RVA Paddlesports

We had an absolute blast as a family rafting with Hue! He was very knowledgeable of the river and Richmond area. He was able to instruct youngest (9 years old all the way to oldest 70 years old). The rapids were incredible with the perfect amount of thrill / challenge for our family. The stop at the rope swing was also really fun. All of the staff members at RVA were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The equipment fittings, safety briefing and bus rides were on time and ran smoothly. Thank you RVA and Hue for helping make an awesome core memory as a family!

Fantastic team who kept us safe and having a blast. Everyone was so nice. The equipment was clean & safe. We had the best day rafting. Our group highly recommends RVA Paddlesports. Thanks Chris, John & Jade! Check them out for sure!!!!

We had such a great time with RVA Paddlesports on the sturgeon kayaking tour! Our guide TJ was incredibly friendly, personable, and attentive, always checking in with the group and making sure everyone felt comfortable. We even got to see two sturgeon, which was so cool! Kayaking on the James River was gorgeous, and TJ’s knowledge and positive energy made the experience even better. Highly recommend!

I took a group of about 25 (ages 11-65) in late August. The water was only 3.5-4’ but it was a FANTASTIC experience. We did the “long trip.” RVA communicated well, and provided a professional experience with well trained and safe guides.

The wife and I live a pretty busy lifestyle, so we decided that regardless of what was going on, at a minimum, we would dedicate every other weekend to ourselves. Well on one of our weekends we went to Richmond and decided to live it up a little with a rafting trip of the lower James with RVA Paddlesports. What a freaking great experience this was. Although I grew up using canoes and have great deal of experience white water canoeing, neither of us have ever been whitewater rafting. RVA and thier crew were amazing from start to finish. Getting us outfitted with proper safety gear, providing safety briefs, history stories as we bused to our drop in site, along with a bunch of other little things that just made a ton of difference to the experience. Our team lead for our raft was Taylor. He does this on the side while his primary gig is a PA in the tidewater area. You never would have guessed that he did anything other than guide and raft. This dude was a rock star. We are very thankful we ended up in his raft. THANK YOU TAYLOR. Oh, and if I did not mention it at @RVA, Taylor deserves a raise! Thank you RVA for an amazing adventure on our weekend.

This was a new experience for me. I had so much fun with my partner. The instructor, John was very understanding and patient, especially with me struggling. He also taught us a lot about the James River. Would definitely do this again!

me and my two friends had the most lovely spooky float! The whole process from start to finish was very relaxing and interesting! special shoutout to our guides Julia and John who were very good at telling all of the scary stories and also had cool hats!

Awesome experience white water rafting for my husband's birthday! The James was beautiful in the morning and our guide John was excellent. Highly recommend for a great Richmond outing.

Mason was an AMAZING tour guide. We did the Fourth of July show. And let me tell you .... So worth the money. This was such an awesome event and so very well planned. The company and staff pay attention to every detail. From someone solo to a whole family... they made it all work. Thank you for such a great memory. Tips : Get water shoes not sandals. They don't allow it. Bring a water bottle per person. Cash to tip cooks and tour guides. Blanket or large towel to sit on. Wear something you don't mind getting wet or dirty. Lots of bug spray.

Took a lil trip down the river with Dylan as our guide. 6 rafts total and we were all having fun. Great to see the city from the river its such a part of Richmond. If you live here and have not experienced the whitewater I recommend these guys and gals. If you are visiting and want to add some views that are just incredible then book a trip with these fine folks. You won't regret it.

Back in June, My husband and I had originally signed up for the 1 and 2 level rapids and received a phone call asking if we would be ok changing to the 3 and 4 level. We were both very nervous about trying that level without any experience but we ended up loving the experience. The guides (our class had two rafts and our guide was named Jade on our raft) were incredible and provided us all the information we needed to feel safe. We had a blast. We feel so cool saying we accomplished the challenge of 3 and 4 rapids without either of us falling into the water. We definitely hope to try it out again sometime!

Emily was the trip lead and our raft guide and she was absolutely phenomenal! She was super funny and engaging and had everyone excited to get on the river. Even the more nervous members in my group were stoked by the end of the trip! We loved the Hollywood rapid and the rope swing-- so sick!!! Will definitely recommend Emily and RVA paddlesports to anyone looking for something amazing to do in Richmond!

