The act of
viewing a
rapid with the
idea of running it. In this process, the
paddler considers the rapid with the
International Scale of River Difficulty and his or her own
paddling skill. If based on this
information, the paddler determines that she will
survive and probably not
dump, she will determine her route through before returning to her
canoe or
kayak.
Skilled paddlers may decide not to scout rapids they have run before, or rapids that are rated below their skill level.