Denver, Colo. -- For hard-core kayakers, the heavy runoff and recent rains have created a spring-time wonderland of waves and turbulent water.

At the South Platte River, it is what Scott Shipley, a three-time Olympic kayaker from Boulder, has been waiting for all winter.

"It's not quite a biblical flood, but it's big enough to get us off the couch and out for the first surf of the year," Shipley said, after flipping his kayak in a freestyle showdown.

But the high water has some rescuers worried.

The Littleton Water Rescue Team had a refresher course on equipment and operations Friday, just in time for the busiest rescue season of the year.

"Some of the capacity is kind of scary for us," said Capt. Tim Woodward with the Littleton Fire Department. "It's extremely dangerous. We recommend that only skilled people are out there."

He recommends before hitting the high water, people take a safety course and wear the proper safety equipment.

Even experienced kayakers say in the current conditions, the water is no place for beginners.

"We wait for this period of time because it is the hardest time to paddle, and it is the biggest challenge for us," said Shipley. "It is not a good time to start kayaking, and it's not a good time to start playing in the water, really."

Last weekend, three people drowned in Colorado, two of those had been swept away in swift river currents.