The River Boss

Seth Coates is my boss at Windfall Rafting. He is a 30 year old father of three that has a passion for three things; God, outdoors, and the river. He is one of the better guides in Maine and has picked up the sport of rafting in just a few short years. When he was first selected to manage Windfall, he had never been rafting before, but he quickly mastered the art of guiding and has become a leader physically and spiritually for his employees.  Before every trip on the river, Seth, or one of the guides leads the staff in a quick word of prayer and encouragement. Since Windfall is a commercial rafting company, they don’t make the trips directly religious, but one of the goals of every trip is, as Seth puts it, “to give every customer one positive experience with a Christian.”

When I asked Seth why he liked managing Windfall he said, “because it gives me an opportunity to do something I love every day, and it gives me countless opportunities to share my faith and give unbelievers a good experience with a Christian.” Rafting is fun, but it also takes up a lot of time.

Rafting can be a huge leech on family time, but Seth balances work with his family quite well compared to most owners. Seth guides on just about every trip Windfall goes on throughout the summer.  He says “In the summer, I work a lot and see my family a little, but I always take at least one day of the week to spend time with them and be the Godly leader I should be.”

Seth has a heart for people, and God has placed him at Windfall for a reason. He may not be the type of person to push his faith on people, but every person that goes down the river in his boat is positively impacted towards Christ.

Here is a link to Windfall Rafting's website. Come on out and have an adventure this summer with Seth and our crew!
http://www.windfallrafting.com/

The Maine Whitewater Experience-Awesome showcase of Maine Rafting

This is an awesome video showcasing rafting in Maine. They show shots from both the Kennebec and the Penobscot Rivers. They also show some other cool stuff to do in Maine at the end. Overall very cool video put out by the Maine Office of Tourism. A must watch if you're interested at all in Maine Whitewater Rafting!




Whitewater Rafting Experience in Maine from Maine Office of Tourism on Vimeo.

Best and Cheapest Gear

The best and cheapest river gear is arguably NRS. NRS or Northwestern River Supply is widely considered to have the biggest and widest selection of anything to do with river sports. They have even received the nickname "The Walmart of river sports" by many. Started over 40 years ago, NRS specializes in Whitewater gear but also offers a wide selection of other outdoor items you may need too.

Anything from whitewater rafts to hats and sunglasses, they have it all. NRS' closest rival is River Sports Outfitters, but they do not have the selection NRS has.  One of the downfalls of NRS gear is the quality. NRS gear has the tendency to be cheap and usually made in China, but it holds up to moderate use and is adequate for most things.

 NRS is primarily an online mail order company because of the remote locations of most of their customers, but they do have a large warehouse type store and showroom in the state of Washington. They also offer excellent sales and some of the best pro-deals in the nation for anyone working in the industry (guides, outfitters, or even pro kayakers). Overall they are a great company and a place where I will be shopping for all my river needs for years to come.

Whitewater Tubing??

Not only can you take a regular commercial raft down the river, but it is perfectly legal to take whatever floats down the river as well..... if you have the experience and the guts to try! Check out this sweet vid of some of my buddies taking regular old tubes down some serious class IV whitewater on the Kennebec River.





Whitewater Tubing! from AerialFly on Vimeo.

AIRE Whitewater Rafts

If you are rafting in Maine, you want to be using the best equipment available. That's why many  outfitters in Maine choose AIRE rafts. These are the best rafts money can buy and many Maine outfitters are now using them. Check out this Prezi for some awesome reasons why AIRE rafts are the best!

Rafting the class V rapids of the Nob

The class V sections of the Nob!

As I mentioned in my last post, the West branch of the Penobscot River is the wildest whitewater rafting experience in Maine. It has two major class V sections of rapids, "The Gorge" and "The Cribworks." Class V rapids are defined as rapids with only one safe way in which to navigate them and at least one very dangerous feature.

The Gorge

The Gorge 

The Gorge is the first major class V section of rapids on the nob. It is also the first set of rapids after you launch from the dam. The very first hit is called "Exterminator" and it lives up to its name. This one wave is responsible for the majority of raft flips on the river. If your crew and guide do not work together to hit the wave at the correct angle, this massive wall of water will stand up a 15' boat and flip it like it was nothing.
If your boat flips at Exterminator, it is a long treacherous swim to the bottom of the gorge, but your guide should be able to get everyone on the raft before the end.

Exterminator

The rest of the gorge is filled with large features like "Fist of God." This is a huge rock in the middle of the river that you must miss in order to navigate safely.

The Cribworks

The Crib is the second major class V section of rapids on the nob. It is right in the middle of your trip and is widely known as the hardest section of river to guide in Maine. It is extremely technical and starts with "Turkey Chute," a 8 foot opening between two massive rocks that the guide must maneuver the raft through.

