At the end of the day this raft had the incredible durability that can be expected from an Aire raft, coupled with the stability expected from a wide design, with fairly large tube diameter. The Spider handles 6 loads very well in water like the Wenatchee, making it a popular raft there. The Super Puma is a raft design that lives in the hearts of many guides and private rafters. It even comes with a free trial membership to Trout Unlimited. The Aire Super Puma was recommended to us by a local kayaker who worked on the Upper Yough in Maryland, with a river similar to ours in some ways and a system similiar; technical, steep drops, quick turns, well compensated guides, simple system. Another raft that probably deserves to be higher on the list, at least in the minds of those who love this design. You feel like you have a guided missile system; the issue is that with this configuration you are really limited to a 4 pack, but if you do run this system we recommend you do so with 8’ oars and a competent paddle crew, and you’ll find you have a raft that’s capable of running about as gnarly of whitewater as possible in a raft. I mean, this sucker is a pig. The new Maravia collaboration with Stream Tech is similar in that the rafts have high rocker and continuous curve on the bottom; but make no mistake the Super Puma was doing this same work on commercial trips for decades before this design (which is a great one for its intended purpose) was conceived. The material was plenty durable; not as tough as the NRS Outlaw material, per se, but also notable is that the Aire Tributary designs also feature an internal urethane bladder (noticeably absent on the NRS rafts). Often most important, the Mariner inflates and deflates fast. The high bow and stern kick would create issues in the wind for multi-day rafting, and it can be hard to see over the bow of the raft at times. Slip into a little eddy and use the anchor system with cleat and pulley controls. Africa's best whitewater destination is without a doubt the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe. It also is a good raft in cold conditions because it tends to ride over waves and holes rather than spear into them. However, the best spot for whitewater rafting is at Jinja, Uganda where … Breckenridge Whitewater Rafting offers rafting trips from mild to wild on 8 rivers in Colorado! This raft was a great addition to our fleet for a season, and it proved itself as a jack of trades as it excelled in high water Class 4-5 rafting on the Skykomish River, and also did well as a people mover in lower water when technical rapids were the daily norm. The reports back were that it was heavy and that the floor of the thing filled up with water so that it constantly held a few hundred pounds of water in it making it far less maneuverable than any other raft in the fleet. There really isn’t much else to say other than this raft was one of the most useful raft designs we have ever had, and was a raft that seemed to do well wherever we put it. Intriguingly priced around the same as the Outlaw 130, this boat got heavy use during our drought stricken 2015 season, and held it’s own fairly well. It’s no secret that West Virginia is one of the best places in the world to whitewater raft. The floor is 5 inches thick and the extra floatation feels bouncer and is more forgiving on flat water. One of the top rafts out there, we like that this 14-footer only weighs 119 pounds. Maybe you’ve seen a whole fleet of them go by on a commercial trip. This popular raft was voted by Backpacker magazine as “Gear of the Year” in 2016. They are aptly named the HD series for good reason. Raft down Colorado’s Arkansas River in Browns Canyon on this half-day whitewater rafting adventure. This enduring raft is a great choice to introduce you to the sport of rafting affordably. Whitewater river rafting and river adventures are an amazing way to recreate, and Washington state offers some of the best white water river rafting and kayaking in the Western US. Wild and Scenic River Tours on the Nooksack can be seen running Spiders nearly all year, and on the Lochsa, both Mammoth and Three Rivers use Spiders effectively; naturally, though, these companies tend to use experienced guides who can compensate for the rafts tendency to flip with a little fine tuning in their paddle strokes and commands. Most of the rafts have video footage that has been analyzed by management, and feedback reports given by the guides have caused them to be ranked where they are. Best thing about it: Can handle any whitewater you throw at it. Among commercial rafting companies in Washington there is a prevalent need for the raft that comfortably carries the 6 load; a raft design that has the capacity for 6 adults plus a guide, and can navigate the technical whitewater rivers of Western Washington. The E-136 is more akin to the Hyside design, while this is more like the Aire 130D. What makes it unique are the tubes’ high rocker curves and that it comes with paddles. NRS uses unrivaled Pennel Orca material and Leafield C7 valves. While there is a common perception that NRS rafts are not rigid enough to drop waterfalls, if it’s pumped up enough it handles the steep “fence” drop through the needle on Boulder Drop just fine, and could be made tight enough to run Husum Falls on the White Salmon so long as a frame wasn’t involved and the tubes were pumped up intentionally tight. We put this on the list as one of the best “starter” binoculars