Looking for advice on fairly mellow water to learn and get comfortable behind the oars on.

I was thinking some lower stretches of the Yak perhaps? Maybe the Sky between Sultan and Monroe? Any penninsula rivers (bogie)?

I have a friend with lots of experience who is good on the oars that is going to show me the ropes but just looking for some feedback on good stretches of water to learn on.

My first few drifts were on the cow and the kalama. Pretty easy water to learn on. Good call taking someone with you that knows whats up

Sultan to Monroe was my first solo trip and I'm still alive. Pretty easy row.

You'll learn fast, it doesn't take long.......my sinsay taught me to point the bow at danger and pull back away from it. Also to keep the sunny-side up! And, lastly, NOT to have too many wobbly-pops in the boat!!!

My problem is not the wobbly pops it is that I talk to much and forget to pay attention to rowing.

Best advice to the new drift boat owner would be this.

While your busy learning don't be to shy about asking your buddys to try it out also. If you let 4 of them try it out two of them will grasp the idea pretty quick. Over the years you will learn the value of having more than a couple of freinds who are good on the sticks. Its nice to sit in the front of the boat and do stuff like lean over the side. Or even better, wait until the bottom of a tailout to ask the rower to hand you a beverage out of that cooler behind the rowing seat. Why you could even get to reel in a fish now and again.

While the Bogey is certainly the beginner's slope of rivers out this way, I certainly wouldn't recommend it for your first few trips. There are places that could cause problems: below the Hatchery Hole, at the mouth of the Calawah , several spots between 101 and the hatchatchery, and below Icebox. All very easy stuff, but you'll still need a general idea of what's going on ... I've seen a number of close calls in those areas over the years and I'd work woith some really flat stuff for a few weeks / months before you hop in there. Lots of good advice above as well!

Driftboat rowing is different than normal rowing in that each oar tip will probably be in water of different moving velocity. Therefore, to keep the boat straight, you will have to constantly pull harder on either one oar oar or the other. This becomes second nature with practice. Additionally, look ahead to where the water (current) is moving, not where the banks are lined up. Generally, point the bow at danger and row off. Do not drink and float - save the micros for after you pull out. I am a professional boat accident consultant, and I do not allow alcohol in my boat - period. I love beer but save it for after fishing. Good luck.

Wobbly pops,

The drifts that are mentioned are all great starters. A couple of other local "starter" drift boat floats might include:

Skagit - anywhere rockport down
Snoqualmie - good tune up stretch is from just below Tokul Cr. down to Fall City (I'm going to get email on this zipperdrift )
Kalama- Beginners Hole to Modrow or let your buddy get you started out of Pritchards
Cow or NF Lewis - great if you dont mind dodging sleds
Lower Natsop or Snooch ("officially" delisted from the dreaded zipperlist.)
Bogachiel- from Wilsons to Leyendeckers
Lower Hoh (check ramp conditions and river channel changes first)

One proviso when floating the Yakima with a dboat, watch out for the wind.

By the way, no matter what your buddy says you might want to avoid the Calawah (the boat ramp is a ruse! don't be fooled.), the Solduc , the Cedar river watershed, upper Wenatchee river including the Tumwater canyon , the Kahuna stretch of the Nisqually and either of the upper double D's. Just to mention a few really nasty ones.

Too many rivers too little time.

Thanks everyone for the feedback

try the green as well. its way mellow below flaming gyser to hwy 18 bridge. i am allways more cautious with large rips near eddys than rapids. although drift boats dont get effected by these as much as rafts the two pieces of water going in opposite directions fast can be a great set up to a problem.