos as well.
In short, we had a great trip and a great guide and we will definitely be using this company again! -
Review from William R.
Laguna Beach, CA
7/30/2011
Let's just say, this company makes it an epic adventure down the American River. Friendly staff, awesome Kiwi guides that are both funny and professional (i.e. keep your raft upright) if that is what you like with beautiful surroundings, plus a great river lunch. Highly recommend.
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Review from Sarah F.
San Rafael, CA
7/17/2011
Loved everything about our rafting weekend. Went with a group of 22 people and everyone had an incredible time. The guides were all extremely laid back and friendly. Ben was our guide and honestly I think our boat had the most fun. He made sure we saw a lot of action, was extremely skillful with the boat, and was super funny and friendly, which made even the quiet parts of the river fun. We will for sure all be heading back next year. Thanks Ben! :)
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Review from Lindsay G.
Folsom, CA
7/11/2011
Great company, professional, and easy to book and deal with. Just email them-its much easier! The South Fork full day trip was super fun for rafters of all abilities! And trust me, we had "all abilities!" (By the way, consider learning to swim before you embark on a Whitewater adventure! )
We went on a 90+ degree day in early July and wetsuits were not necessary for anybody who has ever been in a river of snowmelt before. Though they did a good job of "selling" the need for a wetsuit for an extra $20 pp of easy profit, I swam wherever the rapids whenever possible sans wetsuit and clearly did not need the seal suit. This was a minor annoyance, nothing more.
Our guide was awesome and lunch was probably one of the best lunches I have had in several months on or off a river. Rapids were sweet, transportation to and from the river was prompt and functional (think WWII school buses, though they somehow made it up and down the hills!)
They do have a wacky rule about no sunscreen or water bottles on the river due to "litter." That's nice that you want to preserve the river, from San Francisco tourists who don't pick up after themselves, but don't punish those who apply sunscreen and hydrate properly because you are afraid that somebody might accidentally drop a sunscreen container or water bottle that might flow downstream and end up with all the drunk hillbillies boating in Folsom Lake. We had some burnt faces and shoulders as we were unable to reapply.
I'll deal with a little sunburn for a trip as awesome as this was! We'll be back again next year...this time filling our raft with friends to avoid the aforementioned "all abilities" issue! -
Review from Crystal S.
Roseville, CA
10/19/2011
First of all, let me begin by saying, this company BITES!!!! DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!!!! If I could give this company "No Stars" I would definitely do it.
As an avid whitewater rafter, I was thrilled to buy discount trips through Living Social and Groupon as I raft frequently which can get expensive. Thank God, both companies refunded my money.
Trying to contact Action was a dilemma in itself. The phone message states to send an email as the phone service is "experiencing difficulties". So, I sent an email requesting available dates to run the Middle Fork of the American River. Waited, waited and waited some more... Finally a return email two weeks later listing the dates available on the South Fork ONLY when I clearly stated we had purchased the vouchers for the Middle Fork. I emailed back and gave them the dates plus secondary dates we wanted. Waited, waited and waited some more as we watched both dates pass by with no response. Finally after three more weeks of waiting, I received an email stating they only were able to run on Wednesdays.... Nowhere in either voucher did Action relay that info. Sent a return email stating we could not run a Wednesday asking for weekend options with new dates. AGAIN NOTHING!!!! I started researching the company and could not find any indication they even had the appropriate permits/ license's to run the Middle Fork. Immediately I think, "Pirate Runs". Sent an email to Action AGAIN letting them know I was VERY unhappy with their lack of customer service in response to emails and phone calls and questioning their lack of a viable permit. Got a very snippy email back from "Dylan" stating they do have a permit, etc. Continued to research through CA Parks and Rec, Water Reclamation Board, etc. Never did find a permit....
This company has offered vouchers through Groupon, Living Social and Fox Frugal Fridays. They are understaffed, unreliable and will leave you "at the curb" without a second thought.
Do yourself a favor and find a different rafting company as there are plenty of them to choose from. Whitewater Voyages is GREAT as is OARS.
At all costs, AVOID Action Whitewater Rafting ~ your blood pressure will thank you..... -
Review from Steve T.
San Francisco, CA
8/9/2010
Overall Experience top-notch! Had a great time rafting with these guys this past weekend. The owner Chris is a great guy who really cares about providing a really great experience for his customers. After rafting with other companies, I really appreciated the non-corporate style that Chris utilizes in running AWA!
