Extreme Riverboarding Tips

(Please read the Disclaimers .)

 So you want to riverboard some extreme water, yes? Here are a few tips:

1) You should be totally comfortable in huge Class IV stretches of whitewater. Class IV can be quite extreme in and of itself when you are riverboarding it. It's also a helluva lot of fun without the much higher risks that Class V poses.

2) Keep in mind that Class V encompasses everything bigger than a Class IV+ all the way to unrunnable (Class VI). Bcoz of this enormous category of water, some V's are fairly easy, such as riverboarding a 12 foot waterfall, some are a more technical jumbled mass of hydraulics, and some V's are several mile stretches of the most intense whitewater you've ever seen, such as Cherry Creek in Northern California (which has been riverboarded, by Robert Carlson quite a few years ago). Keep in mind also that once a Class VI (usually waterfalls of some sort) has been run a few times, the rating gets changed to a V+ usually.

3) SCOUT FIRST! There is nothing stupider than trying to riverboard rapids that you have not thoroughly scouted first. Know the hazards, know your line, know what to do if something unexpected happens. It's much easier to pick a line from shore, also, than it is to actually hit that line when you're laying in the water. Little Class II ripples can often appear bigger in the water and obscure the view of your line, which makes hitting the line a lot harder on a riverboard than it is from higher up, say in a kayak or raft. Always check things out first though, and when possible have a throw rope person in near any bad hydraulics just in case. Being safe ensures you'll stay alive to enjoy the fun!

4) There is safety in numbers - if you are going to be boarding a river that doesn't have easy road access, go with kayakers or rafters who know the river. That way at least you will be able to have warning ahead of time about what is around the next bend, and many times you can follow their more experienced line safely through the rapid.

5) Waterfalls - you should know the line ahead of time, and you should know what the landing is like. It's fairly safe to say that if a raft can drop the falls, you can riverboard it (or sledge it or hydrospeed it...). If it's primarily a kayaking waterfall (say over 20 feet) then A) be sure that it shoots the water out away from the rock wall and B) ensure that the landing is deep. Hit the line as you would through a rapid, and kick hard to have speed going over the lip. Pull the board to your chest - you want to stay fairly horizontal, DO NOT go headfirst! Depending on the height, you can probably land at a 45 degree angle up and be just fine, since most waterfalls have aerated landings. Higher waterfalls may necessitate holding your board away from your body and landing feet-first though. CHECK OUT ICE'S BLOG ABOUT WATERFALL "DIVING" TECHNIQUE

6) Get pictures or video! You'll be glad you did, and so will we. :-)

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