It depends where you are floating. Seven boards will get you in trouble in a hard boat above the hatchery.

Since you can get down the entire Sol Duc with a raft under almost any conditions, I'll suggest the following as a guidline for *experienced* drift boat users.

Riverside to Bear Creek: 12 boards or higher.

Bear Creek to Hatchery: 15 boards minimum.

Hatchery to Maxfield: 5 boards minimum (can be done in 4, but hang on).

Shuwah Drift: 5 boards minimum to float *over* the row of rocks at the base of the Shuwah rapids, but, you can float this at no boards if you know the little turn to take at the bottom of the Shuwah rapids.

Whitcomb Dimmel to Rayonier: With expertice this can be run when the rest of the Sol Duc is too low---no boards.

Rayonier to Lyndecker: I like 5 boards or the boat takes a hammering.

Bottom line: Float these drifts with someone who knows them, first. Every stretch of the Sol Duc has Class 2 or 3 water.