Breckenridge Rafting Video

Here is a great video showing the wet wild fun Breckenridge rafting trips have to offer.

Breckenridge River Rafting

When most people think about Breckenridge, Colorado, they think skiing. But Breckenridge has so much more to offer visitors. There’s great biking, hiking, horseback riding and fly fishing, plus year-round shopping and dining along Breckenridge’s charming Victorian Main Street. But perhaps the most fun warm weather activity available is Breckenridge rafting.

Breckenridge Rafting Options

From Breckenridge, rafting is close, convenient, fun and one of the best ways to experience the Rocky Mountains. There are four fabulous rivers to raft close to Breckenridge, all of which offer half-day and full-day rafting trips, as well as choices that are appropriate for beginners, intermediate rafters and expert whitewater enthusiasts. Highside Adventure Tours offers the following Breckenridge rafting choices:

• Blue River — The most convenient rafting trip begins in Breckenridge. The Blue River is Summit County’s only whitewater river and one of the few opportunities for high country river rafting in the state. Exquisitely scenic, our Blue River Rafting trip boasts gorgeous views of some of the highest peaks in Colorado, including the stunning Gore Range. This is a great Breckenridge rafting trip for a half day adventure.
  
• Clear Creek — Clear Creek is the next most convenient choice for Breckenridge rafting. This trip starts out about 50 minutes east of Breckenridge in the historic mining town of Idaho Springs and offers full and half-day rafting trips for all ages and all levels. This trip includes all of your rafting options, including some fun such as half day rafting followed by a tour of an historic mine, a half day raft trip followed by a relaxing soak in the natural hot springs of the Indian Springs resort, or a half day Vail Pass bike ride followed by a river run.
  
• The Colorado River — This Breckenridge rafting adventure meets at our Breckenridge Basecamp. On this trip, rafting companies drive roughly an hour to our remote canyon put-in. The Colorado River is one of the classic rivers in the United States. Starting high in the Colorado Rockies, and eventually flowing through the Grand Canyon, the Colorado is the setting for some great mountain and canyon scenery, natural hot springs, old pioneer cabins, wildlife viewings and more.
• Arkansas River — This Breckenridge rafting trip starts about 1.25 hours south of Breckenridge in Buena Vista, Colorado. Buena Vista means “beautiful view” in Spanish, and they’re not kidding! The 14,000 foot Collegiate Peaks and the Arkansas River valley are simply beautiful. Along with the thrill of rafting the most popular commercial river in the U.S., the surroundings help make the trip even more worthwhile. Buena Vista is a town worth visiting as well, not to mention the two fabulous hot springs right outside of town.

FAQ for Blue River Rafting

The Blue river 1/2 day trip offers class 3 whitewater through beautiful alpine scenery. The season is from late May through early July ( varies slightly from year to year ). All of our Breckenridge rafting trips depart from our Frisco office.

Can I bring my child on this trip?
Recommended minimum age is 7 years old and 50 lbs. The minimum age may be adjusted upward at higher flows and downward at lower flows.

Are there many injuries?
In any outdoor adventure activity involving risk and inherent dangers there is always the possibility of injury. We take many precautions to minimize the risk, resulting in very few minor injuries each season. There is a low potential for injury on our mild to moderate trips. The potential for injury would increase with the level of difficulty of the trip. We give a very informative river orientation/safety talk prior to each trip that familiarizes the guests with some of the potential risks.

What should I Bring/Wear?
Wear comfortable, quick drying clothing ( swimsuit, shorts), and protective footgear ( sneakers that you don't mind getting wet ).We also recommend sunglasses, hat, sunscreen and a fleece or capilene on cooler days. We have wetsuits, booties, and whitewater splash jackets available for rent. Dry storage bags are provided for small items, such as sunscreen, and sweaters. We recommend bringing a dry change of clothes for after the trip.

When and where do we meet?
All of our Breckenridge rafting trips will meet 30 minutes prior to the scheduled departure time at our office in Frisco.

