Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

[ksirot01]

I just ordered an Intex Mariner 400, to be used primarily for fishing.

I would like do a whitewater rafting trip (the easiest one, just a leisurely trip with a 2 y.o. baby). I am sure the boat will handle it, no problem, but my concern is with the roll up floor and the inflatable keel of the Mariner.

Should I remove both the keel and the floor for the whitewater rafting trip? Or just the keel? Or leave both in?

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

The floor should be left in and the keel inflated. The bottom is much less likely to sustain damage for one but more importantly it makes for a more rigid boat which you want. No floppy boats in whitewater, you're asking for trouble.

Wow, a 2 year old! I'm assuming this is pretty tame whitewater.

 

[ksirot01]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

The floor should be left in and the keel inflated. The bottom is much less likely to sustain damage for one but more importantly it makes for a more rigid boat which you want. No floppy boats in whitewater, you're asking for trouble.

Wow, a 2 year old! I'm assuming this is pretty tame whitewater.

I read some discussions about this, and have seen opinions go both ways. Have you actually done whitewater with both a keel and the floor installed?

Here are my concerns:
I am afraid the keel would stick out too much and potentially snag on the rocks in shallow spots.
Keeping the floor, would keep the bottom stretched, which will probably increase the chance of a rip if the boat hits a sharp rock.

I did whitewater rafting at the Delaware river, when it was already pretty slow. We actually had to raw the boat most of the time, just to keep moving. (hence the idea to do it with a 2 y.o.) But then, there were a few spots, where it would get really shallow (about 1 ft), but the water would start moving a bit faster. Sometimes the boat would get stuck on a shallow rock, and we had to shift about in the boat to start moving again.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

"Have you actually done whitewater with both a keel and the floor installed?"

Yeah, all the time. You cannot do one without the other. The inflated keel is what keeps the boards tight and in place. For flat water it doesn't much matter how rigid the boat is but for rapids it's paramount. A soft hull won't respond to the oars and the rapids will try to bend your boat in half. Inflatables that run big whitewater also have rigid frames that attach to the tops of the tubes to give them even more strength.

 

[ksirot01]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

Thanks for the reply. Have you ever been stuck on rocks? Any rips from that?

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

Yup, been stuck quite a few times. Yup, had tears from time to time. It happens, but that's why you carry a patch kit on board.

 

[Bard1]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

Yeah keep them both. I've done a bunch of whitewater and at the end you'll be happy you had a stiff boat.

 

[curtis4769]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

The Intex Mariner 400 is not a whitewater raft. The oarlock/oars are junk and the boat's construction and materials are inferior to a "real" whitewater raft. I would never take this raft down any descent rapids. For complete flatwater I supposed it might be OK.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Whitewater rafting in Intex Mariner 400

The Intex Mariner 400 is not a whitewater raft. The oarlock/oars are junk and the boat's construction and materials are inferior to a "real" whitewater raft. I would never take this raft down any descent rapids. For complete flatwater I supposed it might be OK.

Yep, a cheap and above all thin inflatable...

Happy Boating

 

[jbcurt00]

Closed