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Rafting Rivers to Improve Rapids Reading Skills

Joined
Jan 8, 2014
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Minden, NV
I used to spend a lot of time rafting. It can be very exciting compared to canoeing and sometimes death defying, but it is easy to bring a comfortable amount of gear. I am heading out for a week long trip in June and I am very enthused about it. I wonder if any members of the forum have tried rafting. It is always an opportunity to run some rougher water and rivers with higher gradients. I will be trying out a cataraft, an Aire Jacaurundi which is 16 feet long with an aluminum frame and two pontoon like hulls. They handle well when not overloaded. The frame will accommodate a very large marine cooler and an aluminum dry box of similar size. I will use an oar rig so that all the decision making is by one person. Modern rowing is facing downstream and most maneuvering is by ferrying, especially back ferrying. I would like to hear about others' experiences with rafts.
 
My son loves rafting. He's done The Penobsot in Maine a few times and a bigger one in WV. I'm happiest tripping in a class 2/3 river.
 
Never have rafted but I could see the point in learning to read rivers that way. Might have to give it a try.
 
Never rafted, but like sweeper, I like class II III rivers, with the casino class III+ IV that I can portage, line or run empty!!
 
My days of running V rated rapids are over. There are way too many things to go wrong. By choosing a raft instead of a canoe, a class III run becomes casual and produces little anxiety and no portages. It is easy to move around in the boat and to bring great food and some furniture. Rowing a cataraft or a drift boat eliminates some of the sluggishness common in loaded conventional rafts. Most of the good long canoeing rivers in the West are in flatter, farm country. The use of a raft allows some trips in the mountains and in the woods. There is a lot of wildlife to be seen.

I would encourage anyone that loves canoeing to try a raft trip, just for the experience.
 
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