"riverman" wrote in message
...

"Keenan Wellar" wrote in message
...
"riverman" wrote in message
...
To support my point, here is the AWA Rating scale. Look at how much of
it is subjective, without defining the subject. Terms like 'easy',
'difficult', 'easy to maneuver', 'easily missed', 'fast moving',
'complex'..... what boat are they talking about? And what boater? Even
reference to 'swimmers' leaves quite a few assumptions to be made. As an
open boater, I always am challenged by the reference to 'waves that can
swamp an open canoe'. And as a rafter, I can hardly imagine doing an
eskimo roll...

Read these descriptions, and imagine yourself in a huge raft. Then
imagine yourself as a novice in a squirt boat. The descriptions won't
fit the same river on the same day.

The Six Difficulty Classes
Class I: Easy. Fast moving water with riffles and small waves. Few
obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. Risk
to swimmers is slight, self-rescue is easy.

Heh. Came across this:

http://www.wellar.ca/gokayaking/pics...tomofchute.jpg
http://www.wellar.ca/gokayaking/pics...endofchute.jpg
http://www.wellar.ca/gokayaking/pics...tecauldron.jpg

Was described as "riffles" in the guide.


grin Obviously, the guide was written by a rafter.

--riverman

Maybe! I never thought of that! Although I don't think you'd eve see a raft
on the Bonnechere, at least not in that location :-)

My wife and I actually tried to check with a local before heading out on
that particular trip. He seemed to know exactly what we are talking about,
and said that he thought if we found it too difficult to navigate we could
probably just get out and "wade down the riffles." Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Keenan
gokayaking.ca