Once you have arrived at the office that your trip departs from, Performance Tours will provide all shuttles. We have ample parking at all of our offices.

Need to know more? What about lifejackets, lunches, equipment you can bring and equipment you'll need? Our FAQ page has all the answers you need.

For more information about Breckenridge rafting or about Blue River, check out their website: www.performancetours.com

Colorado River Rafing featuring rafting in India

The Zanskar River :: India

by Anupam Chandola
part I of III
Anupam Chandola (Arnie) is a native of India and has guided around the world including the Zanskar. Arnie really wants to go again so he wrote this up to entice you to join us in the summer for "a true journey of exploration and discovery". He can setup fully guided or semi-private trips where you kayak or row your own raft as I know that would appeal to many of our readers. Just contact us with questions.
Rafting in the Indian Himalayas

River running is virtually as old as civilization itself, but rafting and kayaking as recreational activities are relatively new, especially in the Indian Himalayas. A river journey in an exotic foreign country is one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to experience the rural areas, observing different ways of live, cultures and natural environments, and coming into contact with village people the conventional traveler rarely gets to meet. These pleasures are complimented by an even greater thrill: rafting through powerful, fast flowing rapids. The skills of our professional guides and the stability, sturdiness and buoyancy of modern self bailing rafts, enable us to safely challenge these exciting rivers. Nowhere are these voyages of exploration and adventure better experienced than in the Himalayas, where some of the finest white-water rivers in the world surge through spectacular land of dramatic contrast supporting an amazing variety of flora and fauna, interlaced with a myriad of centuries-old culture. History you will find with India River Rafting in the Himalayas. Colorado River Rafting has more rapids...

Colorado River Rafting and what to wear...

You will be the most comfortable in things that dry quickly. If the weather is warm, and that is most typical, dress to get wet. Swimsuits, shorts and T-shirts are fine. Appropriate footwear is a must. Old pair of tennis shoes or the Teva-type sport sandals (the guides choice of footwear) is best. Wool socks or no socks. If it is expected to be a cool day, rule number one is COTTON IS WRONG! A wool sweater or fleece jacket is good to have along on any raft trip. There are brands of wetsuits and one of the best for coldwater 45 degrees is this wetsuit approved by scuba pros and this wetsuit for waters ranging 60 to 75 degrees, spray jackets, and river boots preferred by Colorado River Rafting professionals. Again, expect to get wet!

If you wear glasses or plan to wear sunglasses, a retaining strap such as a chums or croakies is the key to still owning your glasses at the end of the day. Only waterproof cameras are recommended. A water bottle is nice to have along. Most outfitters rent the river wear and some provide certain things for free like raftmasters.com on your Colorado River Rafting trip. Sunscreen and/or a hat are also good to have. Don't forget your spirit of adventure.

Colorado Whitewater Rafting Terminology for beginners

Boat & Equipment Terminology

Paddle: A paddle held in the hands, not attached to the boat, used to paddle. Can be single-bladed (for rafting and canoeing) or double-bladed (for kayaking, solo cats, inflatable kayaks)

Paddle Boat: A raft with a crew of paddlers and a guide.

Oar: A long blade, attached to the boat by an oarlock on thole pin, and used to row.

Oar Rig: A boat rigged with oars, so one person sitting in the center of the boat can row.

Stern Rig, Paddle Assist: An oar/paddle boat, in which the guide has oars and frame in the stern, and thecrew, sitting forward, has paddles. Ofen used on high water.

Bow: The front of the boat.
Stern: The rear of the boat.

Duckie, Inflatable Kayak, Funyak, Splashyak: A one or two person inflatable boat, usually paddled with double bladed paddles.

Cataraft: An inflatable boat with two pontoons.

Solo Cat: A one-person cataraft paddled with a double-bladed paddle.

Hoopi: Tubular webbing used for multiple purposes in rigging and preparing boats. Some into Colorado Whitewater Rafting do not know this term.

Carabiner: A clip, used to secure items into the boat, and to construct safety and rescue systems.

