hydrospeedn.
/ˈhʌɪdrə(ʊ)spiːd/, U.S. /ˈhaɪdroʊˌspid/ A sport or leisure activity that involves jumping into fast-flowing white water (esp. rapids on a river) and being carried along at high speed while buoyed by a float. Also: the float used in this activity. Cf. canyoning n. 2.
ΚΠ
1988 Sunday Times 27 Mar. f7/2 Release from parental responsibilities revealed some unexpectedly adventurous spirits. I joined a group which had signed on for hydro-speed, otherwise known as white-water swimming.
1998 Independent 1 Aug. (Review section) 18/3 Hydrospeed, best described as white-water rafting without the raft, is every bit as mad as it sounds, a kind of Poohsticks played with human beings.
2002 D. Reed et al. Rough Guide to Nepal (ed. 5) 303/1 The shop has a wide variety of kayaks and associated gear for rent, as well as hydrospeeds.
Derivatives
ˈhydrospeeding n.
ΚΠ
1991 Sunday Tasmanian (Nexis) 6 Oct. You don't require peak fitness for hydrospeeding, just a sense of daring.
2005 Rep. on Business Mar. 73/2 Experienced hikers can..try something even more daunting: hydrospeeding—riding the rapids with a bodyboard and flippers.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1988