Also shout out to Rob our raft guide. This guy is pretty awesome and down to earth and definitely knows what he is doing.
If you are going to raft in the American River, you can not go wrong with Action Whitewater Adventures! -
Review from Barbara M.
Benicia, CA
8/8/2011
Amazing day on the river. Lindsey was our guide and she was awesome. We were all new comers to white water rafting and some of us a little nervous. She made our day something we will never forget. It was so worth it. It's run by amazing people who love the river and want all of us to experience the thrill and beauty. Lindsey was amazing and we had so much fun, loved every minute sorry the day is over.
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Review from Mike L.
Rodeo, CA
8/13/2011
You get what you pay for! I dont think this company knows whats going on. They gave us 15 minutes to get ready in the am to leave on the bus and when i showed them the paper they sent us saying a 1 hr later start time i got a lame answer.The camp ground was on a hill and uncut weeds all over.The only reason i will give one star is the guide was great .We rafted with another company friday good service,great camp spot. Tribtuary Whitewater ***** The Ladies room had no T.P. and the showers were so hot you got burned on top of your sun burn! They had no direction what so ever on what to do and where to go! The 1 good thing i can say was they took us in to town for lunch the 1st day to the River shack- AWESOME SANDWICHES!!!! Our guide was Josh from New Zealand really great and atleast he knew what he was doing. Great guide but very disappointed in AWA! Thumbs down!!
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Review from Vanessa H.
San Diego, CA
6/12/2011
Dear harvey, you are awesome! So is the entire staff! Everyone takes good care of you and you get a yummy lunch. Not only do the guides take you on the river,they also provide snacks and make you lunch! As they say, its not a disneyland ride and its not a resort. The people who wrote bad reviews should go somewhere else because they dont deserve the great service of this place.
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Review from Denise M.
Alhambra, CA
8/1/2011
Our rafting day was Sunday, July 24. We had a great experience from start to finish. The start was the quick e-mail replies from Dylan (who is so sweet and nice!--thanks, Dylan!). Then we camped at the AWA site the night before the trip and the night after the trip. I was prepared to get a wetsuit, but glad I didn't. Of course, I say this as one of the 3 out of 8 people who didn't get thrown into the river... but the splashing water was very refreshing on a 90+ degree day. Our guide was Jim ("Jungle Jim"), who was one of the non-Kiwi guides. He was very able, especially dealing with the fact that we had four guys in the boat from 215 to 265 pounds each, plus himself and three women. This caused us to get stuck on a few boulders and to actually have our raft get punctured. All of this just made the day more exciting. Be sure to stick around for the second half of the all-day trip. The gorge is the best part of the trip!
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Review from Kristen M.
San Jose, CA
8/9/2010
I went on a trip just yesterday and I had an amazing time! I went with a group of 8 and I can definitely say we had a blast going with this company. We all went with a pair of living social vouchers so this trip was definitely worth the money we paid and even more.
Pros
+young talented guides: The guides were all young and fit and have many many years of boating experience. I would have to say the guides were all less than 30 years old if not younger. They were cool to chill with and carried themselves very well amongst the whole group. I was in Dan's boat and he was a cool guy and was very knowledgeable.
+food: They had a sandwich deli style lunch right before you hit all the "hard core" rapids. They had a good selection of things to put on your sandwich and also provided you us with small snacks as well. They also provided chilled beverages at the end of our boating trip.
+boats: I liked our boat we were in. Our boat seemed a little more rugged and fun to be on as opposed to the older companies who had smaller boats.
+Equipment: the equipment we used was very stylish and cool I thought. They also seemed relatively new compared to a lot of the other rafting companies.
+the owner: Chris is the owner of the company. He was very professional and courteous over the phone and through the emails that he sent. He is also very accommodating of other guest and even for last minute request.
Cons:
Don't have any.
Overall if you are looking for a rafting company to go with go with this one. You will definitely have the time of your life. -
Review from justine k.
