Why Low Water Loves Small Crafts
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Low water years have a funny way of making little boats look real smart here in the West, and another skinny one is looming. In some places, we’re staring down record-low snowpack and the kind of summer where the big gear boat might start feeling a little, well… big.
That’s where small craft shine. IKs, packrafts, mini rafts, small cats - they’re easier to drag, easier to launch, easier to store, and they open up water the big stuff just can’t touch. Frankly you can also stuff a fair amount of people in a small boat, especially if they're "smaller" people. ;)
The good folks at Down River Equipment put together a solid little primer on buying a small boat. Worth a read if you’re shopping, scheming, or just trying to justify one more boat in the garage.
Which, for the record, seems reasonable.
Here's a few boats on the site for sale right now that we consider "low-water" river craft.
Super Cutthroat 2 Wide Cataraft
Boulder Boat Works - New 2026 Low Side Gradient