Articles & Media

It's called SOLWYRX. It's spelled S-O-L-W-Y-R-X, but it's pronounced "Soulworks." I've gotten the question about the name a bunch of times, so here's the whole reasoning behind it, and the story of how this shop came to be.

Why "Soulworks"

When I was getting ready to start my business, I wanted a name that represented my passion for whitewater and my passion for Christ. Something unique I could build a brand around. Something that stands out, so that someday, once the brand is big enough, you search it and it just comes up. No pile of other stuff popping up with it.

"Sol" is the sun, the one in the sky that we go boating under. But it's also the Son, as in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The rest of it is about working: working for the people, for God, and with God. It's a symbol of how we work under the sun. And it's not that I do the good works. He does the good works through me.

My brand is from God, for God, to bring people closer to God. I'm supposed to be a blessing to other people, because it's been such a blessing to me.

The name is a symbol of who I am, what I am, why I do what I do, and how I'm able to do it. It's a blend of the most important things to me. And one of my favorite things is not assuming somebody's going to want something, but making them curious. A name like SOLWYRX brings up a question, and that question gives me the chance to tell them about it: about Christ, about my business, about my testimony.

Third generation on the river

I'm a third-generation boater. My dad was a whitewater boater and still is, and so was my grandpa on my dad's side. They both went boating with a crew of guys and did all sorts of stuff, and I was raised in it from a very young age. My first time on the water I was four and a half, just simple ride-alongs.

On my ninth birthday I got an AIRE Spud, one of the first 100 ever released. My dad somehow got one of the first 100 just in time for my birthday, and the timing there is just something to be stunned by. I loved it. On our overnight trips on the Deschutes, the Grande Ronde, the John Day and sometimes the Rogue, I'd take the oars on the flat water whenever I could, because I wanted to be part of the whitewater too. I kayaked the Grande Ronde in that Spud on a lower-water summer trip, and that was the first time I ever high-sided a kayak: hit an eddy line, tipped a little, and caught it. A lot of those things have just been second nature to me.

I'm so blessed. My parents are awesome. We have our moments and don't always agree, but they've been incredibly supportive of me, especially in whitewater and in my faith in Christ. They also chose a really good group of people for our trips, and still do. It was very safety-minded: conscientious of what we do, how we do it and why. There were times I was just a kid being stupid or rebellious, but as I got more independent I realized that doesn't fly. It's a bad reflection of my character and of what I'm trying to achieve.

The boats that leveled me up

My Spud eventually went to my sister, and I moved into an AIRE Lynx from 1994. That thing was old, with a four-inch-thick foam floor, and it was my main kayak for the longest time. I had some good swims in it, and it's the boat I really leveled up in. Classic design, super reliable. We ended up selling it to my grandpa along with a ten-and-a-half-foot Storm.

My mom had an 11-foot SOTAR SL kayak in their tan color. Early on, when I didn't have the skills yet, I took a few swims out of it. But I came back to it, and it got passed down to me as my main kayak. Even through my sponsorships, if I can paddle the SL, I'll paddle the SL. That thing is rock solid. I've buried it sideways into holes with no momentum that realistically you should not be able to make it out of, dug in downstream, and just punched through. Later I did the same kind of stuff in SOTAR's Rondel from the Merlin series, even with how different those two kayaks are.

The slingshot

The shift that really brought me to where I am now was a New Year's Day trip on the Sandy River a few years ago. I rowed it in my Super Puma with a frame, and I enjoyed it, but the river and the flow had me thinking, "Man, I want to do this in my kayak." Not too many months later I took my Lynx down that same float, and that was the moment: now I want to go do harder stuff.

I'd already been running the Upper Clackamas, Hole in the Wall or Three Lynx down to Moore Creek. That's my whitewater playground now. It's where I go to challenge myself, do an easy reliable float, try new things and make fun content. I'd started out rowing it in the Super Puma, which was a learning curve, and once I'd done it a few times I started kayaking it in the Lynx. A few swims in both, but I was getting good at it.

The best way I can describe what happened next is a satellite heading toward a planet. It hits the gravitational pull and slingshots forward. That's what happened with me and whitewater kayaking. Up to then, the Packsaddle run on the North Santiam was most of my Class III experience in a kayak. Over time I saw my progression, my strengths, my weaknesses and where I had room to grow, and I had to learn how to become a different level of boater.

Starting the channel

In the spring going into summer of 2023 I started my YouTube channel, originally called Whitewater Adventure. It was meant to be a hobby. I had an old GoPro Hero 7 Silver that my sister and I used to film fun little videos as kids, so I mounted it on my helmet and started posting what I had. Some of my first videos are from rowing the Rogue in my Super Puma for the first time that year. Every video I've ever posted, I've edited myself, and I pretty much taught myself how. You can see the progression as you go through them.