Wet Suit: A neoprene rubber suit which allows a small amount of water in, to help retain body heat.

Dry Suit: A suit designed to keep all water out, under which any amount of layered clothing can be worn.

Dry Bag,
Day Bag: A bag for keeping gear in on the river, to help keep things dry (but probably not 100%)

Life Jacket: A personal floatation device, coast guard approved, and worn like a vest.

BRECKENRIDGE RAFTING and what rafts utilized by outfitters

INFORMATION ABOUT THE MANUFACTURERS OF RAFTS under 12 feet long and what rafts are used by Breckenridge Rafting outfitters:
AIRE

RAFT:Puma Length:11'6" Width:66" Diameter:18" WEIGHT:88 lbs MATERIAL:PVC/U CAPACITY:950 lbs PRICE:$2500
AIRE makes the Puma, a longtime favorite for raft creeking. Lately they have been making bigger versions of the Puma called the Super Puma and the Super Duper Puma but I feel like they should make a smaller version and call it the Baby Puma or something. Recently I portaged a Puma for three miles and that wasn't too fun. If you are listening AIRE please build me a Baby Puma, 9 feet long and weighing less than 40 lbs.

Hyside

Mini-Me 9' 62" 18" 45 lbs Hyp 4 $1764
140SBU 11'8" 70" 18" 87 lbs Hyp 6 $2779
109RBS 9' 62" 18" 71 lbs Hyp 4 $1420
139RBS 11'6" 66" 18" 84 lbs Hyp 6 $1975
Hyside is the proud maker of the Mini Me 9 foot raft. What fun! These things are popular R2 boats and make it possible to do some serious raft creeking. Made of Hypalon.

Incept

G25S 8'5" 53" 15" 55 lbs Poly/U 2 $NA
G29S 9'6" 57" 15.75" 66 lbs Poly/U 3 $NA
W33S 10'10" 63" 15.75" 78 lbs Poly/U 4 $2190
These New Zealand boats are imported directly to Idaho through a giant whirlpool from the Buller River straight to the Payette. They offer not one but three small rafts in delightfully light weights for those days where half your time is spent walking.

Maravia

Seal 11'6" 72" 17" 77 lbs Poly/U 4 $2201
Elan 12' 69" 18" 95 lbs Poly/U 6 $3998
Maravia makes two small rafts but don't try to find them on the Maravia website - better off visiting the River Connection instead. I was part of a two man crew that paddled a little Maravia down the Green Truss section of the White Salmon and the boat held up very well.

NRS

E-120 12' 66" 17" 108lbs Hyp NA $3400
Otter120 12' 66" 17" 88 lbs Hyp NA $2475
NRS has two 12 foot self-bailing models both made of hypalon. The E series is made for commercial abuse but is pretty heavy. The Otter is a good value and should be a great boat for the private boater.

SOTAR

SP10E (Tan) 10' 18" ? lbs Poly/U ? $2400
SP12E 12' ? 18" ? lbs Poly/U ? $2779
ST11E 11' 62" 19" 78 lbs Poly/U ? $3381
ST12E 12' 70" 19" 85 lbs Poly/U ? $3381
SL11E 11' 64" 20" 75 lbs Poly/U ? $3740
ST12E 12' 68" 20" 82 lbs Poly/U ? $3974
Sotar has three basic raft models. The ST is their standard design, the SP is the standard design but in Tan color only and the ST has a diminishing tube design. The prices are pretty high for boats this small, save perhaps the SP model. Sotars have been used on some pretty balsy stuff including the first raft descent of the Green River Narrows.

Star

LX12-SB THUNDER 12' 72" 18" 116 lbs PVC 3-6 $2449
VX12-SB 12' 72" 18" 90 lbs PVC 6 $1485
B12-SB LIGHTNING BUG 12' 57" 24" 103 lbs PVC 3-5 $1919
U9-SB ULTRA LITE 9' 50" 18" 75 lbs PVC 4 $1675
Star is the maker of the Bug and Ultra Bug as well as standard rafts. The bugs are supposed to behave more like catarafts since they have a lot of clearance. Check it out to see what I mean.

