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SOAR Inflatables & Russian River Adventures
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
10 reviews for SOAR Inflatables & Russian River Adventures
Lots of fun =))
Nice in that the vegetation and current at the beginning and middle make for a very peaceful ride. We took our dog (8 yr old lab mix), and it was super easy for her to jump back into the raft whenever her feet touched the bottom. Good idea to wear non-flip-flop shoes as they recommend, because the bottom of the river can be rocky, and also sometimes has green vase/slime. Otherwise, the water is nice, pretty clean and warm, only towards the end does the water get funkier, but I don't know if that was also because it was deeper...? The last part, that most people complain about because of paddling, is really really beautiful. If you are as lucky as I am to have a wonderful husband who prefers to paddle alone, you can really drink it the lovely tranquility, majestic trees, mirror-like water... breathtaking!
The staff were kind and helpful. =) It's a nice, low key kinda way to spend the day, and we will definitely be going again!
This outfit was featured in sfgate recently. I just hope they won't become a victim of their success.
Two things need to be understood up front before you drive up to Healdsburg.
1. There is very little current this time of year so you're gonna work, as in "I'm not talkin' 'bout pleasure boatin' or day sailin'. I'm talkin' 'bout workin' for a livin'."
2. Now I don't want to use a technical hydrodynamic term and lose you here but the SOAR inflatable is what we call a pig. It's got no keel, significant drag and because it physically deforms depending on weight, can behave erratically. The closest thing I've ever experienced is that broken cart at Costco with the gimp wheel and a pallet of water off-center in that below space. For all its faults, it's crazy stable and towards the end I got bored and started doing a Laird Hamilton (that's standing and paddling) while the wife and our 75lb fur baby laid out towards the, um, I guess we'll call it the bow.
The crew was just great at every step. We left them our keys and when we walked up the bank, our car was waiting. We had such a great time we're all going back again very very soon.
Physics tip: water reflects light. Be sure to use sunscreen unless you have a "class 9, or Robin Williams, level of hair coverage."
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I canoed with SOAR Russian River Adventures after we got a group of 12 people to canoe along the Russian River. If you have 10 or more it's $40 per person, otherwise it's $45pp.
Once you get to their company, you sign a waiver. If you bring a cooler than they drive it to the start. No Styrofoam coolers allowed.
One guy gave the directions fast, I was trying to listen hard but too much info..forgot it really fast. I wish they gave basic directions on how to paddle - which they didn't. These canoes are inflatables but strong. We didn't tip over which was Great. One dry-bag for all important things like lunch & cell phone (to call them & tell them you're at the 1hr point.)
From my experience I learned: if you want to turn Left, paddle Right. If you want to move Right, paddle Left. If you want to Stop..then Paddle in the Reverse Direction! Wish they just said so then we wouldn't have hit so many tree branches!
We stopped a bunch of times: lunch, 2 swings (both on the right side). First one half-way point. Other one closer to the end. Once you pass the 3-Legged Tower you have about 1 hr more to go. Once you see a Bridge and a Weird Box thingie on the Left you are Done!
Your arms will HURT after a while!! Biceps, triceps, oh another part of the body..Butt!! Stupid wooden board to sit on! I'm sore for 2 days now!
We spent 6 hrs on the river. Most people do it between 3-5 hrs.
Then the driver takes you back to your car. The bathrooms are still open and you can rinse your feet w/ 2 hoses they have.
Not crowded at all, only 30 canoes allowed from their company.
Prices:
Adults $45pp (40 w/ 10 or more people)
Children & Infants $22
Dogs $10 ea
Overall: I'd recommend them, but I'm not going again.
Website:
http://www.rradventure.../
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Had a great time in June 08 with these inflatable canoes. There were 4 of us & 1 dog, so we rented 2 canoes. They charge per person & per dog.
One of the canoe'ers was a first timer, ever on the water & she got the hang of it. There was a "good little ripple" within 10-15 minutes of the trip & my dog was getting a bit ansy...so, she jumped/fell out. Thank goodness that there is normally shore or somewhere to pull over, since it really startled her & made me nervous, as well. Gave her a few minutes to regroup & we started our journey again. If your dog isn't too adventurous or doesn't like water..probably not the right trip to bring them on. My dog got used to it, but it took a little time.
I don't think that I can call myself an experienced paddler, but we seemed to drift sometimes "the wrong way" & we were able to correct ourselves. You have to really trust your partner to be "on the same page". We definitely got our workout, especially the last 2 miles, so save some energy for the end.
The river was very tranquil and plan on doing it in the future, again. Saw mostly the Soar type canoes & a few kayakers on the river.