at an incredibly affordable price. Whether you opt for this Tributary Twelve or go for a Nine Five, these rafts are built for technical rivers and trip leaders. They come in all sizes. The Middle Fork of the Salmon is the quintessential multi-day rafting trip that has it all: hot springs, world-class trout fishing, jaw-dropping scenery, abundant wildlife, great hiking, and nearly continuous whitewater … This is great for adults taking their kids on a camping trip or tourist adventure, because they are easy to carry and easily adjustable (with the center hand wheel) for everyone in the family to share. With a maximum cargo weight of 880 lbs this boat is definetly in the heavy-weight class. Comparatively, river rafting on multi-day sections or general private boater use typically causes much less wear and tear, and need for such high capacity. The adventure of not knowing what is coming up around the bend, and the spray of ice cold water to the face will keep people of all ages coming back for more. With so many great … Best Overall: 13 Foot Saturn Inflatable Whitewater Raft The top choice for Whitewater Fishing Rafts is the 13 Foot Saturn Inflatable Whitewater Raft. … It’s major weakness perhaps is that it’s more of a class 3 technical water raft than a big water raft due to it’s smaller tubes and splashy factor. The Aire 130R Whitewater Raft. The biggest bonus to being a mini raft is that it easily can fit inside a car. These binoculars do not have as many high-end functions for the more experienced hunters and bird watchers. So, you are guaranteed the best whitewater rafting in New England with Northeast Whitewater and the best and safest whitewater experience for your family and friends. You might also hear the Ocoee called the Toccoa River—they are technically the same river, but the portion that … Best thing about it: Like driving a Porche on a back road in the Alps. Larger and smaller rafts are available but are better suited to specialized uses rather than general recreational activities. 9 Best Inflatable Kayaks and Rafts for Whitewater in 2020 D iscover some of the year’s best inflatable whitewater kayaks and rafts from Advanced Elements, AIRE, Cronin and Kokopelli. The new material makes a squeaky noise reminiscent of bozo the clown at your nieces 6th birthday party when some kid asks him to make a bicycle; it sounds like a bunch of mice mating in the bottom of your raft. Worst thing about it: Has almost no viability as a commercial raft due to internal dimensions. Source: http://www.aire.com/aire-raft/130r.asp, Best thing about it: Tough as nails and stable as a rhino, Worst thing about it: Has no ability to change it’s mind mid rapid, making it a liability in technical whitewater (which we have a plethora of in Washington). This means going down the Grand Canyon with the highest safety in emergency so that the tubes give performance on water. This raft makes our list because it is one of the best rafts for paddling. It’s likely that if this list were arranged as a buying guide for rafts it would look much different. Yes, this raft is a low water gem, especially in warmer climates. We used 8’6 oars on this model with great success on technical rapids with 6 guests per trip. Straight up; the guides hated this boat. The higher ride for improved visibility are great safety features. The NRS E-136 whitewater raft. The raft is UV ray damage proof and stays cool to the touch. Many boatmen find that catarafts offer higher performance and more fun in white water. It’s easy to maneuver and moves well into tight eddies behind holes or down a fish ladder. The NRS Outlaw 130. This strange raft, which apparently the color was later named “Watermelon” debuted in our system on a trip that was put on specifically for military personnel from Lewis-McChord Joint Base in Washington. Who knows who first started calling fun inflatable rafts “duckies.” Duckies don’t have to be yellow, but they do have to be small. The Spider has the designation of having incredibly large (20.5” diameter) tubes on such a narrow boat, which is cause of it’s demise in our fleet and perhaps the reason why the raft design was redesigned by Maravia in recent years (now called the “Wider Spider”). The East Coast has a plethora of wonderful rafting … Very few outdoor sports can match the thrill that a white-water rafting trip can bring. By Zachary Collier Last year I wrote about the World’s 13 Legendary River Trips, a list of the best expedition style, multi-day river trips. As we kick off 2020 our Saturn white water rafts continue to be praised as “…the greatest value on the whitewater market today!” With hundreds of new rafts being placed on rivers across the county each … Light as a freaking feather; this is awesome. The built-in foot holders are much appreciated by passengers. So, when you set out to learn how to guide a river trip professionally or privately, you’ll be learning from the best. On the plus side of things, the raft is very inexpensive, and the PVC material used for the tubes, while being relatively heavy, was very tough (which it had to be in order to sustain the abuse of hitting so many rocks). The abrasion resistant PVC is durable and has no problem bouncing off a boulder or two. One of the gems of whitewater rafting in Eastern Tennessee is the Ocoee River. The E-136 does OK with a stern frame and 6 guests, but does exceptionally well on larger coastal rivers and a paddle crew. 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