Vanguard

PSB-1104 11'4" 66" 16" 101 lbs PVC 4 $2395
PSB-1200 12' 73" 18" 114 lbs PVC 6 $2595
Vanguard makes two small rafts with a nice price. Unfortunately they are very heavy and would be difficult to carry for just two people.

This information is cited from www.whitewateraddiction.com and many or all Breckenridge Rafting outfitters use these manufacturers.

Rafts you will not see often during Colorado Whitewater Rafting

You may come across two other types of rafts during a Colorado Whitewater Rafting expedition that are not used often called J-Rigs, Sweep boats, and Dories. 'J-rigs' are giant rafts that are very specialized passenger and gear haulers. J-rigs are constructed of huge pontoons and are often motorized. They're used by many of the commercial rafting companies in the Grand Canyon. Sweep boats are named for the two huge oars used to steer them. They're basically very large self bailers, but the oars extend out both ends of the craft, and steer the boat like rudders rather than extending out the sides to row as a normal self bailer does.

Sweep boats (or "sweeps") are commonly used by commercial outfitters on the Middle Fork of the Salmon (you'll rarely see them on other rivers). Their advantage is that they carry huge loads of camping gear and food for Colorado Whitewater Rafting expeditions that last longer than a few days.

Due to the huge displacement and surface area exposed to the current, they are the fastest non-motorized craft on the river. Their disadvantage is that they have no brakes! Trust that if you see one, the guide holding those big oars is both very courageous and very skilled!

Dories
While certainly not a raft, you may encounter wooden or fiberglass boats called Dories on the river. These craft seem to be more popular on certain rivers. While they may be more fragile, they are certainly maneuverable.

They seemingly can stop on a dime in significant current, giving their ‘driver’ time to adjust course, mid-rapid. And they are a pretty sporty ride! But on rocky rivers or later in the season at lower water levels a Dorie can be a liability.

Breckenridge Rafting Kayaks

Kayaks
Other forms of Breckenridge Rafting craft are worth mentioning. The obvious one is kayaks. These also come in two flavors; hard shelled kayaks made of various rigid plastics, and 'inflatable' kayaks, also known as "IK's" that are made of the same materials as rafts. Both types of kayaks are a lot of fun and have their vocal advocates. I'll just point out a little bit of trivia.
That is, while both groups share the river, hard shelled kayakers and rafters generally don't intermingle much. They are two different sports that share the same playing field. But some hard shell kayakers shun their inflatable brethren in IKs. So, ironically, inflatable kayakers tend to hang out with the rafters. I guess it's the materials that are alike that bring a kayaker and rafters together in some cases.

Colorado Whitewater Rafting and what is an R2?

What's an ‘R2’?
You might hear the term "R2" mentioned in the context of Colorado whitewater rafting. This refers to a paddle raft being paddled by just two people. They usually sit shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the raft, each paddling a side. Of course, they can sit anywhere they want. The term R2 implies a sportier version of paddle rafting since it is more challenging to maneuver the boat when there are just two people aboard.
R2's came from the idea of kayaks and canoes for the simple reason of wanting something new and ingenuity on the rivers. Of course the R2's come after the larger rafts design for those people who take Colorado Whitewater Rafting to higher levels and extremes compared to a large group on a self bailer for a trip.

Raft speeds for Colorado River Rafting

Differences in Raft Speed
Most of the paddle strokes that a paddle raft crew takes to steer the raft propel the raft forward. Therefore paddle rafts move down the river faster than other rafts. Self bailers are next fastest. Fully loaded self bailers carry a lot of momentum and offer a lot of surface area to the river. So friction with the water causes them to be dragged along easily by the current. Since it's a lot more work to fight against these factors, the steering strokes that the person at oars takes are usually forward strokes.

