[HtotheJ]

Any thoughts on getting my 16ft cat through westwater @ 5K? or should I take the smaller 14ft raft? Thanks for your input

 

[rbrain]

You'll be fine. I was barely able to squeeze my 18' cat down at 2K cfs. 5K you'll have no problems (at least with getting stuck on rocks).

 

[joejacksonframing]

Ran my 16' cat last fall @ 1,200. no problem. Skull was a rock, not even pouring over. Plenty of water.

 

[Pcdc2]

Agreed - WW at 5k is a fun easy level you'll have no problem with either boat.

 

[kazak4x4]

Ran my 16' cat last fall @ 1,200. no problem. Skull was a rock, not even pouring over. Plenty of water.

16' @1,200cfs??? I would have loved to see the footage of that. We barely squeezed a 16 foot raft and 16 foot cat through Skull at ~2,000 cfs.

 

[wildh2onriver]

I was able to pinball down the left in my 18' leopard in 2002 @ 1200 cfs. Couldn't scout as their were several boats in the eddy.

 

[peterich]

The only thing you have to worry about is pulling away from Shock Rock and Magnetic Wall. My buddy rowed a 22 foot snout through the Canyon when Razor was exposed, but he had to take some seriously difficult/important strokes that could not be missed. Why not take the smaller boat it would be more fun, unless you need the room if you are going through Cataract?

 

[kazak4x4]

5k ww is a beginner river, very forgiving and still fun to row. You can easily go in and out of Room of doom at that level. SITM would be the biggest hit on the river at 5k.

 

[JerkmyBait]

Yesterday at around 5k sock it to me was huge! Really fun rapid at that level, could easily flip a boat. Move at skull is simple, pull left and go around it.

 

[Pcdc2]

5k ww is a beginner river, very forgiving and still fun to row. You can easily go in and out of Room of doom at that level. SITM would be the biggest hit on the river at 5k.

The man speaks truth!

 

[restrac2000]

Have always thought its more about the width of the boat then the length in these situations. Both in narrowness of slots and the ability to fully ship your oars, which gets harder with larger wingspan needed for wider rigs.

 

[captishmael]

I took my 16 ft Twin Tube cat down at 2500 cfs, ran Skull to the right. My starboard oar was pinned against the wall as my starboard bow tried to climb the wall and my port stern fell into Skull hole. The twin tube cats are a little wider than a single tube cat. WW is always fun, but it's not a beginner run at any level. If things go to Hell in a Handbasket in the inner canyon, what are you going to do? A beginner might flip in Funnel, SITM, or Last Chance. Or maybe highside on Shock Rock. Filter Plant, Upper C, Ruby/Horsethief all make great beginner runs.

 

[kazak4x4]

I am talking about Westwater beginner, not whitewater rafting beginner. Out of all the levels Westwater gives us, in my opinion 5k is the best to learn the rapids of Westwater on. Higher than that and you are facing with long swims, lower than that pins and wraps due to exposed rocks.

I figured since OP has two rafts and asking about WW, he must be an experienced rafter and new to WW....aka WW beginner