The Cribworks

After missing "Pain in the butt rock," the guide must then turn the raft 45 degrees to the left while not flipping in "Typewriter Waves." Once past those, you'll need to watch out for the wailing wall. This 30 foot wall of rock is undercut and extremely dangerous. Once you get past the wailing wall, you're almost out. You'll just need to get by the last huge hit, "Bone Crusher."

THE NOB!!!

The most wild ride you can get it Maine by far is the Penobscot River in north central Maine. This river is the only river in Maine with multiple class V rapids running daily. Nicknamed "the nob," this river is extremely dangerous and not for the first time rafter. Its features have names like "Fist of God, "Exterminator, and "The Wailing Wall" and they all live up to their names.  Several companies run this river commercially, but it requires special licencing for all the guides so it is a little more expensive but worth the money for the ride.
Here are some awesome pictures of the river and some of its hits.

Mason - Veteran Guide and Adventurer

Meet Mason.
Mason is a veteran whitewater rafting guide. He has been in the business for over 5 years and now serves as River Manager for a local company.
He loves rafting and the river, and best of all, he has a heart for people.
"Rafting is awesome because it is a rush every time. It never gets boring because the river is dangerous and you never know what is going to happen."
He is fully certified in first aid, CPR, swift water rescue, and wilderness first aid. He is fully qualified to assess and take care of any situation on the river. Mason has more training than the average guide so he can lead large groups down the river safely.
When I asked him what the best and worst part of guiding is, he surprised me with his answer.
"People. They can be the best part of the day and they can also make your day miserable."
As a customer it is your responsibility to come with a good attitude and a willingness to have fun! The guide will entertain you and make the day fun no matter what, but it makes his job easier when everyone comes with a good attitude."
Every trip is different because your customers are always different, and it makes the job seem more like fun than work.
"Some days its hard to believe Im getting paid to do what I do," Mason says.
Mason is also a Christian, which is rare for a whitewater guide. He brings good Christian values on the river with him does not hesitate to share his faith.

One side hobby that guides often enjoy is whitewater kayaking. Its similar to whitewater rafting, but you take a kayak down the same types of rivers or even waterfalls. Mason has been kayaking since before he became a guide and this year dropped dead falls, the 35 foot waterfall above the dead river.

The Kennebec River - Most rafted Maine River

Map of the Kennebec River and its rapids

The Kennebec River is the most rafted and popular river in Maine. Like all Maine rafting rivers, the Kennebec is dam controlled. This is one of the rivers that I commercially guide on and I think it is the best ride for your your time and money.  It features over 10 miles of class II-IV rapids starting at one of the oldest dams in Maine and the headwaters of the Kennebec River.

Kennebec River Dam - The Put In

               















You put in at the Harris Station Dam, which actually supplies power to Boston, over 400 miles to the south. The current then swiftly pulls you into the kennebec gorge. This part of the trip is the most beautiful but you wont be looking at the scenery because this is also the most deadly part of the day. With class III rapids like Rock Garden, Big Mama, and Alleyway the first three miles are a blur.  After a short calm section the river is back at you again this time with even more fury with the only class IV/V of the day, Magic Falls. The river literally drops away 30 feet over just a couple hundred yards which creates massive waves. If you are lucky enough to go on a big water day where the dam releases more than 8,000 cfs, your guide might even hit "Maytag." This is the biggest wave on the river and will make a 13 foot boat stand up.

After the first 6 miles the big rapids are over and its time for a relaxing float. This is where most companies have lunch, play games, and let you swim in the river. This is one of my favorite parts of the day because you get to know your guide, get a tan, and just have fun. 

Overall the kennebec is the most customer friendly river in Maine because its the closest to civilization and has some of the best whitewater in New England. 

If you're a beginner or a veteran of rafting you should consider checking out one of Maine's most fierce rafting rivers. The dam that controls the Dead River has just sent out its release dates, it it looks like it's going to be is one of the biggest years to date. The Dead River is unlike the other big rafting rivers of Maine because of its very limited releases. This river normally runs below 1000 cfs (cubic feet of water per second), but when it is released it pushed up to 10,000 cfs. This river is full of beautiful scenery, huge raft eating holes, and arguably the best surf waves in Maine.

Attached is a link to one of the local outfitters, Windfall Rafting. They have the Dead Rive releases posted with some of the best prices around.

 Windfall Rafting Dead River Releases

Welcome to the first and only Maine Whitewater Rafting blog. This blog is for beginners and veterans alike and will be filled with information about the Maine whitewater scene including upcoming events, tips for beginners, the best outfitters, and great new runs.