DUCKTOWN, Tenn. — Barely into the whitewater trip, Charles B. Greaves and his friends were hanging onto their raft with paddles in the air.

The singles group had left Atlanta searching for a fun, challenging and — they thought — peaceful afternoon of riding the Ocoee River, in southeastern Tennessee.

Southeastern Expeditions (ENLARGE)
A singles group from Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta takes on the challenge of the Ocoee River. Shaundra J. Keith, initially frightened, said when it was over, 'I would do it again.'
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IF YOU GO Getting there • To reach Southeastern Expeditions' Ocoee Outpost near Ducktown, Tenn., take I-75 north to Exit 293 (U.S. 411), then take U.S. 411 north into Tennessee; proceed 10 miles inside Tennessee and take U.S. 64 east; go three miles. The outpost is on the right, immediately after a Cherokee Corners gas station. It is about 125 miles, a 2 1/2-hour drive from Atlanta. Rafting companies • Twenty-five companies run trips for parts or all of the Ocoee River, including Southeastern Expeditions(1-800-868-7238, www.southeasternexpeditions.com), Rolling Thunder Rafting Co. (1-800-408-7238, www.rollingthunderriverco.com), Ocoee Rafting (1-800-251-4800, www.ocoeerafting.com), Wildwater Rafting Co. (1-800-451-9972, www.wildwaterrafting.com) and Ocoee Adventure Center (1-888-723-8622, www.ocoeeadventurecenter.com). Cost and restrictions • Averages $32-$39 for a half-day trip, $90-$95 for a full day. Lower prices during off-season (check with individual rafting companies for seasonal rates). • Rafting companies require a guide in each boat because of difficulty of the river. Tennessee requires Ocoee rafters to be at least 12 years old. Where to stay • If you're not up to camping, nearby Cleveland has several hotels, including Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn. Chattanooga is a 45-minute drive.

The group got a dose of excitement along with a piece of tranquillity as the river took them through a course lined with rocks and rapids like "Double Suck," "Table Saw" and "Hell's Hole."

Greaves, a 45-year-old Atlanta Public Schools software support specialist from Newnan, and a certified scuba diver, was one of the organizers of the trip for the 17 singles from Cascade United Methodist Church. They piled into three rafts, each with a guide, for the trip down the Middle Ocoee.

Rafting is "a great activity where all groups — older adults, teenagers, singles — can benefit from the experience. It gives you an opportunity to understand teamwork . . . communicate with people and confront your fears," he says.

That's what Greaves' friend Shaundra J. Keith, 28, did. She admits the white water and the massive rocks frightened her. "I'm not a water person. I didn't want to fall out of the boat," she says.

Unlike Keith, Lalisa Anderson didn't make it through the trip without going overboard.

A safety lesson before the raft trip calmed Keith. Bill Norton, manager of the Southeastern Expeditions' Ocoee Outpost, gave a presentation that included how to properly put on life vests and helmets and how a rafter should recover if going overboard, by floating and grabbing the netting each raft has around its side.

Rafts go out with a guide who has been trained in reading white-water rapids and knows rescue techniques and first aid. New guides usually spend some time with seasoned rafters on the river in the spring each year before taking groups out.

Norton says Southeastern Expeditions guides have an average seven to eight years' experience. The Atlanta-based company estimates that 40 percent to 50 percent of its customers come from Georgia. Most beginners take the five-mile Middle Ocoee trip. Experienced rafters will find the five-mile Upper Ocoee, the site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic white-water events, a challenge.

"The thing about the Ocoee is it's a great family river for beginners to get a good firm basis on white-water rafting with moderate to moderately high rapids," said Norton, who has guided trips for 28 years.

The 25 permitted outfitters on the Ocoee guide white-water trips from March until October. Southeastern Expeditions runs trips on the river every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays until Labor Day. After Labor Day, it will offer trips on Saturdays and Sundays through the end of October.

The Ocoee River runs along U.S. 64 and in the scenic Cherokee National Forest, which has trails for biking and hiking and a lake for boating and swimming. Several sites are nearby where people can camp or rent cabins.

"The great thing about the Ocoee is it's a rural area, great for relaxing," Norton said. "It is a good place for a change of pace from the metropolitan area.

"When people are on the river, they forget about the world. When you are on the river, you are totally involved in negotiation. The river is life," Norton said.

At the end of the singles' trip, Keith was enthusiastic. "I would do it again," she said. "I want to do an advanced level."