If you are bringing small kids...you need to walk a good 2-3 blocks from the check-in site to the dock. The drive back is scenic...and the driver drove fast around the turns...I figured he knew the roads to drive that fast.
Great trip had by all. Go when there's good flowing water!
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I did this on saturday with a group of about 40 friends,
Aside from the fact that I'm totally afraid of water, and a complete chicken - everyone else had a great time. I personally won't venture back out on the river (but like I said I'm a big chicken)
good package, and a fun trip to do with a large group tho, the staff was friendly and helpful and very very knowleable, and you can tell that they have been down the river MORE than a time or two, cause they told us everything to expect.
These guys are awesome. My Rottie was new to the water and they made sure we were prepared for a day on the river. Dog enjoyed it, actually he loved it. Recommended!
We were looking for something fun and active to do over the summer with our dogs and a friend suggested this - otherwise we would have never known about them. The fact that they are dog friendly is such a huge plus!
The staff is extremely helpful and friendly. The rafts are great as they are big enough for two people, plus a big cooler and a big dog! If you bring a cooler they will truck it down to the river bank for you while you sign all necessary paperwork and walk over.
The river was great as there were plenty of fun places to stop, plus a couple of rope swings if you're adventurous.
Once you hit a point in the river, you are asked to make a phone call so they are ready to pick you up. It's a bit of a long ride back but it was nice to chill and pass out a bit after a long day on the river. Our dogs were pooped too!
Back at their office there's also a rinsing station for you to wash off and hose down your belongings (and your dogs too). They really thought of everything.
I highly recommend this for anyone. The river was calm and safe - and it was just such a huge bonus that we found something like this that we can do with our dogs.
Had a great time today, enjoying the beautiful riparian river banks, the amazing birds, too many to name, but included many amusing ducks, and an eagle coming down for a dive at some prey (wow!), also terrapins, little tiny fishies (what are those??), and a couple of skittery lizards when we took a break. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and it was a great way to spend a day, but I have to warn some people here, I've done white water rafting, am in excellent physical condition including rowing 5K at the gym at least a couple times a week (Yeah I know, not the same thing, but uses the same muscles) and doing hardcore circuit training, and in all honesty, the last half of this river is dead calm this time of year, and today there was a hard wind, going against us, and Me and Secret Squirrel (himself a physical animal) got our asses kicked. I'm not kidding you, if we didn't paddle to save our lives, we went BACK UP RIVER!!! I watched a single woman and her 8 year-old son barely manage the trip, she was exhausted, but pleased that her boy bucked up at the ruthless end half to help her out. Another couple got completely fed up, and the guy got out and tried to walk the boat up-river, which didn't work out very well. Another guy, with two kids, desparately asked several passing boats "who's the power rower? the rear or the head???" Nearly everyone I saw coming out at the end had scowls on their faces, wouldn't even return my smile. These were unhappy people who are going to be very unhappy tomorrow when they can't move due to soreness. There were a few floats (I'd call them canoes or kayaks, but they're not -- they are Pigs, as noted by another reviewer) that came out happy enough with their experience, but it was clear that they were physically exhausted. It was a very, very grueling couple of hours.
So I think this can be a great thing to do; safe, quiet, and beautiful. But, since their website and literature touts this as a "leisurely" trip down the river, the staff should warn people that during certain times of the year the water is completely still and you will have to work like a dog to get yourself to the endpoint. Additionally, I think they should have one or two staff members cruising the harder parts to keep people's spirits up as they struggle along, or help out as needed. I really think it would be the safest thing to do, as here I sit, my muscles sore, but I'm used to that. I know there are least several people in today's group that will never, ever try this again and that's too bad.
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We used Russian River Adventures over Labor Day weekend and had a blast with our dogs. We chose this company specifically because they are dog-friendly. We packed a picnic and some drinks and enjoyed the ride down the river. Our dogs had a great time in the water and in the canoe. This stretch of river is very calm so for the most part you are doing most of the work especially during the last hour.
All in all tho we would definitely do it again and next time we're bringing more friends.
We thoroughly enjoyed our kayak excursion with Russian River Adventures on a sunny Friday in August.
For $45 you get all the kayak gear, including dry bags, they schlep your stuff to the kayak for you, and you can have your car driven to the other end, where it's supervised in a locked parking area, an especially nice touch. They gave us a 3-man and a 2-man kayak for 5 adults + 1 dog. There was room in the boats for a big cooler.
The staff on duty were laid-back, friendly and organized.
As others reported, this strech of river is flat, scenic and peaceful. We too had to paddle consistently and hard for the last hour or so against the breeze.