Last Update
01-May-2008

   Customers are advised to be at base one hour before departure when reservations are made and must have a change of clothes & towels because of wetness. Before they begin the trip the rafters will sign a waiver for the company, be issued floatation vests, rain gear and boots if necessary. They will be instructed as to where they will board the boats (wharf) and be divided into groups. The guides will then give safety instructions and a description of the trip. Before departure all safety gear will be checked.

   As the tide begins to rise the current will increase, the boats will head up river ahead of the advancing tide to a narrow spot to wait for the tidal bore to form (the point where out flowing river water and incoming tide water meet there is an elevation difference between 1 and 10 feet) which can be a swell or breaking wave. The boats will meet this wave head on, when they hit the bore the boat will rise up on top, depending how large the bore is will determine how wet the customers will get. After hitting and riding the bore the boat will wait a few minutes for the water to rise enough to cover the sand bars which take up approximately 80% of the river bed on low tide. Usually Bald Eagles can be observed for these few quiet minutes. Once the sand bars are covered the speed of the water flowing over them causes great areas of rapids which can cover 100 acres at a time. The height of the rapids or waves can range from a calm few feet to well over 10 feet. Since these rapids are caused by sand bars, not rocks, the trips are very safe, if someone happens to fall over there are no rocks to get injured upon. There are 8-10 sets of these rapids which last about 15 minutes each once the water becomes more than 15 feet deep the sand bars do not influence or restrict the flow of water over them. Once one set of rapids begins to subside the boats will travel up river to another area where the tide is just beginning to rise and another set of rapids is forming. This cycle is repeated 8-10 times. Between each set of rapids eagles nests can be ovserved, historic areas will be explained (i.e.: Acadian dykelands, North America's first cantilever bridge, portion of Shubenacadie Canal, native history, as well as the geological aspects of rock formations and the 200 foot sedimentary cliffs on each side). Once most rapids have been encountered the boats will pull over to a sand bar so rafters can get out to stretch their legs on the hard packed sand in the center of the river, but only for a few minutes since the tide is still rising very fast. After their rest, the boats head back to the Mouth of the river on the calm deep water of the incoming tide. The tide at this part of the Bay takes approximately 3 1/2 hours to rise up to 45 feet.

   You Supply:

   Swimming trunks or shorts (please avoid cotton and light coloured clothing), sneakers or sandals, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, warm sweater or polar fleece for cool days, change of clothes, towel and shower supplies.

   We Supply:

   Friendly, knowledgeable and experienced guides, all safety gear, equipment & self-bailing rafts, Coast Guard approved floatation devices, rain gear and boots, pre-trip safety orientation, suit rentals, showers, change rooms, washrooms and barbecue.

   On-Site Gift Shop:

   Disposable waterproof cameras, t-shirts, sweat shirts, ball caps, eyeglass retainers, postcards, books, gift certificates, snack food, pop and more.....

   A mouth-watering barbecued steak, salad, rolls, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate is included in the full day rafting package to quell the appetite of rafters after they have experienced this tremendous tidal ride of a lifetime!