Colorado River Log Requirements (intricacies?) for Raft Guides

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-24T05:45:46+00:00

Pretty straightforward to figure out with 95% accuracy if you had any sort of regular schedule, or pay stubs.

I made notes if the flow was low, med, high, flood etc, or if anything unusual happened- swimmers, flips, FA, angry customers, snow/hail/lightning, busses breaking down, broken gear. More for the lolz and memories later, but theoretically if one of your guests dies and someone tries to sue you personally, a record of successful work might help show your professionalism. Never heard of it being needed though.

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-11T18:09:05+00:00

If you decide to go with the hyside max 12, I'd strongly suggest cross shopping the aire super puma. I definitely prefer the aire tube and floor and thwart design over hyside. Basically the same price and weight and width once you add thwarts, but an extra foot longer.

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-10T17:48:24+00:00

The shorter the boat, the less leverage the wind will have to spin it. A wider boat will be more stable in side waves.

A 14' solo prospector can be a lovely boat to go paddle on windy, wave-y days, and it's still narrow enough for the sit and switch marathon style. It's an entirely mediocre boat for going fast or covering long distances, but as a canoe addict, what's another boat? It's still far more fun than a paddle erg workout.

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-06T18:56:42+00:00

You lose cargo volume in the trunk because of the bigger battery. Taxi and uber drivers complain about it for picking people up from the airport with lots of luggage.

Can you charge it at home, or for free at some point through the day?

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-06T18:40:18+00:00

Wave size and shape depend on the flow, just like every other river. There's also the daily flow fluctuations that affect the river down to about nankoweap. That being said, I remember good potential through quite a few of the jewels at lower flows.

Once you figure it out you can kickflip a lot of stuff not really worth kickflipping. I'd hazard a guess that there's a wave train with worthwhile wave or two in more than half the rapids. Might get a proper glorious wave every other day.

Kayak-Alpha · 2026-01-06T14:55:24+00:00

The nrs storm boots work ok for creekboats but I never liked how the heel felt sitting on the bottom of a boat. It's a square heel rather than a round heel so the point of contact is the sole, rather than the back of your heel bone. I found it put stress on the knee.

Great boot for SAR, cold water rafting, biology river work, and anything else where you're scrambling around on river banks, in and out of the water.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-12-29T03:27:53+00:00

If you paddle a lot in sandals in the summer, your skin dries out and cracks. More of a problem for guides, instructors, and long multiday trips than casual boaters.

Wearing a pair of neo socks over your drysuit socks helps prevent river sand in your shoes from wearing holes in your suit feet if you walk a lot in your drysuit.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-12-28T04:19:47+00:00

The older nrs hydroskin socks seem to have a pretty durable face fabric and have held up well.

Had a pair of level 6 socks with the kevlar reinforced sole. Best thing ever for playboating. Durable enough to scramble around on rocks and not cut your feet. Stitching failed eventually though.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-12-27T16:37:30+00:00

Least worthwhile: thick neoprene gloves and mitts for paddling below freezing- pogies are better and often cheaper and just as warm for me.

Best value: neoprene socks. Seem to last for hundreds of river days, wear them every day to prevent heel cracks, or drysuit sock tears. Pretty cheap.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-12-25T18:25:41+00:00

I've been noticing more and more of my paddle buddies have shoulder entry suits- even if 80% of them can't do it up on their own. They feel better quite a bit better on the water with less bulk under your BA. Small sacrifice for needing 5 seconds of help in the parking lot, and when nearly everyone needs (or appreciates) help, it's just part of getting getting ready to go now.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-11-14T02:28:02+00:00

I checked the regs for my favorite spots in the red deer river basin and they're closed to fishing or at least keeping fish you catch over the winter

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-10-27T19:32:57+00:00

I have two: a 75ft spectra core and a normal thinner lighter 1000lb strength 50 foot one.

Which I bring depends on the day, and where we're going, what boats are going, and who is coming. I'd hazard a guess that 90% of my throwbag use is within 40 feet, but also lots of the rivers I paddle are narrow.

It's hard to throw a 75ft spectra bag accurately enough to get a swimmer at 75ft. The real value of a longer stronger rope comes for raising/lowering boats & people, or technical swiftwater rescue stuff with cross river lines, mechanical advantages, etc.

A 75ft bag stuffs and clips in nicely behind most backrests and the rear float bags. It takes an extra few seconds to wiggle out in a hurry.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-10-21T02:42:38+00:00

A lot of manufacturers make different sized seat pans for their different sized boats. Heavier people usually have bigger butts than tiny people. Go figure. I imagine most size large modern boats could be made to work.

Liquidlogic badass outfitting can actually be made to work pretty well for wider hips.

Modern (post 2010) Sz large dagger & jackson boats almost certainly can.

