Hydrospeed/White water swimming Ubaye – Barcelonnette
If you are looking for a sensational water activity in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Hydrospeed/Whitewater swimming on the Ubaye is the experience you need! This outdoor activity is very popular with whitewater sports enthusiasts and nature lovers.
Meet at Lauzet Ubaye 04340 in Crazy Water !
Hydrospeed Best Of
55€/pers.
2 hours
6 km
Come discover or improve your skills in Hydrospeed on the legendary Lauzet Ubaye course.
- Gorges and Roman Bridge
- Surfing ~ Eskimoaut ~ Roc 360
- Playful ~ Fun
- Departure times: 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Family Hydrospeed
45€/pers.*
2 hours
6 km
*Family rate for 2 adults and 2 children at €180.
Dive in as a family with this safe and fun water activity! White water swimming is also for children.
- From 10 years old
- Gorges and Roman Bridge
- Surfing ~ Eskimoaut ~ Roc 360
- Departure times: 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Hydrospeed Sport
60€/pers.
2 hours
4 km
This is the ultra-sporty descent on the famous Ex Infranchissables du Haut course.
- Expert level
- Category V rapids
- Sporty & Intense
- 2 people / Instructors
- Departure times: 9:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Special EVG EVJF packages, group rates from 10 people: holiday camps, associations, works councils, etc.
What equipment to do Hydrospeed on Ubaye?
- 5 min neoprene jacket
- Reinforced neoprene pants
- Vest & Helmet
- Float (Hydrospeed)
- A pair of fins
Bring a swimsuit, towel and a little snack. Hydrospeed makes you hungry!
About our Hydrospeed courses on Ubaye
Hydrospeed in our Barcelonnette valley is an experience full of emotions and sensations of sliding and surfing. It's a fun, completely free aquatic activity through which you explore a wild river, in the middle of the mountains.
You navigate according to your desires, while being supervised by a qualified instructor in Hydrospeed / White water swimming, which ensures your safety and advises you.
Crazy Water's favorite option: it's the Rafting multi activity combo And Hydrospeed, for a more beautiful approach to our river!
White water swimming: Hydrospeed
Equipped with a pair of fins, a reinforced wetsuit and a foam float called Hydrospeed, you descend the river at the water's edge on a suitable route. Located between Barcelonnette and the lake of Serre-Ponçon, you explore the wild and invigorating Ubaye river.
Accompanied by a river guide, the Whitewater swimming or theHydrospeed is a fun, sensational activity, with a touch of technique. You will quickly gain autonomy, which will allow you to play with the currents.
The Ubaye river in the Southern Alps
There Ubaye Valley Serre-Ponçon is “the place to be” for whitewater sports activities. It is 50 km navigable, in an incredibly wild and preserved nature that awaits you! Ubaye is really suitable for Hydrospeed, Rafting and Kayak-Air descents, due to its unique playground. In fact, it is not subject to the constraints of a hydraulic dam and flows naturally all year round. The Lauzet course, which we call the Hydrospeed Best of Course, is a sensational adventure in the heart of the most beautiful rapids in the Barcelonnette Valley.
Ubaye hydrospeed in pictures
Hydrospeed Ubaye Special FAQ
Can you do whitewater swimming with a child?
The conditions for a family descent in Hydrospeed:
Hydrospeed on the Ubaye is possible From 10 years old, depending on the child's size, like the adults on the Best Of route to Lauzet.
He must obviously be a good swimmer, dynamic and in good physical condition. Experience using fins in a swimming pool or at sea is preferred.
A Hydrospeed descent on the Ubaye, how does it work?
But how does a Hydrospeed activity on the Ubaye ? First of all, you will be equipped with a thick neoprene suit, reinforced at the legs, a life jacket and a helmet for your safety. You will also receive neoprene socks, fins that fit your size, and a foam board that will allow you to float and navigate the river.
