[allgood]

I was just wondering if anyone could help set a beginner straight. I stopped by confluence this evening and the water was much bigger than I have ever seen (my whole 2 months of kayaking). When I looked on the flows page it showed 670cfs and a medium rating. My question is when looking at the flow numbers does a high rating mean the best time to paddle? Are these ratings decided by highly skilled paddlers?
Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

[Chris Webster]

Most were decided by a skilled paddler who likes big water (and when boats were big). Most of the lower ends have been adjusted for the smaller boats. Whether high water is the best time to paddles is up to what you like. Most people like enough water that they are not scraping rocks, but not so much that things get out of control.

Low water is technical, lot's of maneuvering, high water gets pushy with much less maneuvering. Swimming in high water can be really scary.

Start with yellows and migrate to green as you see fit.