If you stay close to shore you’ll get a feel for what it will be like but there is some crazy boat traffic through there in the summer. I don’t really know that stretch well enough although I have flown over there. I wouldn’t be thinking of traveling from point A to B on the first trip out. I just went through this same calculus and waited until I had been on a lake a couple times before trying to travel six miles and back to our car. If you go on weekday early in the morning that would be best.
A lot depends on when they release the water from
Davis dam. That’s why you want to know the stretch of river because it can be completely different depending on the release.
The pics are Lake Mohave but telephone cove is found online if you search.
This is the stretch between Laughlin to Lake Havasu (Topoc Gorge)
I just think it could be too advanced for beginners, it COULD be fine because people travel down in inner tubes but you need to just get used to paddling around in “one place.”
The release from the dam makes a big difference and like a tide, you want to know the schedule.
The easiest thing to do is just drive to the Avi, get out and look around at the ramp.
My husband is saying “go to the lake not the river.”
@Sparky96 agree with willowleaf. I canoed with my brothers in a river that had a class 2 and class 3 section at the fall line, where the river meets the tidal section. We eventually lost one canoe and damaged a replacement canoe at that spot. The second boat was repaired until it was damaged as well. Our problem was the wrong canoes and inadequate skill. We ran out of boats. I tried my brother’s white water slolom kayak once, then switched to a mountain bike.
When I returned to paddling years later, it was in favor of kayaks suited for the tidal segment where the river joins with open water. All the kayaks are still intact.
Whitewater is a skill unto itself, and the paddler matters more than the boat. It is also almost never done solo in even class 3, for excellent reasons.
My guess is that you could find somewhere in a rational drive to apend a weekend in a proper WW training program. Do that.
Nosing into the wake is advised by some. I’ve found it mostly works well, especially if the wake isn’t overly large and the weight of paddler (and gear) isn’t too far forward or pushing the boat’s capacity limit. Leaning back can help keep the nose from diving under too. On balance, though, I prefer @Celia 's 3/4 approach idea … it’s less likely to nose under vs. stabbing the wake at 90 degrees and less chance of getting swamped vs putting the boat parallel to the wake. Best to get the feel of your boat by playing around close to shore in various conditions (with PFD) before heading out on an extended trip.
Thank you all for your advise. My wife is pretty freaked out about the whole thing. I’m going to take your advise and stay on protected water for a while and get use to the boat. I hope by the end of summer I can run the gorge. The river calms down after Labor Day. I think If I go early and in the middle of the week like suggested, I think it should work out. I know what you mean by nosing into a wave. Years ago I had a 24’ racing shell. Rowing backwards with roller seats. I would take it out of Newport harbor into open water. Sometimes the boat would cut right through the wave then the wave would hit me right in the back. I’m thinking something like that on this boat wouldn’t be good.
This MAY be "Colorado River/Grand Canyon ratings and not the general standard Whitewater classifications.
<< The Grand Canyon stretch of the Colorado River often uses a different rating system. The Class 1-10 system that is used in the Grand Canyon roughly parallels Classes I-V on the International Scale of River Difficulty (ISRD) . In the Grand Canyon, Classes 1-2 equal ISRD Class I, Classes 3-4 equal ISRD Class II, Classes 5-6 equal ISRD Class III, Classes 7-8 equal ISRD Class IV and Classes 9-10 equal ISRD Class V. Below is a short description of Class VII-X according to ISRD.>>
Still, not something that an unskilled whitewater paddler should attempt in that kayak.
I could care about your getting wet. But this boat has too big an opening for a skirt to work decently. You nose this thing into the right wave you could get enough water in to swamp.
I cannot say enough, find some instruction since you seem dedicated to getting onto moving water. I agree w your wife.
I went online to find out they rated it at a class 4 to 5. I was wondering about it, because I have seen much worse rapids than this in movies. The only reason I was considering it was because it was a very short distance and the rest of the trip looked really good. I have since reconsidered after listening to all of you here. I do think I will try the Topock gorge later this year after staying in protected water for a while. The wife will probably sit that one out. Which means I need to modify the boat for single paddling. Then talk my friend into it. Thinking it will be better with two boats.
Nice picture of the gorge from Mohave flyer.
What even class 2 feels like when you are in it is very different from what it looks like from the shore. What you can’t tell from looking at water is how you will feel when you realize that the water, not you, can be in charge of where you are going.
Wear a helmet. It’s the easiest way to witness water as a perfect bending force. If the boat won’t fit around a corner, the water will bend it to make it fit. Don’t get caught between the boat and the rock. Boats can be replaced, but you might try to get at least a few miles on flat water before it becomes a taco.
I can see how looking at the water can be deceiving. I noticed the track you take makes all the difference.
I’m excited to try some moving water but I’m going to wait until fall.
Lol. I don’t want a taco boat! You must have looked at the Pearce Ferry rapids. There is a sharp right turn in the middle of them. I think I’m going to put that one on the back burner until I get some miles on this boat then get a boat designed for that type of water. Maybe a lesson or two wouldn’t hurt. I think the gorge between Needles Ca. and Lake Havasu Az. is something to look forward to after the summer madness.
Wow! I didn’t know that. I have seen that movie. I had no idea. So you are planning to paddle it also? It looks like a good time to me. The only problem I can see is the fast crazy boat drivers. The off season shouldn’t be that bad. I think
Oh yea. We have a house there (rented) that we plan to use in the winter retirement. We have flown all over that area out of Eagle Air Park (Mohave Valley) and we think it looks beautiful. It’s an amazing place, there are petroglyphs you can see from the air.
We didn’t have kayaks when I lived there while my husband was in Afghanistan but we can’t wait to do it .
I think certain times of the year would be better, like not when it’s 120. We keep wondering how we will get back from Havasu to Lake Mohave area.
The airport in Havasu has loaner cars for pilots so maybe we could do that and I’d follow him to return it.
It’s a wildlife sanctuary through there and you can only fly so low.
Another thing you might want to check out is Havasu Falls! Christmas Tree Pass petroglyphs…
There are a lot of wild big horn sheep out there too!
There are petroglyphs up here in the Kingman area also. My wife and I check them out while hiking and using our side by side. That also doesn’t work well in this heat. We are looking forward to a bit cooler weather.
We are also thinking about getting back up river. Definitely need two vehicles. What I wasn’t thinking about until now is in order to set up the down river vehicle and get an early start paddling we need to start extra early.
Kingman! We always call places in Kingman first because they really have their acts together (vs Bullhead and Laughlin )
We like that Thai restaurant and your Caterpiller dealership. it’s nice up there.
You might have Ubers by now?
Talk to people about how you know when they will release the water because I could never figure it out. Is the schedule reliable? I don’t know.
I think you’d like Lake Mohave and
it is just at the bottom of your hill coming down.
We do like Kingman but it sure is growing. We are small town people. The biggest problem is all the agriculture. If you fly over Kingman now you will be surprised how much the agriculture has grown. Between Kingman and red lake is all alfalfa then out towards Valley vista are miles of nut trees and grape vineyards. Also from behind the airport towards Petro on I-40 are more miles of nut trees. We are worried about the water level in the aquafer. Still better than city life for us.
We have friends that paddle in areas of Lake Havasu. They tell me there are protected waters there.
Does growing a very thirsty crop like alfalfa in the desert with no sustainable water source make sense? No, except to those with a vested interest in the practice. But be careful not to condemn agriculture too broadly. We kinda need it. Every time we pick up a spoon or fork.
)
it’s nice up there.