Union City, CA
8/29/2010
after having to deal with the mess that the whole livingsocial/pirate rafting deal created, it was a pleasant surprise to work with action whitewater adventures. the owner, chris, was very professional both on the phone and in e-mail! we must have e-mailed each other back and forth 10 times, and each time he was quick, thorough, and extremely friendly.
the day of rafting was excellent. all the guides are so nice and helpful. ours was named leela and she was exceptionally knowledgeable and kind! she definitely made the experience less intimidating for my parents and aunt who came with me. when it came to lunchtime, we were served an amazing spread of sandwich making ingredients, fresh fruit cut up all fancy, chips, water and lemonade, and cookies! and no it wasn't just whack generic stuff. they got the good meats, good cheeses, good breads! they brought an array of fresh veggies for the sandwiches, and even scooped out avocados for us! they also brought peanut butter and jelly.
can you tell how excited i was about the food? haha. but anyway... the rafting was really really fun!! they had water guns for us to have water fights with the other boats too!! my mom went crazy with that. hahahah. when it came to all the bigger rapids, leela always prepared us to take them on.
in the end, they also provided us with soda or water to drink on the bus ride back to our cars.
overall, excellent service. everyone was kind, professional, and on time! plus the food was great. haha. i would absolutely recommend this company to anyone looking for a good rafting experience!!
ps: they also own a waterproof digital camera and we took a couple pictures of each other while the water was calm. where do those pictures end up? i should ask. -
Review from anne l.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2011
I just got back from a trip with Action Whitewater, and I was so utterly disappointed with the company that I had to write a review. Poorly run, disorganized and inconsiderate are words that come to mind. I would suggest going with another company when you plan to head up to the American River for rafting.
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Review from Laura S.
Burlingame, CA
9/14/2011
This is a great place! Those of you who had problems with disorganization, I agree that the booking process is not as smooth as it could be -- still, most of their organization problems stem from people who are booking who constantly change the number of people in their party and the dates they are free (like us). The best remedy against this is to just get your party set before you book, and then book at least 6 weeks ahead of time.
As far as the actual rafting goes, it doesn't get much better than this. We did the full day and even though it was only Class 2 and 3 rapids, we had an awesome time -- our guide Ben had us stand up in the boat / spin the boat around really fast / ride the front of the boat like a bull -- while we were going through rapids. Ben has a lot of experience rafting much worse stuff back in New Zealand so he was really good at navigating the boat and keeping us safe. I did fall out of the boat once and Ben was able to easily snag me and pull me back in. And he kept us entertained the whole time. Lunch was good (make your own sandwich, plus fruit and chips and cookies) and unlike other rafting companies, they actually own a place to stop for lunch with tables and all, which means they don't have to carry the food with them in the raft (no pulling over by the side of the river and eating soggy sandwiches that fell in the river). And they have a campsite that is only $10 so you can stay over the night before / after your trip.
Not all the guides are as skilled or as fun, so ask for Ben if you go! Also remember to tip your rafting guide and bring sunscreen in the boat with you if you are going in the afternoon. -
Review from Dan P.
Concord, CA
8/1/2011
Had a great time Saturday rafting the full day on the south fork. Our guide was Josh and he did a great job for us. Let everyone on the raft have a great time yet keep it always at a very safe level. The only swimmers we had were the ones who wanted to swim and only when Josh said it was okay to swim. This is our second year with Action Whitewater and I can't think of why I would go anywhere else, they just do a great job. We chose not to camp but decided to do two nights at the American River Inn, B & B in Georgetown. The conbination made for a wonderful weekend.
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Review from Elizabeth M.
Fullerton, CA
8/9/2010
Amazing staff, amazing lunch & AMAZING RAPIDS! So much fun. Definitely going to make this a yearly tradition.
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Review from Food C.
Redwood City, CA
9/6/2010
We had a blast with Action Whitewater Rafting Adventures... wow, Steve our guide took us to all the best rapids and he was calm as a cucumber...
I guess with our helmuts and life vests... nothing can go wrong! When someone else was in the water, he was calm and fish the guy (160 lb) out from the water just like that...and in the midst of going through the rapids, and giving us orders at the same time and he was steering the raft... what a super man...
Not only that we had a great lunch... you make your own sandwich.. this is a great idea so the bread is not soggy... and there were toilets in that location... wow... these guys think of everything! Really... and there is more...
we paid only $80 for the whole half day trip.
I just think that coming out with deals like that are great. After all, it is only half a day. Whoever did the marketing here is brilliant!
Thank you Action WWR for making this possible for us... we all have a fantastic time... a great way to end summer! Whoo hooo!
