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River Question ?

5K views 22 replies 19 participants last post by  Jasongun 
#1 ·
is it to dangerous to boat from laughlin casinos to pirates cove ?? i keep hearing mixed reviews ??

looking for suggestions and any help thanks
 
#2 ·
Your boat's drive type? How much draft? Can/do you 'read' river water? What time of day? Found the website that shows water flow from Davis dam?

Those questions and answers will determine the answer to your question.
 
#3 ·
I've done it. There are a few shallow spots that you have to look for. The water levels change dramatically throughout the day. If you look on Google Earth, you can clearly see the shallow areas. Print and study those few spots and you'll be okay, assuming you have an experienced eye on the river. You can also always follow one of the tour boats down.
 
#4 ·
When I lived in needles I used to run from Needles Marina up to Laughlin for breakfast weekly. It gets skinny here and there but if you can read the water you're fine. We have a jet boat. Never had any troubles. When the water is down the river is SKINNY! Its a nice ride. One of our favorite things to do was float down after breakfast and catch up on our tan and save fuel. :) Those were the good ole days.
 
#11 · (Edited)
Just check the river flow schedule. If it's a 2 or 3 forget it. If it's a 4 be very careful. If it's a 5 pretty easy all the way
Just Google Davis Dam water flow. Keep in mind the chart tells you the flow and time at the dam. Takes about 4 hours to reach pirates. Travel accordingly. Make sure water flow is good for the return trip
 
#16 ·
The Truth has been spoken :thumb:

The bottom is all rock ! with many hazards, one mistake and its your last.

That said, the Church boats at sunrise from Bullhead Az. in a half unit of water.

One very tight lane in low water conditions that you switch side to side at times and you can't come off plane. Less than a foot of water under the boat :grin:
 
#19 · (Edited)
You have gotten some good feedback dallas13.
My advice would be to follow someone down who knows that section of the river. Preferably a boat similar to yours.
HD
We do/have done that run all the time over the years with the jet boat. Never had a problem. :cool:


Worst stretch of river in the world and extremely dangerous. I'd suggest going to Lake Havasu or Parker where the water is always deep enough for boating.
We take the V-drive on Havasu.
:p

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 
#22 ·
Launched at Big Bend, went all the way to Havasu and back in my 18' Tahiti. First time on that part of the river and went for it without following anyone else.

Had polarized sunglasses which made a night and day difference on telling the shallow/deep spots. There were some areas where you could look over and see bottom but we stayed on a plane and had zero issues. Once you get to Needles, it's all good for the rest of the trip.

I say do some research and go for it. It's a bitchin' ride! :))THumbsUp
 
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