Signed up recently for a 2-day course. We learned a good amount on day 1 and felt like we picked up some good experience. Great coaches. Professional and friendly. Only advice I'd give is for them to point their faces to their students when they're speaking and trying to teach; each time they faced away from students, we couldn't hear them at all. Felt very safe with 2 coaches. Day 2 was fun but ultimately disappointing. We didn't have the same coach as day 1 so our new coach was constantly asking the students what we learned and what we didn't learn on day 1. Very nice coach, but we only learned one new technique (t-rescue) and we ran the same exact routes as day 1. Very disappointing. We expected to get some class 3 experience instead as was indicated at the end of day. Separately, we had 1 coach on day 2. At one point, our coach was too far ahead on the river to help 2 of the students who found themselves stuck together in a precarious position. So... if they have 1 coach for 4 students, I'd recommend the coach stay close to their students instead of getting 2 rapids ahead just for safety's sake. I can't recommend a 2-day course. I would recommend a 1-day course to learn the basics, learn safety, and understand the easy basic routes. After that, you might as well go out on your own and just practice what you learned because that's all you'll get on the 2nd day of the course if your experience is like ours. Gear was in good condition. Shuttling and logistics were well managed. Friendly folks.

I decided to try rafting before I left RVA and I was sure glad I did. Jade was a great instructor and we had a beautiful and adventurous time on the river. I'd go back again!

My friends and I had a great time yesterday afternoon doing the calm white water rafting! We were picked up by the bus to the river and rafted for a solid 3 hours (flowing downstream on James River with class 1-2 rapids) before heading back. Kellen was a great and knowledgeable water rafting guide. We had great conversations with him and he was able to give us more insight to rafting since this was our first time. There were a few opportunities for us to get off and take a quick swim in the river. We also stopped at an island midway to enjoy some fresh pineapple slices! Overall, a great time for all of us and definitely a fun summer activity in Richmond. It's not a cheap experience, but definitely worth the money. Sadly, I wish I had pictures to share but definitely needed to leave our phones and electronics in the car to avoid water damages.

Rafted the falls of the james today and had a fantastic ride with Hugh. He was very professional and kept safety always at the forefront while still creating a super fun and interesting experience. I highly recommend RVA for rafting in Richmond! Bring a water bottle!!

Group of 12 had an amazing time water rafting. First time ever for all of us and we LOVED it!! Shoutout to the staff and our guide Niko ( not sure if that's how it's spelled) but nonetheless great energy and vibes. Spent the morning rafting and swimming in the river. Took a break and had some fresh pineapple, which really hit the spot after paddling. Highly recommend booking a reservation today and having a great time. Short bus ride, which was fun, to the start point and back. Definitely bring a waterproof pouch for cell phones.

What a cool way to explore Richmond! Our guides were really thorough and fun. You could tell they loved what they do and enjoy taking people out on the water. We got to float in the river during calm water, heard all about the city, took in the views, swung off a rope swing, and paddled through class 3-4 rapids. What a great experience! Highly recommend for tourists with a taste of adventure or even just a fun couple hours out on the water. Go check them out!

RVA PADDLESPORTS ROCKS! The entire outfit was professionally and ensured our group had a blast out on the water.

I want to give a giant shout out to RVA! I spent Saturday of this Veteran's weekend rafting with RVA doing a special Veteran's trip. Josh was our guide, and he was exceptional. My husband recently lost all of his vision and this was the first trip of any kind that we have done. We both had an incredible time on the water and just enjoying the day. Thank you RVA for welcoming our group of Veterans and teaching some of us new skills.

This was our first time rafting and Sanders was a great guide!! If you're thinking about doing it, do it!!!

We went white water rafting with RVA and it was a wonderful trip. Very beautiful river and fun rapids. Our tour guide was Justin and he was great at making us feel safe and making sure we had a great time. Definitely recommend using them for your trip!

I was a little disappointed with the trip today, the website made it seem like there was going to be some exhilarating rapids and 90% of the time we were drifting super slowly down the river. Kellar was our guide and said "glad I didn't have a morning run today because I was hungover this morning" not something you want to hear as you head down the James river. The value was good, but overall it was mediocre.

