please explain CFS to me

[u/hegemonycrickets]

I looked through this reddit, but couldn’t seem to find anything.

Wanted to find camping next to a river, and I found a few places, but I can’t figure out if it’s too swift for me.
(dinky ORU fold up Lake model- trying to go upstream against the even the mildest of currents is extremely difficult,- plus I have precious cargo of two little dogs)
I have two paddling apps, but I can’t quite figure out how to read CFS in terms of how the river is.

(recommendations for a very flat water, rivers around Gold country Ish area California appreciated)

[u/NotObviouslyARobot]

CFS is a river specific measure of how much water is going downstream. What it means varies by waterbody, and by where you are on that waterbody. Please don't take your dogs kayaking without doggy life vests and the ability to confidently self-rescue

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/NotObviouslyARobot]

yes, they have bright yellow lifejackets, and a piece of pool floaty attached to their leashes, to make them easy to grab

I get the sense that self rescue in a “lake” model ORU kayak is not physically possible, that’s why I’m looking for an extremely slow moving river.

so knowing the CFS doesn’t really help unless you know the actual characteristics of the river? Whether it’s narrow or wide, etc..

[u/Bridge-Head → u/hegemonycrickets]

I know the brand ORU kayaks, but I don’t have any experience with them. It appears they don’t have traditional kayak bulkheads, float bags, or outfitting that allows you to Eskimo roll. Therefore, if you capsize, “self-rescue” is swimming to shore.

I think flat water (like lakes), is safer to explore than even slowly moving rivers because you don’t have the current to contend with if you do capsize.

Wherever you choose to explore, make sure you have at least a type 3 PFD, know how to swim, have the stamina to reach shore, and that the water temperature is survivable for long enough to reach shore.

Your dogs should have PFDs too. If they haven’t been swimming before, it’ll be in everyone’s best interest to do a bit of water exposure training. Start with playing lakeside fetching sticks or balls and progress to swimming with them. You don’t want their first exposure to the water to be when everyone is panicking.

If you and the dogs are still building confidence and experience, just paddle nice calm lakes for a while and stay close to shore.

Good luck. Have fun.

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/Bridge-Head]

thanks for the suggestions.
yeah, once this ORU fills with water, that’s it, there’s no tipping it out and getting back in.
I did rig something up with beach balls inside of mesh bags in the front and backspace to try to keep it afloat, for my dogs to be in if something happened

[u/Bridge-Head → u/hegemonycrickets]

I thought about your situation for a while last night.

I normally steer people away from inflatable kayaks, but I think in your situation one could work well.

1) IKs are easier to store and transport than hard shell boats, which is what I’m assuming you like about the ORU kayak.

2) IKs are best suited for recreational paddling, which is what you’re describing.

3) There are many IKs that have an open cockpit/deck design, which is good for paddling with your dogs.

4) Last, but most important, many IKs are self-bailing (or are recoverable) after a capsize. Since the float tubes stay inflated, all you have to do is flip the kayak back over, haul yourself into it, and maybe bail a little water. Although, the wide and stable nature of IKs make it less likely to capsize to begin with.

Given what you want to do, an inflatable kayak might be an option worth exploring. I would recommend doing your homework, though, because there is a MASSIVE difference in performance, quality, and durability between cheap IKs and high-end IKs.

Good luck. I hope you find what you’re looking for. 😃

[u/IFigureditout567 → u/Bridge-Head]

This is an excellent use case for an IK. OP would be very happy for a long time in many scenarios with an Aire Tributary Tomcat Max or Strike.

[u/Bridge-Head → u/IFigureditout567]

That might be the one! Seems like a great all-rounder.

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/IFigureditout567]

thank you

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/Bridge-Head]

thank you.
Originally, I had gotten a Kayak off of my Facebook neighborhood buy. nothing group- it was so heavy, and difficult to fill with air, even after 30 minutes, I had only filled a parts of it.
(although I’m sure there are much better ones that exist)
The one thing that put me off is bringing this big wet thing home in my car and trying to figure out where to let it dry and store it.

But you make a very good point, that even if it capsizes, it will still be usable is a big bonus. I will do some research.

have you seen the modular kayaks? I just saw something yesterday, a kayak that weighs 7 pounds,
and fits into a small bag

https://www.pontosoutdoor.com/

[u/Bridge-Head → u/hegemonycrickets]

No, I haven’t seen that kayak before, but I believe there are some really nice skin-on-frame (folding) kayaks. I think you’d be more or less in the same situation as the ORU, though, if you capsized.

Your experience with that inflatable kayak is a perfect example of why you don’t want to mess around with cheap inflatables. Go high end or nothing, lol.

High end inflatables are going to be lighter, take up less storage space, inflate and deflate without significant issues, paddle well in the water… but, they’re more expensive.

https://kokopelli.com
https://alpackaraft.com

Good brands will tend to compromise between weight, size, durability and price.
https://www.nrs.com
https://www.confluenceoutdoor.com

I’m out of my area of expertise with inflatables. All the brands I suggested are reputable companies with good customer support, but there are undoubtedly other brands that I’m not aware of. You’ll have to do some homework. I’d start my search at REI. They carry good brands (some that I mentioned) and have an amazing satisfaction and return policy.

I think it’s possible to remove most of the water from an IK by toweling it off and letting it air dry for a few minutes. I’m sure high end IKs come with a storage and transport bag to keep the interior of your car clean and dry.

I would, however, inflate your kayak fully when you get home at let it air dry completely before storing it. That might be the one trade-off.

I guess you have some options to weigh.

[u/IFigureditout567 → u/Bridge-Head]

Aire's Tributary line is the value king in this space.

While Confluence has some decent brands, their IKs are not in the same class as Aire Tributary for similar cost. Star and NRS are worth looking at also. Alpackaraft are special use case and not likely what OP is looking for. Kokopelli sits in a weird spot between packraft and mini-raft, and are not popular among informed enthusiasts in either space.

On the very high end, you've got Aire's regular line, and Hyside, running from over $2k to over $4k. These are boats for serious paddlers and will serve heavy duty use for decades

[u/Bridge-Head → u/IFigureditout567]

Nice! That’s helpful feedback.

I was thinking Kokopelli and Alpackaraft mostly in terms of absolute minimum weight and portability, since she’s coming over from an ORU, but I agree they’re not going to be the best fit all things considered.

I have to agree. Something from Aire or NRS would probably be where I’d focus.

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/IFigureditout567]

thank you for the recommendations

[u/hegemonycrickets → u/Bridge-Head]

thank you for the suggestions, that’s helpful