The Uses of Inflatable Boats: River Rafting
Whitewater rafting is a growing water sport activity in areas where wild rivers still abound
. The United States have the Rio Grande, Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park and more. In the international scene there are the classic rivers known for whitewater rafting like the Mighty Zambezi; High Water Turkey; Sun Kosi River; Rio Futaleufu and the Franklin River to name a few.The popular water activity usually entails a group of eight-like-minded enthusiasts wearing life jackets, helmets and knee pads boarding a large seemingly poorly-inflated raft with high ends. Once aboard, they embark on a water ride that thrills and terrorizes them at no end as an expert guide steer them in shooting the rapids. Drenched and cold, these adventurers reach the end of the ride, happy albeit with shaky legs.
Whitewater enthusiasts used to "wear" conventional hard-shell kayaks or decked canoes for whitewater rides. Not anymore. The use of inflatable rafts has gained popularity ever since whitewater aficionados found out that inflatable rafts are better than conventional kayaks in areas too "wild" to handle. Sure, an inflatable raft cannot be relied on to do an Eskimo roll but who needs that when the inflatable whitewater raft cannot be flipped or tipped over?
Avon and Achilles have led other into manufacturing small whitewater river boats that can handle four paddlers. An inflatable kayak might not be as agile as a conventional kayak but it would work quite well in less intense rivers and rapids.
If you are into using an inflatable boat for your whitewater ride note that there are dangers that you're inflatable is susceptible to. There are sharp rocks and other obstacles along and in the fast-moving river that can tear or rip the bottom fabric or inflation chamber of your inflatable boat. The bottom of your inflatable boat is more susceptible to scraps and abrasions even in slow-moving river. There is no getting out of drags across pebbly sandbars or being grounded in rocky-strewn bottoms. Those are all parts of whitewater rafting. A conventional kayak or canoe will be able to survive such conditions. An inflatable raft might not. If the condition of your inflatable is more important to you than traversing the wild rivers of the Rocky Mountain, better haul up your inflatable and head for the nearest backwater lake in your area. However note that a conventional boat is more likely to be holed when punctured because it is more rigid and therefore does not "give".
You can actually enjoy your soft tail or sport boat in quieter rapids and rivers. Make sure you do not forget your emergency patch kit, just in case.
You can use inflatable dinghies and sport boats in class I and II river rapids. The technique is to under-inflate the boat leaving the transom as the only hard part and protected by the tube extensions. You can sit on the bow and steer the boat with a long paddle. Better have someone with you to propel the boat from the back or side steer the boat.
Another way to enjoy a river ride is to use an outboard going upstream. If you encounter small and shallow rapids, get out of the boat and "line her up". Once you reach the headwaters or have motored upstream as far as you could, stow the motor up and paddle downstream with the current.
RIBs are not advisable for whitewater rides and shallow river jaunts. Though RIBs are great used as motorboats, manually steering a RIB with paddles or oars is like paddling to steer a conventional fiberglass boat which is next to impossible. RIBs cannot be handled by paddling and a boat that does not respond to paddling cannot be steered away from water obstacles and sand bars. You can patch your soft tail or sport boat when holed. You cannot repair a hole in the bottom of a RIB inflatable boat.
For more information about using inflatable boats for river rafting please visit:
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The Uses of Inflatable Boats: River Rafting
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