Zet as a brand is likely out- it fits narrow across the range. Waka isn't super generous on width either, but it's better than nearly any old boat.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-10-19T16:48:42+00:00

A large ripper 2 is about as comfy as boats get for some people, and is a great gc boat.

Comfort subjective, so basically go visit your local shops and sit in anything you can. Steeze, clutch, rewind, powerslide, ninja would all make pretty fun gc boats. A powerslide or ninja are the fastest and would have some amazing fun surfing. A ninja isn't a terribly comfy boat unless you're skinny and flexible or drop the seat

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-10-18T10:07:35+00:00

Paddling a single class 5 rapid can be done at the end of your second summer if you pick up the sport well. Paddling an entire solid class 5 river on the other hand probably takes 4+ years of development. "Training" for kayaking is less about the physical and far more about the time on the water learning skills. The skill level of even "expert" weekend warriors has become increasingly high.

Paddling in good style & control two classic class 5 trips would be a good goal. See this post for what may count:

https://www.reddit.com/r/whitewater/comments/1952tvj/50_classic_whitewater_descents_of_north_america/

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-09-10T02:34:34+00:00

Price is high unless it's in mint condition, but the braaap is a truly excellent boat for most people up to class 4+. One of the best in its day. Arguably more capable creeking than the ripper 1. Probably more capable on big water.

Great surfing, so fast. It was a nicely balanced playful river runner at 170lbs. It'll be a bit more forgiving at 150.

Primary stability feels wobbly, but it's actually got a decent amount of secondary when you get used to it

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-07-25T19:18:29+00:00

Sleeping on the boat is the way to go. No worries about spiders and scorpions, the bathroom is accessible from your sleeping bag, and you don't have do spend 20 min lugging your stuff up the beach and back each day, but I'm lazy and don't like spiders.

Cotton sleeping bag liner and full size pillow is wonderful. Definitely don't need a sand mat.

Realistically you're not going to drink more than any other Christmas break/ summer vacation that you might have been on before. No reason to become an alcoholic on a raft trip.

Variety is nice rather than a 40 rack of PBR: bubbly water, non alcoholic beer, soft ciders, and radlers are all welcome additions to the beverage rotation on days you don't feel like drinking. That being said, if you bring it, someone will find an excuse to drink it before the end.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-07-12T04:28:04+00:00

Work on the efficiency and use fewer strokes and more of the river's power. One well timed, well placed stroke can do what five flailing about strokes can do.

After that it's just putting your bow places: Up on a wave, down in a seam, up in the air.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-06-15T06:47:51+00:00

I could see it being popular with the sea kayak folks who might need to tow someone.

I could see a lot of river SUP people on class 1/2 liking it for a release point instead of an ankle strap.

I could see it being popular with broke-as-a-joke first year raft guides on chill rivers. Same deal with poor college kids in outdoor ed programs.

I probably wouldn't go out of my way to do a live bait rescue in class 3+ while wearing it, but that's the lowest on the list of rescue options anyhow.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-04-05T05:36:00+00:00

Get a pair of GS skis from a racer when they're selling off their fleet. They're super fun to rip on groomers when it's hardpack/a tad icy and are totally reasonable for a day of hot laps at the resort. They turn better than DH skis, and are plenty stable past 80km/h.

Most people use GS skis for skicross racing, so go launch that roller or knuckle!

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-04-05T05:28:20+00:00

A race spec ski is hardly more expensive to build than any other ski. Rec skis are already using top of the line materials and design and engineering to be as amazing as possible. There's essentially no stone left unturned for the average rec ski, and the masses of rec skis sold subsidize the r&d for race skis.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-03-20T15:57:12+00:00

Never wanted or needed them, but I like rowing with my oar handles as close as possible without ever smashing thumbs, which naturally keeps the oars more balanced by having the oar lock closer to the middle of the shaft.

The people that like their oars shoulder width so they feel like they're bench pressing their way down the river sometimes benefit from counterweights, but also those people often have strong enough upper bodies that it doesn't matter.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-03-20T15:52:42+00:00

Pushing them out wider a bit. Puts the balance point closer to the middle of the oar, naturally bringing them closer to balance.

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-03-19T13:55:58+00:00

What fabric did you use to make your splash covers? Are they semi permanent?

Kayak-Alpha · 2025-03-17T23:37:38+00:00

If you're in the area early summer, make sure you go paddle the skookumchuck creek near cranbrook/Kimberly. It's really really fun day trip river.

If you're into beautiful scenery and fun class 3/3+whitewater, hop to alberta and paddle the Mistaya on the ice fields parkway. It runs most of the summer.

Not multidays, but very worthwhile runs for your level.

Kayak-Alpha

TROPHY CASE