Once equipped, you will be supervised by an experienced guide who will give you safety instructions and teach you the basic techniques for steering your Hydrospeed and passing rapids. You can then begin your whitewater swimming descent on the Ubaye, following the current of the river and surfing the waves.
Crazy Water Rafting organizes descents in groups of a maximum of 6 people per guide, for a better educational approach.
You will pass through areas of calm, but also through rapids and dizzying descents that will make you shiver with excitement. You can even do jumps from the rocks to add a little spice to your Hydrospeed descent. Obviously, we we will adapt the level of difficulty according to your abilities.
If you are a family with children wanting to discover whitewater swimming, or a fearful beginner with no experience in Hydrospeed, your guide will choose the appropriate route and ensure your safety throughout the descent. If you are a sporty person looking for thrills, your guide will help you discover the strength of the Ubaye river with its many rapids.
Can we do whitewater courses on theUbaye, Southern Alps
For the lucky ones who want to make the most of aquatic activities during their stay, we offer Multi activity formulas. The Ubaye is navigated from Barcelonnette via Lauzet and up to Lake Serre-Ponçon, with course for all levels.
You choose your boat: Hydrospeed, Air Kayak, Aquatic Adventure or Rafting. All the routes of the Ubaye river are located between 5 and 15 minutes by shuttle from our Crazy Water base to Lauzet. During the course, you will be supervised by the same river guide, for quality support. The groups are composed of maximum 6 people for Hydro and Kayak-Air and 8 people for Rafting and Aquatic Adventure.
We love sharing these whitewater courses with you, because we spend more time together and can provide a more complete experience of the Ubaye and river activities.
Take advantage of this opportunity and book your whitewater course now by contacting us by telephone at 06.87.53.87.98
What is the best whitewater swimming base in Ubaye?
Already 13 years old, we are a Medium-sized Rafting base in the Barcelonnette Valley and we enjoy a very good reputation. We like to call ourselves the “Crazy Family”, a term which clearly illustrates the atmosphere within the team! River guides, reception secretary and shuttle driver, we are all here to offer you the best possible experience! The atmosphere is very welcoming, friendly and fun, but we do not skimp on safety and favor good quality equipment! We are ideally located, tout close to the legendary Ubaye route, to limit shuttle travel times.
Do not hesitate to contact us by telephone or come directly to see us at the Crazy Water Rafting reception base, route du Villard, 04340 in Lauzet Ubaye. We are very easy to find. We are at the entrance to the village, on the side of the road, if you arrive from Gap Serre-Ponçon towards Barcelonnette. And at the exit of the village, if you leave Barcelonnette, towards Gap Serre-Ponçon.
River sledding and Aqua Splash?
Hydrospeed and white water swimming are the real terms of aquatic activity on the river, with a directional board and fins. This activity is practiced on natural rivers in the mountains or in artificial basins, often close to towns. In the “jargon” of the world of whitewater sports, we also like to call it river sledding Or Aqua Splash. This is obviously humor, because a Hydrospeed is not a sled and the Aqua Splash is a leisure park on lakes or in a swimming pool. It's not exactly the same thing !
What is the difference between Floating and Hydrospeed on the Ubaye River?
“Floating” is the term in English which means to float. We practice it on the Ubaye in the summer, when the water level allows us, that is to say when the water level is low. We offer it at Crazy Water Rafting under the name Aquatic Adventure. Floating is a true wilderness exploration, an incredible activity that allows you to visit the banks of the river and swim in the currents and natural pools. You are equipped with a neoprene suit and your own sneakers. We can compare Floating to Canyoning, but horizontally!
Hydrospeed is an activity in its own right, where you go down the river using your board and fins. It is an official sport, which is practiced in the most beautiful rivers and allows you to cross large rapids. Hydrospeed competitions are even organized, notably the French Extreme Hydrospeed Championships, every two years. In the Ubaye Valley, we have the reigning world champion and a Hydrospeed world champion as river guides! This is to tell you that the Ubaye is “THE” French river par excellence for white water swimming!
