[SpeyCatr]

I live in Coquitlam, BC, Canada, a suburb of Vancouver BC, Canada. Instead of looking online, which I do a fair amount of, I'd like to do some touchee feelee of some cataraft/rafting stuff/supplies/accessories. I'm wondering if there are any decent raft or cataraft or similar stores/dealers somewhere in Washington state near the border that are worth visiting just to see some products in person, etc.? (instead of having to gawk online all the time). I know a lot of this stuff is specialty type stuff too but it'd be nice to at least see something. A lot of the stores in the Vancouver BC area and suburbs are more geared towards kayaking, and the fishing stores with Mini-Cats have few to no stock of items and little knowledge if any.

 

[jgrebe]

Bellingham

Hi, I have been in Bellingham for three years now and haven't found much at all for rafting supplies in the area. Amazed how little rafting is done here actually. Yeagers in Bellingham has some NRS stuff and a good selection of general whitewater gear but not much in the way of boats. I saw a good rafting store way down by Yakima but that is several hours south of the border.

 

[BarryDingle]

Living in WA really makes me appreciate the shops I had in Denver. I haven't heard of a single shop in all of Washington...or Portland. It's crazy that in a state with this much WW potential (and a huge population)there are no shops. It boggles the mind. It seems like its all sea kayaking stuff here...rafting is so much more popular in the Rocky Mountain west

 

[orto11]

There used to be a place in Vancouver, Washington but they have gone out of business I think, I see liquidation ads on craigslist.

I have asked the same question and the answer has always been, people want such deals anymore and don't want to pay store prices the retailers can't make it in brick and mortar shops, customers come in and then get on their I phone to see how much cheaper they can get it somewhere else and order from online retailers Example ( oars, Ik's etc ).

Then you have the cut throat that advertise I sell this brand, this brand, this brand and I take 20 % off of this if you buy from me and they don't even have a store its a part time thing they play with while working another job. That kills the legitimate brick and mortar shops.

If you look at the boats out on the water most of them are old galvy frames and a bunch of cobbled homemade stuff stuck to them. In general most boaters are cheapo's

We have a couple shops out this way but it is a ways from BC .

 

[fishhawk1400]

There's no margin in boats and rafting gear unless you buy 5 or more rafts at a time. at least with nrs. There's 2 rafting stores in or near Portland.
andy and bax has been around for a long time and river connection in Vancouver

 

[orto11]

There's no margin in boats and rafting gear unless you buy 5 or more rafts at a time. at least with nrs. There's 2 rafting stores in or near Portland.
andy and bax has been around for a long time and river connection in Vancouver

I think River Connection is laying low and out of business.

 

[Avatard]

I think River Connection is laying low and out of business.

Is this true or are you just being a dick?

 

[orto11]

I work in the PDX area alot and like to hit the river stores to look around. I was at A&B,someone there said River Connection was going out and don't bother going by. I never went to personally look because it was Saturday and they were closed and I had a long drive home.I saw some liquidation ads on craigs also. The place where I bought straps had a boat from them. I won't post what they said and why they had the boat.

 

[Wiggins]

River Connection didn't return my emails asking about the availability of about $3000 in stuff that I said I was ready to buy last winter. My guess is they are dead.

Kyle

 

[mtrafter]

I live in Bellingham and am also shocked that I have found no one else here interested in rafts or gear...probably move back to Montana and brave winters again next year