How NOT to drive a sled!

[Matt]

I suspect that what might have happen was that after hitting the rock he chopped the throttle and looked back to see what he had hit then looked forward again and BAM, keep your eyes on the road! :safe:

[flinginpooh]

I really dont care what he did. It was comical and luckily noone got hurt. Why worry bout what he was or wasnt doing. Dont hit rocks and youll have a better chance of not being like this guy. And really if you make a video of yourself and it makes ya look like an ...clown then dont post it for everyone to see. Unless your starving for attention.

[mallard79]

So much condemnation tells me one thing. No one here has run much white water or much water experience period. Wavy water doesn't necessarily mean rocks, sometimes the deepest place is in the wave train. The only way to be sure about any area of a river is to run it with someone that knows the river, it's all tribal knowledge. Things can happen real fast in moving water and it takes more than split second decisions to make it. Light reflections, shadows and the angle of the sun can play all sorts of wicked tricks on a guy. River running is not easy, the poor guy’s seemingly cavalier attitude was probably nothing more than shock. As far as weather he deserves to have a jet boat? Heck yes he does! Who do any of you think you are passing judgment on who gets to own anything! He's the guy that worked hard and made the money to buy the boat. I have not seen one jetboat owner that had a boat dropped in their lap. Everyone I know that owns one has worked darn hard to get it. I know of a couple places that have no tell on what beneath the surface. For one on the Snake a place called the "Grave Yard". Flat smooth, a deep channel down the middle with shear rock shelves on either side. The water goes from about 6" to a couple feet on top of the shelf, if you go near shore the bottom of your boat is gone. You can't tell where the deep and shelf starts.
When it comes to Jetboats, there are those that have hit rocks and those that will. No one gets out without a bonk or two. If ya haven’t bumped anything you might as well have a prop. We all hope it’s just an easy one.

So before you all have the poor guy going off to jail for running his boat, let’s just say wow that's a rough lesson learned and call the insurance agent.

PS: that video has been around longer than I've had my sled. Good to see it once in a while just so we know we're human.

I never said he didn't deserve to own the boat. I own a sled and it definately wasn't just given to me, I pieced it together myself. I simply stated what I have noticed from my many years of running sleds. A lot of guys bust their arse to buy a sled thinking it is like driving a car. It is not. They are fixated on the dealer telling them they can run in 3" of water.....which you can do.....IF you know what you are doing.

As far as saying people on this thread don't have "experience with white water or much water experience period". I would beg to differ. I have run my sled from Sultan to High bridge on the Sky multiple times at different water levels, not a stretch normally done by anything except drift boats, pontoon boats, and rafters. I also run in tide water which in my opinion can be harder to read than most rivers! I have also had to more or less "rescue" the snohomish county swift water rescue team, because of their lack of experience, after transporting the victims to the ambulance myself. If you think this video was embarassing, try being the rescue team who had to get help from a guy in a 14' jon boat.

For you to say I don't have experience is very blind of you.

[Anonymous]

Well golly gosh... are you upset cause no one gave you a gold star?
I got news for you, your not the only one to run to Reiter in a sled....It's really no big deal.

I don't believe I ever said you didn't have any experience. I stand by what I said earlier, most of the people here don't have much experience running a sled, anywhere.

[curado]

i have been up to reiter to in a sled to. like bodo said tho, not very many people have the experience running a sled in any water. i have seen guys get stuck because they were being careless. stuff happens.

[mallard79]

" No one here has run much white water or much water experience period." You did say it.

I don't need a gold star. I just don't understand your reasoning for making such a blanket statement. All I was trying to get across to you is that you shouldn't go around saying that "No one here has run much white water or much water experience period." when you don't know EVERYONE here. I know of a guide or two on here that may agree with me, and they are on the water everyday trying to make a living out of their sled.

I never said that I was the only one to run a sled high on the Sky. Not saying it is difficult for people who know what they are doing either. I was simply stating that for reference as to what kind of experience I have since you said I didn't have much. My guess would be that if the guy in the video, or most newbs for that matter, ran that stretch, we would be reading aout a sunken boat.

The guy operating the sled in the video must be blind, drunk or extremely inexperienced. If that was me, from what I saw in the video, I would have been running dead center up that stretch. Why would you intentionally run into any water that has whitecaps with rocks protruding the surface of the water when you have what looks to be a wide open flat to navigate through?

The guy screwed up and that is that! I was just trying to add my 2cents. I didn't know I was gonna end up peeing in someones cheerios! SO SORRY for having an opinion!

