When is the best time of the year to go white water rafting?

Question

When is the best time of the year to go white water rafting?

Answer 1

There are some rivers that offer white water rafting oppurtunities all year.  Other rivers offer better conditions based on the melting snow.

It would be best to figure out where you want to go, and then ask the question.

Answer 2

As the previous person said in their answer:  It would really help to know you're location.  Springtime is usually considered optimal where-ever you are, for big water and to run rivers that otherwise dry up.

For instance, in the American Southwest there are several rivers that are only raftable for a few weeks in the Spring during snow melt.

Here in California there are also many rivers that can only be run during Spring and Early Summer, dependent on the Sierra Nevada Snow Pack and how long the melt lasts.  Then, there are numerous rivers that have Dams to control their flows and they are generally raftable year-round.

Rivers in Tropical settings, like Costa Rica for example, are also usually runnable year-round.  But each river is different and may depend on wet-season rains for the best runs.

Rafting in Chile or New Zealand is opposite of here in North America, with their Spring being our Fall.

If you are a novice at white water rafting I would advise going in early summer for somewhat lower/safer water levels plus high chance of good weather.  Both of these will be an advantage for someone lacking a lot of experience.