Everyone has a different goal for the summer. You can be searching for the perfect place to get a tan, the best seafood restaurant on the shoreline, or maybe the best position to take naps. While the summer can be filled with extra classes, lots of hours at work or at your internship; there’s always time for adventure. Though school is approaching soon, there is another activity you can add to your summer adventure list.

Whitewater rafting.

For those of you who are new to this activity, I’ll give you an explanation. Short version, you sit in an inflated raft and paddle your way down a river, hoping not to (or maybe to) fall in.

Long version. Whitewater rafting is a high adventure sport that draws participants of all ages. First timers may choose to hit a river with only class III rapids, experienced rafters may choose class V (or the elusive class VI). Rapids are classified I through V, generally. I being the easiest rapid, very few waves and easy to swim through with just a life jacket. Class V’s are bigger, bolder, and sometimes scarier. Where smaller classes may have names like “swimmer rapids,” class V’s are called things like “Exterminator” or “Bone Crusher.”

Though these names are terrifying, taking on a class V is 100-percent worth it. The whitewater rafting guides that take you down the river are always well-trained in where they want the raft to be in a rapid, so as to keep everyone safe in the boat and having a good time.

Also, all of the rafting guides I’ve encountered have entertained me while on the river. They crack jokes while you stare down big rapids, they smile while everyone else panics, and they have the best stories to tell as you ease on down the slower sections of the river. Rafting guides raft with a boat of strangers every day, but by the end, you feel as if you’ve gained a new friend. Without the guides, white water rafting for beginners wouldn’t be as enjoyable as it is.

Take a day, get a group of friends, and find a certified (and well-loved) rafting company to take you down a river sometime this summer. Or even this fall, as rafting trips run well into October (though you may want to invest in a wetsuit if you want to tackle colder water). There are river runs for everyone. You don’t have to start with a certain class, unless your age prevents you from doing so. Some companies only allow those of a certain age and up to participate in some rafting trips.

But if you fit the bill and you’re looking for adventure, try out whitewater rafting. It’s sure to leave you saying “I can’t wait to do that again!”