Steering a Paddle Raft

[ranchman44]

A good raft guide can actually run that section with almost no help from the paddlers. I had a company out there many years a go and the only tough times were at high water.
Regular flows are a snap. Is the 3 oar ordeal still there ?? I ran that section @32000 in an open canoe and the news paper took pic's and post that now it was safe to run the river . That was after a couple of people drowned and I was their answer to kick off the raft season. The haun bros and holmes were the big names on the river@that time
Any way the advice you have been given is excellent just have a good time and enjoy the river

[qh2150]

Best advice I got, "Turn more than you think, turn sooner than you think." Pretty much sums it up. Also have them focus on paddling together. Front two paddle together, everyone behind them paddles with the person in front of them.

Make sure your guests follow your exact commands and avoid trying to steer or guess what you're trying to do. Commands are ALL forward, LEFT back, RIGHT back, ALL back, easy strokes, take a break. Saying three forward or four forward or one forward also helps for some reason.

The reason I capitalized the beginning of each command is it allows the guests to immediately know if the command concerns them, ex: If they hear Back LEFT, they have to wait until you say LEFT as the second word to decide "okay, I'm on the left side, this is a command for me, now what was it again? Oh yeah, paddle backwards." If you say LEFT back, they know, okay, "left side, this is me, backwards!"

If the riders are inexperienced, make sure you review safety too. Feat up!

[brendodendo]

Just go for the paddle boat. Call your commands like you mean them. Make sure they understand that their paddle goes to the hip with the blade out of the water when you say stop, chill or relax. Lilly dippers with their own agenda will mess up "your" line. Take 50% as many spare paddles (or more) as you have paddlers. Try to learn to guide from the stern, and from both sides. It really helps when things go wrong and you inevitably have to shift positions. Not to mention helps both arms get a work out.

[colorado_steve]

plan ahead on paddle rafts, you wont be as maneuverable as you would on your cat

[carvedog]

Originally Posted by brendodendo

Just go for the paddle boat. Call your commands like you mean them. Make sure they understand that their paddle goes to the hip with the blade out of the water when you say stop, chill or relax. Lilly dippers with their own agenda will mess up "your" line. Take 50% as many spare paddles (or more) as you have paddlers. Try to learn to guide from the stern, and from both sides. It really helps when things go wrong and you inevitably have to shift positions. Not to mention helps both arms get a work out.

Yer doing it wrong. Tell your paddlers to hold onto to their paddle. If they swim back to the boat without their paddle just keep on swimming - the shore is over there. 50%? Really? Your paddle boat friends must suck.

Are you one of those guys who whips the paddle over his head from one side of the boat to the other? 700 to 800 days in a paddle boat and I have never had to "inevitably shift positions."

It is best to paddle boat guide from the stern but I have made a game of guiding from the bow too. That did usually involve cute girls somewhere near the front of the boat. And before marriage.

Different strokes I suppose.

[ranchman44]

One of the basic rules everyone forgot is go down river ! Never plan your trip to paddle up stream LOL

[peterB]

Two things that will get a wow from your paddlers.

1. to make a Left turn spin 270 to the Right, Think zoolander
2. Call out number of strokes "2 forward strokes please" Keeps them alert. Remember Rafters can't count higher than four.

I assume that Brendo means to learn to guide on both sides. Balances your muscle structure and some rapids work better from left or right. Tunnel Chute on the Middle American is a classic example of a lefty rapid. You can do it on the right but you can't see very well and it is hard to control the bump on the outside of the turn.

[brendodendo]

Originally Posted by carvedog

Yer doing it wrong. Tell your paddlers to hold onto to their paddle. If they swim back to the boat without their paddle just keep on swimming - the shore is over there. 50%? Really? Your paddle boat friends must suck.

Are you one of those guys who whips the paddle over his head from one side of the boat to the other? 700 to 800 days in a paddle boat and I have never had to "inevitably shift positions."

It is best to paddle boat guide from the stern but I have made a game of guiding from the bow too. That did usually involve cute girls somewhere near the front of the boat. And before marriage.

Different strokes I suppose.

CD, You must be the one doing it wrong, but you prob only paddle raft class 1 and 2. Different strokes. Rather have more than enough paddles to get down the river. And as per side, I mean in an R2 / R4 / R6 situation guiding from the right of the boat and the left of the boat. R3 / R5 would be from the stern. Not usually one to call BS on a guy I know has lots of river days, but you sound like an A$$ Hat. But seriously you have never had to highside a boat and ended up on the other side of the boat. This is the same BS reason I usually lurk on the board now. F-it What the hell do I know, I hate calling paddle commands and would prefer to just point the boat down river.

[carvedog]

Originally Posted by brendodendo

CD, You must be the one doing it wrong, but you prob only paddle raft class 1 and 2. Different strokes. Rather have more than enough paddles to get down the river. And as per side, I mean in an R2 / R4 / R6 situation guiding from the right of the boat and the left of the boat. R3 / R5 would be from the stern. Not usually one to call BS on a guy I know has lots of river days, but you sound like an A$$ Hat. But seriously you have never had to highside a boat and ended up on the other side of the boat. This is the same BS reason I usually lurk on the board now. F-it What the hell do I know, I hate calling paddle commands and would prefer to just point the boat down river.

The Middle Fork, Payettes, Murtaugh, Selway and Lochsa are all pretty much class 2 so I guess you are right.

Nice nastygram in the PMs too. I didn't know you cared.

Now who's being the asshat?

It was mainly a joke but gators gotta gate.

I have never heard of taking more than one or two paddles as spares.

Peace brother. Try dropping the caffeine.

[qh2150]

Originally Posted by brendodendo

CD, You must be the one doing it wrong, but you prob only paddle raft class 1 and 2. Different strokes. Rather have more than enough paddles to get down the river. And as per side, I mean in an R2 / R4 / R6 situation guiding from the right of the boat and the left of the boat. R3 / R5 would be from the stern. Not usually one to call BS on a guy I know has lots of river days, but you sound like an A$$ Hat. But seriously you have never had to highside a boat and ended up on the other side of the boat. This is the same BS reason I usually lurk on the board now. F-it What the hell do I know, I hate calling paddle commands and would prefer to just point the boat down river.

I always sit stern regardless of configuration, but what do I know.