Netboy will be wading

[ollie]

Pretty sure in Missouri there is no liability for the outfitters. That is why I always get so mad about them putting in floaters on Elk river that have no business being on there. Same with any other streams in MO as well. As long as you got their money, put them in and turn away. I have floated in a kayak on both Taney and Norfolk tailwaters, but NEVER when they are generating that much! The last time was on Norfolk they were running water and I was glad a guide told me to stay to the right of the islands. It could have been really bad had I not, and had I not had experience in a boat of that size. Of course my parents gave me a little common sense so I am thankful for that.

[fshndoug]

I had to pull a young girl into my bass boat last year in early October .She was downstream from her father and siblings about 150 yards and she tipped over in her rental kayak. I had a polar fleece top on and she was in a t- shirt. Wind was blowing 15 mph. I told her dad that is was a bad idea to have his kids in Yaks when they were running 3 turbines. I also told him that she could get hypothermia by the time they got down to Cooper Creek since this happened up by Short Creek. I got her back in her kayak even though she was shivering and off they went on their merry way. At least she had her life jacket on.

[Ham]

Wow! Good on you for helping. Not That Dad's best day of parenting ; I would have been worried about her getting hypothermic as well. 

[tjm]

It seems like every spring the outfitters put people out on the Elk at near flood stage and every year there are a couple more deaths or several near disasters.

[Devan S.]

Is there a certain level of flow most boat rentals will not rent at for motorized boats?

[Ham]

I have no idea what is legal, but it would feel like Blood money to me if people died after I put them on the river when is was sketchy

[sfiser]

2 years ago I pulled 2 kayakers out of the water in 1 week.  It was in August when they were evacuating flood waters from Bull Shoals and the water was over 17,000 CFS both times.  One lady was drunk and hanging onto a tree yelling for help.  Pulled up and my friends rolled her into the floor of my Supreme and we took her over to the wildcat shoals ramp.  She wanted us to go after her kayak and my buddy said "lady that thing is all the way past rim shoals by now as fast as the river is moving".  The other time it was a young girl, maybe 10-12 who turned over right in front of Stetsons and was free floating down the river.  We grabbed her and took her over to the bank at Stetsons and we were able to get her kayak.  Folks don't realize how dangerous that river gets once it gets over 10-12,000 CFS.  It moves quick and one little mistake becomes a really big ordeal that can become life threatening. 

[Ham]

23 minutes ago, sfiser said:

  Folks don't realize how dangerous that river gets once it gets over 10-12,000 CFS.  It moves quick and one little mistake becomes a really big ordeal that can become life threatening. 

I'm pretty comfortable with the White River at high levels of generation, but I don't drink alcohol and I know to not get pinned against a tree or dock. 
inexperienced or inebriated paddlers should stick to lower flows.  

[Flysmallie]

I took a couple of my daughters on a short float years ago. As we got closer to the river it got cloudier and cloudier. This was before everyone had a weather radar on their phone. By the time we got to the outfitter it was raining a bit but seemed to be moving through pretty quick. I asked the lady if we were crazy for going floating and she said "I don't know, do you have cash?" And we all laughed. I knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to send us out there to be miserable, but I also know that there is some truth to her response with other outfitters.

My wife and I sat by a tough spot on the James last Saturday. Just sat there and watched boat after boat try and navigate it. Most of the stupidity seemed to come from adults. And I mean people 50 and above. The younger crowd and kids didn't seem to struggle with it as much as the old drunk people. You know the ones. Standing up on paddle boards blaring their oldies. Trying to make it through narrow runs with 3 rafts lashed together. (There were at least two ladies that were totally passed out in the bottom of the rafts). Or the self proclaimed river rats trying to maneuver all that while standing in a canoe with a drunk in the front trying to help. There was a group of young kids swimming a hundred yards downstream and I don't think they let a beer can, empty or full, get past them. 

I'm really surprised there aren't more deaths on the rivers.  

[Devan S.]

I fish Beaver TW Saturday and there was a pretty significant number of Kayakers there.

Not huge water(4k cfs) but a ton more obstacles in BV TW that pose problems for kayaks than Taney.