The raftman just tries to adjust the direction or vector of the rafts natural movement down the river during Colorado River Rafting. It may be surprising to know that catarafts are usually the slowest at traveling down the river as they offer less surface area for friction and are so light that it is easy for the oarsman to pull back, arresting the momentum. For these reasons, rookie oarsmen in catarafts are usually at the back of any group of rafts.

Paddle Rafts for Colorado Whitewater Rafting

Paddle Rafts
Self bailers can be set up with a rigid metal (or on rare occasions, wood) frame that rests across the top of the raft, to which oar locks are mounted and oars attached. The other configuration is to leave the frame and oars at home and just use paddles. So the term 'paddle raft' refers to this other set up. It's just a term for a self bailer that is set up with inflated seats known as 'thwarts' for passengers to sit on. This image shows set up for both with mounted oars in the back, and in the front people using paddles.

Passengers are obligated to row, or more accurately, paddle the boat down the river. While this means work for the passengers, it makes for a very entertaining, social (and usually wet) ride! Most commercial river guides services for Colorado Whitewater Rafting run paddle boats to give the paying clients the full immersion experience.

The normal configuration for a paddle boat is to have a 'captain' sitting at the rear of the boat shouting orders to the crew and using her paddle to steer or make fine adjustments to speed and direction. The 'crew' is the rest of the passengers, with half of them paddling on one side and the other half paddling on the other making a Colorado Whitewater Rafting experience memorable.

Breckenridge Rafting and using a Cataraft

Someone asked us this question in their search for rafts. "I am looking for advice on the purchase of a cataraft or maybe a raft, but not sure if its ideal or not?? Does anyone have any input on cats or rafts?" Answer: Cats are for maneuverability-small loads and is ideal for whitewater rafting and fishing. A raft is for large loads and more people so it is up to your trip details that determine a cat or a raft.

Cats are far more maneuverable than self bailers but carry less weight. They're the sports cars of a Breckenridge Rafting trip. And like sports cars, they carry fewer passengers, but provide a lot of fun for the driver. If you're new to rafting, you would be well advised to consider buying a cataraft as your first raft. Their maneuverability will help you recover when you misjudge a rapid, and of course they are just plain fun.

When you plan a Breckenridge Rafting trip, a cataraft is the ideal raft for a day trip. And cats are also ideal for high water or extreme multi-day trips when each participant will row their own raft.


There is a unique description to know when sizes of cats are discussed. Sizes of catarafts are described as pairs of dimensions separated by "X", like "12X20", "16X24". The first number is the length in feet, and the second number is the diameter of the pontoons in inches. So a cat that is 12X20 is 12 feet long with pontoons or "tubes" as they are referred to that are 20 inches in diameter.

Colorado River Rafting on a Self Bailer Raft

Some of the best rafts in the world are constructed of Ferrari's patented Preconstraint PVC fabric and urethane AIREcells, they set the standard for durability, performance and innovation. Aire is one of the companies who carry's one of the best.

Types of rafts are:
* Self Bailers
* Catarafts
* Paddle Rafts
* Differences in Boat Speed
* What's an ‘R2’?
* Kayaks
* J-Rigs and Sweep Boats
* Dories

Let's start with the Self Bailer and we will explain the rest in other articles. So how can a whitewater raft bail water out of itself? Well, an ingeniously simple design makes it happen. You see, the floor of a self bailing raft is a wide flat inflated chamber, sort of like a big air-mattress. The edges of the floor are stitched or laced to the rest of the raft.

When inflated, the floor is about 4 or 5 inches thick, so the top surface of the floor floats above the surface of the water. When water splashes into the boat, it flows across the floor, down over the edge, and out through the lacing. This design works amazingly well. A self bailer filled to the brim with water will proceed to empty itself in just a few seconds on a Colorado River Rafting trip.

If you've ever bailed water out of a raft, you know how sweet it is to have a self bailer. In fact, if you float with someone who has an older non-self-bailing raft (known as a 'bucket boat' for the obvious trait - it retains water), you get to stop and wait for them to bail at the bottom of each major rapid. So, nowadays, when someone says 'raft', they are usually talking about a self bailer. If they say they've got a 'bucket boat', well, too bad for them.

