OK, I know I probably didn't spell it right and this question may have a dozen different answers.

How many boards is it safe to run the Maxfield to Whitcom-Dimmel drift in a boat? I've done the Morgans-Oxbow drift and have been told that if you can make it down there without any troubles you can do the Schuwa drift. There's only one tricky drop? I'd assume anything over 10 boards would be a waste of time and possibly dangerous. But what's an ideal level just as far as safety in a 14' driftboat?

tks,
Bruce

Be careful assuming the shuwa float is easy. Its only easy if you know the correct path. The river changes every high water and should be respected. We lose boats every year on that float because "its easy". Its only easy compared to the other sol duc floats.

You must respect any rapid that has a name. At the same time the Shuwah is tame for the Duc. Floated it Friday and not much has changed. My tip for anyone going for the first time is do what I did: wait for a buddy that knows it to go down, watch his path while anchored above and follow after he is all-the-way-through. I don't think I would ever be happy with anyone pushing me though any of the rapids on the Duc. I think the hardest thing I found on Friday was the take-out at Whitcomb-Demmil the mud hole has gotten deeeep!

Bruce ... actually, the opposite of your thinking is true. In most cases, the lower the water, the tougher the rapids are. Most of the coastal rapids are not big drops (that is, if you take the correct split ... take the wrong one, and you will find yourself in a big drop situation)with large whitewater, rather, they are filled with countless boulders that you must avoid ... the lower the water, the more that are exposed and the tighter the passage between. A rapid like Shuwah only tends to get big rollers at high flows, no holes or anything. But always know your limitations and be cautious!

I wasn't really thinking the lower the better. I've done the lower drift in a friend's Puma in very low conditions and wouldn't ever want to drag my boat like we did the raft. I was just looking for a range that's considered good with a smaller boat. 5-7?

Last fall I bounced through the lower end of the Shuwah rapid in my pontoon boat at 4 to 5 boards and a couple of friends who followed in a 16' drift boat did fine until the very bottom when they tried to split the two boulders on the left,(It looked like the best chance, I took it too) they looked like they were dancing trying to get off the rocks. You could make it at 5 to 7 but you will probably hit something at the bottom of the rapid. You probably won't see water that low anymore this year anyway. YES on 696!!

Ahh, now I see what Bob was saying. Not that high boards are bad when the water color is right. All I need now is a winch to pull my 2WD truck out of the takeout mud. Please take pity if you see a rusty old Nissan bogged down...