What a fun day. Even with the river a bit low, the scenery was spectacular and our guide, Jonathan, was friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining. Seeing Richmond from the river was a new experience and Jonathan knew the history of almost every building along with an unofficial story for each. There was a great number of geese and ducks enjoying the warm summer day as well. There are about 5 rapids on the route with none large enough to cause major concern but yet still an exciting roll in the raft. All the guides were friendly and outgoing, but Jonathan was top of class- I'm sure he will share this with his peers too. ;'). I highly recommend a half day upper and lower tour. I takes about 4 hours and it's well worth it. By the way, all these photos were taken by the tour co and very reasonably priced for purchase.

Ok, I'm going to start with definitely try and go when the water level is a bit higher. Went when it was at like 4 1/2 and it was the calmest white water rafting experience I've ever had. I signed up for the full river, which is class III and IV, and I don't think we had anything above a II. That being said, RVA can't control the river and the staff was absolutely awesome! Couldn't have asked for a better group of river guides.100% will go back if I get a chance when the water level is higher!

AMAZING!! I went with my siblings for the first time ever white water rafting. I was terrified at first but the guide was incredible. Request Dylan!! He made jokes all throughout the way and made sure we were prepared for any situation before hand. He also gave reminders during the trip. HIGHLY recommend!! It was a lot of fun but also relaxing at the same time.

A group of us showed up, on time for our kayak rentals. We ended up upgrading to ducky inflatables for an additional cost which was fine. The middle aged man who seemed to be running the outfit must of woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Guy was way less than pleasant to all of us for no rhyme or reason. We got our gear and had a great time on the river with no issues. Upon returning the equipment, the employee took all of it, did no inventory check, and let us move along with the day. About a day later we get a call, accusing our group of not returning all of said items. We most definitely returned everything and have no use for said "missing" item. All in all, for the cost of the rentals and overall experience, that will be a one time event for us. Tighten up!

My fiance and I went on Monday, 6/26 after contemplating it for awhile. We at first signed up for a class 1 and 2 rapid trip but got a phone call suggesting we switch since more people were already signed up for class 3 and 4. We were both very nervous but pretty excited. We arrived and both guides and bus driver were incredibly kind and gave us the safety speech. We were part of a group of 7 - just the two of us and then a family of 5 people. We all took the shuttle to the spot where we'd get into the water. We were placed in a raft just the two of us with our guide Jade. We were both very a little scared to not have other people with us but Jade was amazing. He helped us through each rapid with great instructions and we both felt really safe and thankfully neither of us fell into the water. We both left the experience excited to try it again sometime. The other guide Bryce was also awesome. Even though he was on a different raft, he helped guide us as well and when we stopped twice (once for a small snack and water and a second time for a few people to try a rope swing) he engaged with all of us and spoke of his varied experiences with riding down the rapids in rafts but also kayaks and paddle boards. We were very impressed and felt we started our week in a really awesome way.

We had so much fun white water rafting on the James River! Our guide, Rachel, was great at pointing out all the sights. It was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Great way to spend a hot day in Richmond, Virginia!

My family of four rafted the lower James with RVA. It was the first time for three of us, including my 11 and 8 year old kids. Patrick, or guide, was great and put all of them at ease. It was a bit different rafting in the middle of a city (I've been rafting once before in West Virginia) but it was a cool experience. We especially liked "surfing" at the end of the trip. My kids had a blast and now want to go again. We weren't planning on going rafting on our vacation so didn't come prepared - we only had flip flops. When I called to book the trip I said we didn't have sandals with straps (recommended) and they said they would have some shoes we could wear. The office didn't communicate that to the pickup team so we ended up wearing flip flops. That was the only negative from the trip. Other than that we had a great time!

Our group had an awesome time white water rafting on the James River. Our Guide Kalen and Katie from Beyond Boundaries we amazing. Thank you both for a wonderful experience!

We had a great time today rafting down the James River with RVA Paddle Sports. Our guide Kalen was truly awesome! He was full of knowledge and made our experience truly amazing! Things our 4th time rafting with them and each time we have awesome guides.

