"Courtney" wrote in message
ink.net...
I too noticed that the biggest change I found was between class III and
class IV. Another big change I noticed was when I moved from the east
coast
to the west coast. I had done a few big water runs in the east but they
seemed nothing like the one's in the west. To me, generally speaking,
west
coast big water class III feels like a class IV; whereas their technical,
lower volume class IV feels like a class III. I've noticed in some of the
western whitewater books they make mention if the river is a big water run
which is exactly what I like to know. It would be nice if that could be a
staple in all whitewater books.



Yes, your perceptions are right on, Courtney. The lines get blurry at the
edges.

The reason for disparity at the Class III, Class IV boundary is that class
I,II and III rapids are primarily rated by canoeists, as that's their
'specialty water' and they can really split hairs. Class III+ is up near the
top end, and to an open boater, looks awful similar to Class IV-.

Likewise, class IV and V water is primarily rated by yakkers, as that is
their specialty water, and to them, class III looks suspiciously similar
to easy class IV.

As a result, there are a LOT of rapids rated class 3+ or 4- which have very
little similarity, except that they are really challenging for an open boat
and a bit easy for a kayak.

Similarly, eastern water is rated by yakkers and canoeists, but western
water is rated by rafters. Eastern boaters wouldn't automatically add a few
levels just because there are rocks in a rapid, but western boaters
(especially big water boaters) freak out at rocks. Look at Hance in the GC:
no way thats a 10, but tell that to those rubber boaters who are used to
punching 10 foot waves. Similarly, try to convince an east coast boater
that, just because there's a 10 foot wave in a rapid, its not necessarily a
class V.

In fact, when I travelled around the NW around 1985 or so, and was running
(eastern-style class 3) water in my BlueHole 17A, I was what most easterners
considered a dinosaur and an advanced-intermediate boater, but on most of
the western rivers I ran, no one had ever seen a canoeist before, and I was
cutting edge. Rather funny at the time. :-)

--riverman