[Anonymous]

Ok guys, no more arguing. Discuss and have fun. I just may have to lock this thread, altho I haven't had to do that yet, and THAT may be fun to try.

[Matt]

This thread was designed to make fun of the dude in the video NOT to argue with each other, lol. Funny how things always change 'round here.

[Anonymous]

This isn't the only web site that happens on. The car site I'm on all day and every day gets that way, on purpose.

WE are known as 'Thread Pirates'. And it has been known to happen within seconds of the start of a thread. The soonest I've done it has been a couple minutes from the start of a thread.

[Bodofish]

Fair enough guys..... Lets just say the poor guy has enough problems and call the insurance company.

No need to kick him when he's down.

Third times a charm??????

[flinginpooh]

Atleast this has brought attention towards something stupid. And Ive not argued with anyone about this lol:cheers:

Now that Im feeling somewhat better and my sons on break time to light up the river. And Help my son catch his first steelheads of the season. Hes been doing good at school.:study: And should make honor roll again. Good luck to everyone out there. Happy Holidays. :rendeer: :bigsmurf:

[Anonymous]

Here here Pooh, All the best and good luck out there!!!!!

[Anonymous]

since we're getting warm and fuzzy and thread hijacking, I'll add my son, James, won his first wrestling tournement yesterday at Nathan Hale HS - took gold in the 130 lb bracket going 4-0, rated #1 seed. Pretty good considering this is only his third year wrestling. Boy has he had a smile on his face! I'm very proud of him because he has worked so hard to achive this goal.

now where were we? Jet Boats - reading a river to navigate a jet is almost as much fun as reading a river to catch a steelhead.

[Bodofish]

Now that's a big High Five!!!!! That is the most demanding school sport there is. Period.

[Jaksonbrown]

So much condemnation tells me one thing. No one here has run much white water or much water experience period. Wavy water doesn't necessarily mean rocks, sometimes the deepest place is in the wave train. The only way to be sure about any area of a river is to run it with someone that knows the river, it's all tribal knowledge. Things can happen real fast in moving water and it takes more than split second decisions to make it. Light reflections, shadows and the angle of the sun can play all sorts of wicked tricks on a guy. River running is not easy, the poor guy’s seemingly cavalier attitude was probably nothing more than shock. As far as weather he deserves to have a jet boat? Heck yes he does! Who do any of you think you are passing judgment on who gets to own anything! He's the guy that worked hard and made the money to buy the boat. I have not seen one jetboat owner that had a boat dropped in their lap. Everyone I know that owns one has worked darn hard to get it. I know of a couple places that have no tell on what beneath the surface. For one on the Snake a place called the "Grave Yard". Flat smooth, a deep channel down the middle with shear rock shelves on either side. The water goes from about 6" to a couple feet on top of the shelf, if you go near shore the bottom of your boat is gone. You can't tell where the deep and shelf starts.
When it comes to Jetboats, there are those that have hit rocks and those that will. No one gets out without a bonk or two. If ya haven’t bumped anything you might as well have a prop. We all hope it’s just an easy one.

So before you all have the poor guy going off to jail for running his boat, let’s just say wow that's a rough lesson learned and call the insurance agent.

PS: that video has been around longer than I've had my sled. Good to see it once in a while just so we know we're human.

I have to agree here with Bodo. I have watched more than a few guys with Tons of experience hit rocks in the graveyard that Bodo refers to. Its not white water either, just lots of hidden rocks. I tore a hole in my first sled in a huge area of the snake river that is usually very easy to read. However, this particular day the wind was howling and white capping and all of the rocks were being covered in waves and I missed one. Luckily I was able to get back to the ramp and get it on the trailer before she sank. In jetboating.... its not IF you will ever hit a rock... its When. Its only a matter of time.

But that was a funny video.

[Matt]

since we're getting warm and fuzzy and thread hijacking, I'll add my son, James, won his first wrestling tournement yesterday at Nathan Hale HS - took gold in the 130 lb bracket going 4-0, rated #1 seed. Pretty good considering this is only his third year wrestling. Boy has he had a smile on his face! I'm very proud of him because he has worked so hard to achive this goal.

L O L ! [lol] [lol] [lol]

[sickbayer]

I have a red thunder jet maybe it it was me!! gotta learn somehow...

[Rich McVey]

Just dont ask me how many times I've left trenches in the rocks at Tapps.

[Amx]

There are rocks in Tapps?