We booked a 2-hour guided flatwater kayak tour for $60 per person over 4th of July weekend. We picked the 3pm time slot. We were to meet at Deep Bottom Park. We arrived around 10 minutes to 3pm and saw nobody. Called the office and was told Kevin would arrive in a white truck with kayaks attached. He did arrive around 3pm. It took at good half hour to get everything off the truck and set up. By the time we got on the river it was definitely after 330. So in actuality, it's more of a 75-90 minute "tour". I put that in quotes because other than just kind of escorting us around and doing small talk about our jobs and other things, he didn't really point out anything on the river because there wasn't much to see in the form of wildlife. It was probably because of the time of the day. Basically, my husband and I could have just done this on our own. It was beautiful out of the water though and I look forward to going kayaking again but will try a different location, different outfitter.

We had a really great time with Andy, our guide today. The water was very smooth and quite calm, it was nice to take a break for snacks and a rope swing half way. Andy was very informative and very easy to talk to. I also like how the other guide is much younger and learning the ropes. Start to finish a great time. We will definitely be back again and bring our kids! Great job!

Super sweet time on the river with ole cheese doodle! Had a blast even tho we had them Californians on the boat jk haha. Definitely recommend this company if u wanna shred the James in a raft!

Our guide was the absolute best! He was laid back, but so fun. I would recommend him over and over! He could maneuver the raft with ease and made us feel safe. Safety was a big priority with him. Please go out and request Kellen! I just can't explain how well he knows what he is doing and how you'll have the very best time with him!

We did the complete Upper James/Lower James rafting trip, and it was a lot of fun! The trip was not rushed at all. There was plenty of time for swimming and relaxing. The initial class I-II falls were an easy intro to the second leg of the trip. Our raft guide was Chase, and he was awesome! He kept us entertained with stories and was a wealth of information. I was even impressed by the healthy option lunch, which included hummus and fresh vegetables and whole grain tortillas! And, they wowed us by setting up tablecloths on the picnic tables. And then, the photos we received afterwards were a nice touch! This was a very fun morning/afternoon, and we would totally come back to do another trip with this company. Thanks Chase and RVA Paddlesports!

Absolutely the best experience hands down!!! Kevin one of the instructors is super awesome and funny, from rope swing, snacks, and tackling the rapids I absolutely will be back.

I rafted the sunset lower James river with these guys and it was a blast. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable. I was extremely happy with my energetic guide, Andi. She was really great at explaining to the group what we should expect and communicating with us on the rapids. I felt totally safe with both guides while on this journey. They have a pull of point where we stopped for some refreshments that is a cool little island in the middle of the James River. On one of the last rapids someone takes photos of the group and they email you a link to the photos pretty quickly afterwards so you can have some memorabilia. Overall, it was a great experience going with this company.

The personalize service and patience of the guide was phenomenal. I would highly recommend the upper river inflatable kayak trip. Right balance of thrill and relaxation.

Had a blast would highly recommend the inflatable kayaking experience. Caleb & Kevin were very professional, organized, patience making the trip enjoyable. Thanks I found a new hobby fun time was had by all

We had a great time with Andy as we paddled the Lower James. He has lots of experience and was a great leader getting us through the Class 1-3 rapids. Will be doing that again!

Sunset Rafting Trip on the James We went with 12 friends on a rafting trip with them. It was very well organized, from the shuttle to the briefing and all the equipment. The guides were experienced and clearly knew what they were doing and know the river well. We even stopped for dinner half way on a rock formation in the middle of the river. I can recommend Patrick and his staff to anybody that wants to go rafting or kayaking. They are the best!

Having a bunch of WW rafting experience but being completely new to WW kayaking I took this opportunity to get some professional instruction to hopefully accelerate the learning curve. Our primary instructors, Loren and Jacob, were the best. The time I spent with this team, unfortunately not all of it in the boat, was invaluable for building my confidence and pointing me in the right direction. Two days, even with this excellent instruction was not enough to master all (or half) the necessary skills but Loren and Jacob both were patient, methodical, and made sure I progressed at a pace that I was comfortable with. Their confidence in me was contagious and encouraged me to continue with my efforts to improve. This instruction team left me with a solid step-by-step process and drills and enough practice that I feel comfortable continuing working on some of the more complex moves (rolls) in a controlled environment with the goal of eventually taking those skills to the river. Based on my personal experience, if you are considering WW Kayaking at all, the safest and most fun way to learn is with knowledgeable, skilled instructors. And for my money, RVA Paddlesports is a great place to start. Thanks again to Loren and Jacob for a great weekend!