Self bailers are the work horses on a raft trip in Colorado River Rafting because they can carry a lot of gear and passengers. Popular sizes are from 13 - 18 feet long, with 14 feet probably a minimum for carrying the gear and two adults on a multi-day raft trip. 15-16 feet is ideal, and 18 footers are nice to have on larger rivers. From a performance standpoint, rowing a self bailer is more like driving a bus. So the longer the raft, the slower it is to maneuver. And the performance of any raft is diminished if it's overloaded, pressing it deeper into the water.

Where is your river for a Breckenridge Rafting trip?

If you’re looking for nothing less than the best Colorado whitewater rafting experience, your search is over. Breckenridge Rafting offers the highest quality outdoor adventure packages in the Rocky Mountain region. We take pride in providing our guests with the best service in the industry and with the best equipment available. Our years of experience and our unmatched professionalism will clearly set us apart when you allow Breckenridge Rafting by Raftmasters to guide your next Colorado white water rafting excursion.

The most dedicated, most skilled, and most enthusiastic outdoor professionals anywhere eagerly await your arrival so that we may escort you on the outdoor adventure of a lifetime. Let our Colorado whitewater rafting guides show you an unforgettable adventure.

Breckenridge Rafting by Raftmasters offers trips on 5 rivers in central Colorado. We offer Colorado whitewater rafting trips ranging from mild, scenic floats to fun, family-style whitewater to some of the most advanced Class IV & V rafting challenges in the U.S.

Colorado River Rafting and a comparison between Natural Flow Rivers and Dam controlled rivers

Featured article from USA today reporter Laura Bly
Edited by Whitewater Times
Good snow pack from this winter does not mean good river levels for Colorado River Rafting. Let me explain. We basically have two types of river-dependent factors to consider in the situation. Dam controlled rivers and natural flow rivers.

Earlier posts have talked about rivers across the nation changing over to dam controlled levels, in which certain river flows are guaranteed throughout the summer months. In general, good snow-pack and snow run-off are a good thing for dam controlled rivers. It means more water in the reservoir, and will continue to leave plenty of water flow throughout the coming years.

Natural flow rivers are a different story for Colorado River Rafting and other things we do on our rivers. Lets take a look at the Western U.S. as an example. The image here shows the current snow-pack levels across the various regions in the West. These numbers are a "percentage of normal", meaning that anything close to 100 is a very good thing, and anythin over 100 means higher-than-normal levels. Many locations that feed large rivers have over 100% snowpack for the season (still). But the weather still plays an important factor as to whether the snow will produce high, constant water levels or not.

Even with a good winter, if the weather heats up too fast, you run into flooding and fast run-off. So essentially, you would have a nice spring rafting season, followed by normal (or even below normal) water levels for the rest of the season. So it really still depends on mother nature and the transitional temperature from winter to spring to summer. Also, during the transition from spring to summer and during summer the decisions made to release water from reservoir reserves made from snow pack compared to how much rain we receive during the summer effecting the natural flow rivers.

Raft speeds for Colorado River Rafting

Differences in Raft Speed
Most of the paddle strokes that a paddle raft crew takes to steer the raft propel the raft forward. Therefore paddle rafts move down the river faster than other rafts. Self bailers are next fastest. Fully loaded self bailers carry a lot of momentum and offer a lot of surface area to the river. So friction with the water causes them to be dragged along easily by the current. Since it's a lot more work to fight against these factors, the steering strokes that the person at oars takes are usually forward strokes.

The raftman just tries to adjust the direction or vector of the rafts natural movement down the river during Colorado River Rafting. It may be surprising to know that catarafts are usually the slowest at traveling down the river as they offer less surface area for friction and are so light that it is easy for the oarsman to pull back, arresting the momentum. For these reasons, rookie oarsmen in catarafts are usually at the back of any group of rafts.

