Water level is the key. It's a rock show for the most part. For that reason most guys, most guides, and myself included, prefer to do this one in a raft in anything other than "high water." Below Highway 101 is a little more forgiving than upstream (Hyas creek down to the forks). In twenty years of---go anywhere, do anything mentality on the OP---I've dumped a drift boat twice. Both times were on the Calawah. Once in "hells half mile" on the south fork, and once below 101 at about 800 CFS.

This is an important point. The most common boat dumping occurs when the bow of a drift boat sticks a rock and then the strern sticks another while rotating off---then water breaches a gunnel and you're done. Get the come-along. The Calawah is a rock garden and much below 1000 CFS you cannot find exposed rocks spaced less than 12 to 16 feet apart in a set of rapids.

Bobs right. He's not trying to scare anyone off. It's just the way it is. I don't float tha Calawah very often (if at all) any more because I prefer the comfort of my drift boat, and I hate beating the crap out of it.