When I started SOLWYRX, I renamed the channel SOLWYRX Paddlesports. It's the media side of what I'm doing. Same brand, but it's not just advertising. It's good content for a lot of different things. Watch the videos here.

Racing and the Oregon Rafting Team

In 2023 I raced the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival rowing my raft. I got fifth out of five boats, but I pretty much gold-medaled a hole, and it was a blast. A photographer's shot from that has been my wallpaper more often than not. In 2024 I raced the 11-foot SL kayak, which was part of why I got so into that boat: to level up and race it.

Around 2024 to 2025 I joined the Oregon Rafting Team as paddle captain for their brand-new youth team. Who could make it to what was inconsistent, and there weren't a lot of practices, but sometimes we had a rock-solid crew. Kainoa and I often ran R2 together, and our main R4 crew was me, Kainoa, TJ and Felix. On the water, they listened to my commands. We did a higher-water float on the Clackamas where a ton of boats were flipping and people were swimming, and we were rock solid, out there helping rescue people. A boat of middle schoolers and high schoolers, performing better than some of the adults that day. At Illy Fest and Clackfest, every race we ran, we placed second or third in our category, often with an improvised crew. I made it to every practice and every event without fail, because being reliable where it matters is one of my values.

A $70 Chromebook and a booth

In 2025 I raced for the ORT youth team and raced my SL again. The channel was growing, and I had a big plan for a Clackfest booth with merch, but it was going to cost about a thousand dollars and I didn't have a job that could fund it. I was fixing lawnmowers on the side, which was slow and time-consuming, and I wasn't great at it, though I did sell a few. So I got it down to a few hundred bucks: keychains and stickers. A USB video player didn't work, so I sent it back, got a $70 Chromebook, downloaded my videos and played them on a screen at the booth. I never made money from it. Everything went back into promoting the channel and the tools for the booth. I got good outreach, raced, and was bouncing around everywhere. It was an awesome time.

SOTAR

When we went to Illy Fest in 2025, my sister, my dad and I got a full tour of SOTAR's headquarters in Merlin, Oregon. Later that summer we stopped in to say hi on the way to the Rogue, and SOTAR asked me to demo their Rondel. I had it for a week and a half, took it down the Rogue, and rolled it back upright like a hardshell in an eddy at Wildcat Camp four out of twenty tries. I got some of that on video. I also ran the Maupin stretch of the Deschutes in it.

On that same visit, they asked about sponsoring me as a kayaking athlete. That was the coolest thing, and it still is. I returned the Rondel when my friend Travis invited me on an Indigo Creek Outfitters trip on the "New Klamath," the Klamath River after the dams came out. Since it was in that area, I dropped the boat off at SOTAR's headquarters, where they handmake all their boats. I made a 40-minute video on the Klamath, which is probably one of the most complete videos of that river for boating purposes, and one of the best ways to scout it.

On September 20th, exactly one month after I agreed to the sponsorship, my SL from SOTAR showed up at my door. That's when it took off. I started Project Horizon Line, a series meant to represent going off a waterfall and to follow my progression as a boater with the sponsorship. It's part of the Project Series playlist on my channel, and it's still unfinished. I may finish it, depending on how things work out.

Starting SOLWYRX

My business started at the beginning of February 2026. I hadn't graduated high school yet, and I didn't turn 18 until late April. It was a slow start while I figured out what I wanted to do, but it's been steady growth since.

That February I had my first proper SOLWYRX booth at Boatsmith. I had less than a week to prep and none of my promotional material, but I got everything ready in time and went down with my friends Caden and Carl Hansen, a father and son, staying in their trailer. SOTAR had given me the Rondel as my second sponsorship boat, so I could basically dual-wield the SL and the Rondel and get content in both. Great runs and great carnage in both.

At Clackfest 2026 I had a SOLWYRX Paddle Gear booth in a prime spot with both kayaks as demos. We battled the weather. My canopy completely collapsed inward in the middle of a massive rainstorm, and we fought with internet service to process the deal, but I sold both kayaks to a super awesome couple and made a few other sales. I took home an 11-foot SOTAR Lance as my next demo boat. It's my current sponsorship boat, and it's for sale.

I also picked up another sponsor, Go North Rafts, a packraft company. I'd introduced myself to them at Clackfest the year before as somebody who wanted to start a business. By Clackfest 2026 I'd started it, we got talking, and we made a deal: partnership, sponsorship, and me being a dealer for them.