Paddle Rafts for Colorado Whitewater Rafting

Paddle Rafts
Self bailers can be set up with a rigid metal (or on rare occasions, wood) frame that rests across the top of the raft, to which oar locks are mounted and oars attached. The other configuration is to leave the frame and oars at home and just use paddles. So the term 'paddle raft' refers to this other set up. It's just a term for a self bailer that is set up with inflated seats known as 'thwarts' for passengers to sit on. This image shows set up for both with mounted oars in the back, and in the front people using paddles.

Passengers are obligated to row, or more accurately, paddle the boat down the river. While this means work for the passengers, it makes for a very entertaining, social (and usually wet) ride! Most commercial river guides services for Colorado Whitewater Rafting run paddle boats to give the paying clients the full immersion experience.

The normal configuration for a paddle boat is to have a 'captain' sitting at the rear of the boat shouting orders to the crew and using her paddle to steer or make fine adjustments to speed and direction. The 'crew' is the rest of the passengers, with half of them paddling on one side and the other half paddling on the other making a Colorado Whitewater Rafting experience memorable.

Breckenridge Rafting and using a Cataraft

Cats are far more maneuverable than self bailers but carry less weight. They're the sports cars of a Breckenridge Rafting trip. And like sports cars, they carry fewer passengers, but provide a lot of fun for the driver. If you're new to rafting, you would be well advised to consider buying a cataraft as your first raft. Their maneuverability will help you recover when you misjudge a rapid, and of course they are just plain fun.

When you plan a Breckenridge Rafting trip, a cataraft is the ideal raft for a day trip. And cats are also ideal for high water or extreme multi-day trips when each participant will row their own raft.


There is a unique description to know when sizes of cats are discussed. Sizes of catarafts are described as pairs of dimensions separated by "X", like "12X20", "16X24". The first number is the length in feet, and the second number is the diameter of the pontoons in inches. So a cat that is 12X20 is 12 feet long with pontoons or "tubes" as they are referred to that are 20 inches in diameter.

Colorado River Rafting on a Self Bailer Raft

Some of the best rafts in the world are constructed of Ferrari's patented Preconstraint PVC fabric and urethane AIREcells, they set the standard for durability, performance and innovation. Aire is one of the companies who carry's one of the best.

Types of rafts are:
* Self Bailers
* Catarafts
* Paddle Rafts
* Differences in Boat Speed
* What's an ‘R2’?
* Kayaks
* J-Rigs and Sweep Boats
* Dories

Let's start with the Self Bailer and we will explain the rest in other articles. So how can a whitewater raft bail water out of itself? Well, an ingeniously simple design makes it happen. You see, the floor of a self bailing raft is a wide flat inflated chamber, sort of like a big air-mattress. The edges of the floor are stitched or laced to the rest of the raft.

When inflated, the floor is about 4 or 5 inches thick, so the top surface of the floor floats above the surface of the water. When water splashes into the boat, it flows across the floor, down over the edge, and out through the lacing. This design works amazingly well. A self bailer filled to the brim with water will proceed to empty itself in just a few seconds on a Colorado River Rafting trip.

If you've ever bailed water out of a raft, you know how sweet it is to have a self bailer. In fact, if you float with someone who has an older non-self-bailing raft (known as a 'bucket boat' for the obvious trait - it retains water), you get to stop and wait for them to bail at the bottom of each major rapid. So, nowadays, when someone says 'raft', they are usually talking about a self bailer. If they say they've got a 'bucket boat', well, too bad for them.

Self bailers are the work horses on a raft trip in Colorado River Rafting because they can carry a lot of gear and passengers. Popular sizes are from 13 - 18 feet long, with 14 feet probably a minimum for carrying the gear and two adults on a multi-day raft trip. 15-16 feet is ideal, and 18 footers are nice to have on larger rivers. From a performance standpoint, rowing a self bailer is more like driving a bus. So the longer the raft, the slower it is to maneuver. And the performance of any raft is diminished if it's overloaded, pressing it deeper into the water.