First time Floating the'Duc/ Help me choose the right float

I've been captain of my driftboat for five years, my experience is limited entirely to one river Class 1 river, the Hoh. I feel I am ready to take the next step and move up a class in river...

With boater safety (or lack thereof)being such a prominent topic of discussion lately I thought this a perfect time to solicit the opinions of those who have already made the step up in class...

Which float should I do first? I have fished the section of the Sol Duc from the put in at the sort yard to Leyendeckers from a raft although it was prior to owning a driftboat.

Please, if I could afford to pay a guide to show me the way I would have done that by now...nothing personal Bob.

Any input would be much appreciated...

Get one of your buddies who works for MSFT to foot the bill for a guide. That cheap-skate buddy of yours has been draining you for info on your home river for two years now. It's the least they could do... :0

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Steel

I figure I could always just do it the wrong way once...kind of like a reverse trail of breadcrumbs, the next time I floated it I'd know which way NOT to go by the rocks with the blue paint on them...

Anyone??

Is your or your passengers life worth more than $150.00 - $175.00? I think so. Call, Bob, Al, Jim, or Pat and make a date. Pay close attention. The problem here is river level also. What you run one day can be drastically different the next. Take a couple guided trips. The life you save may be your own.

Two quick notes...

I truly appreciate your concern for my passengers safety...If what you say is true, that I shouldn't even attempt it until a guide shows me the way I'll need to make about ten trips with a guide in varying water levels...

I am not a greenhorn, I have more hours on the oars in varying water conditions than many guides based right there in Forks...

I wonder if I am experiencing some more "outsider backlash" here??

Stlhdh20, have you done the entire hoh from top to bottom? If your real comfortable above 101 your next step would be the Shuhwah drift on the duc. After that the dimmel drift would be the next challenging with the infamous double rapids. Only one route down this one and if the water is low your gonna have to hit a few rocks just right to get through. It does get to low to float, I have had to get out of the boat in the middle of it once to get the boat off the rocks. I was with a guide who told us we would probably be dragging through it though so I expected it.

I guess I need to take that back....

Go with a guide at just low water then you will know the best route in most conditions. ohh one other thing their really are no places to line a boat through on the duc. I thought that would be an option until i went with a guide to make sure and found out their is very little bank to stand on near the rapids.

Thank you for replying...I have floated the entire river many times from the park to the rough launch at Oil city...Everywhere from the drop right before the watermarker hole, to the rock garden before the mouth of the canyon, I have gone through the oxbow ten times, making contact with 'the rock' only once. I've only missed the back eddy twice, both times due to taking too deep a scratch and missing an oar stroke...

I have not made the decision to move up a river class lightly...thanks again for your input.

Maxfield to Whitcomb-Dimmel is pretty straitforward with only a couple of spots to worry about. The first being Shuwah Rapid (we call it Shuwah Riffle after going down the Hatchery stretch a few times!) There are a couple of big rocks on the bottom right and a bunch of smaller stuff throughout. Keep your eyes open and don't hit the big ones! There is an Island about 3/4 of the way through that has a collected a lot of Big Ass cedar trees. You can not see your way clear to the left so I have always gone right. I did see someone go through there, but ...

Now the hatchery to WD is another story. We crashed our way through for the first time last spring. At 4 boards with an 18' Eastside, it was not a lot of fun. We found lots of rocks. We found the blocked channel, about the third or fourth drop it looks like left is the way to go. It is not. There is one before that if you go right you will be f't. I have now been down that stretch once at 7 boards and again at 9, and it is much more pleasant.

Remember that is always good to have a plan but its always better to have a good plan!

Good Luck and keep it right side up.

Thanks for the info Gutz, I'm glad there is someone willing to post "secrets". I get the impression sometimes that alot of people think the Sol Duc should be a guides only river.

You could also drift the bottom end of the Duc. Go down to Lyendeckers and checkout the rapid right above the bridge. Its the toughest one on that drift but if you've rowed the Ho canyon you can handle it.

I have seen both a canoe and a row boat do the drop below the Iverson hole.The row boat was full of kids!

That lower river still has some good drops in it like the one between the two moriarity holes.I don't know how technical they are in higher water but they are full of rockkkkkkks!coming into the next hole down is a bit tricky too?

Is there an ideal river level (in boards) for each float??

In my BigAss boat I wouldn't do the Hatchery at less than 7, Max to WD 5, or more. I haven't been on the other parts yet. I am by no means an expert on these waters, so please be careful!

One Additional note on the Shuwah. There is a large rock somewhat hidden in the rollers on the bottom left side (I learned the hardway as did a few others that day). I have rowed that stretch a 3 or 4 times and hit it at least twice. Every time I have been through there we started left rowed into the middle, and back to the left at the bottom.

The first time I went through I anchored up well above the rapid and watched a couple of other boats go through first. If you can get through the Oxbo you can make the Shuwah.

Good Luck!!!

Could you explain to me what happened when you hit the rock?? You obviously didn't flip the boat...

Did you stick on it or just go BANG!!! ?

Did hitting the rock make you lose control or put you in any immediate danger of capsizing??