What makes it into my shop

Today I'm a dealer for SOTAR, Go North Rafts, Sawyer Paddles and Oars, Oar Snubber, Pak Products, Riverskate, SOL Paddle Boards and Canyon Coolers. SOTAR sponsors me, Go North Rafts has partnered with and sponsored me, Riverskate is a new partnership, and Pak Products has been a big partner and sometimes a sponsor that's helped me achieve certain things.

If I know a brand, personally use it and prefer it, or find that most people like it, I'll consider selling it. The other half is whether they'll let me sell for them. In the literal sense, what goes on the shelf is what I can afford, what customers want, and what I know will sell or be used as a demo. But to be SOLWYRX-approved, it has to meet my personal standards of quality and reliability and what it has to hold up to.

Being in my shop is a testament to the quality of a product and a brand.

If a brand stops meeting a standard that supports the river and whitewater community, I'll drop it. I've dropped a sponsor before. I partnered with Better Bar for one video, but my personal beliefs didn't align with theirs, so we both got our share from that video and cut ties. It's not a mean thing. Good brands make it into my shop and stay there.

Take Sawyer. I've never found better oars than Sawyers. I abused Sawyer oars and blades for years before I ever sold for them, and the durability shows. For my graduation this past June, my parents got me a 64-inch Freefall XD with my logo on it, and that thing is so awesome. I recently had a customer order one, which was super cool since it's a paddle I personally love. You can always get a cheap plastic paddle, but if you want high quality, Sawyer is the way to go, and they warranty manufacturer defects for a year.

Or the Go North Carver. It's more of a playboat. My personal preference is to go surf waves and do fun stuff in it on Class II and III. You want to be somewhat skilled, but you can do a lot with it. It's almost like a jester boat. Go North also has some very impressive boats like the Stance, Element, Badger, Glacier and Achilles, plus a river tube.

Getting a SOTAR through me

There are three ways to get a SOTAR from SOLWYRX:

• In stock. Often demo boats, like the Lance I have right now. All my demo boats are 20% off retail because they're used, regardless of condition. New boats on hand are regular price.
• Pre-designed. Boats set up on my website with a selection of colors and features I've decided are worth offering. Choose a few customizations, press order, and it ships once SOTAR builds it, in four to eight weeks. You don't have to make a ton of decisions.
• Fully custom. Play with my Classic ST designer to get ideas for colors and sizing. Then place a custom order through the form at checkout, or email me with questions or exactly what you want. I personally help anyone who needs it design their boat, the same way an outfitter would. I check everything, do the pricing, contact SOTAR and send an invoice, and SOTAR builds it.

Where SOLWYRX is headed

Right now I'm online-only. I do a lot of networking and in-person stuff at festivals, but I don't have a brick-and-mortar shop, so it's a constant battle with space at home and with being able to carry certain brands. A shop is a goal I keep checking on, but the cost stretches me thin for now.

My vision is a place you can walk into and find all sorts of gear, basically a whitewater gear warehouse. You could walk in knowing nothing and having nothing, and walk out with everything you need, plus help understanding it and a starting point for what you want to go do. I have no clue exactly where I'll be in five years. I'm going to achieve whatever I can, good, bad or ugly, and I'll make it through. If it's not a warehouse, I'd love to at least have an awesome retail shop full of good, reliable gear.

I love whitewater. I love Christ. They're both my passions. If you're looking for whitewater gear that's reliable and proven, want help figuring out what you need, and want to support a local shop, come check it out. I've got everything from everyday pocket knives to some of the most durable oars and boats out there, and the variety keeps growing.

Shop SOLWYRXEmail Jacob

So you want to get into whitewater, and you've got no gear. Good news: the best first step costs nothing.

Look around first

Go to YouTube and see what's out there: rafts, catarafts, inflatable kayaks, hardshells, packrafts, stand-up paddle boards. See what looks cool and what pulls you in. Then research. Learn the terms, the tech and what each craft actually is. Read guides on sites like this one. Assume you know nothing, because that mindset keeps you safe.

Find your people

Get into the paddling community near you. In the Pacific Northwest, the PNW Whitewater Facebook group is a big hub. Not everyone is someone you should paddle with, so vet people. There are plenty of good groups, big and small. Safety is the number one priority.

Get trained

Take a class, like an ACA (American Canoe Association) course, or find a reputable person or organization to teach you. Start small, on flat water. Learn how to paddle and row, the basic strokes and the body mechanics.

Try before you buy

Borrow gear from trusted friends, demo boats, rent, or book a guided raft trip. Experience different craft and different gear so you learn what fits you.

Then invest

Once you know what you want, buy properly fitted, reliable gear: a life jacket (with a whistle), a helmet, water shoes, a dry suit or wetsuit for cold water, then the boat, paddle or oars, dry bags or a dry box, and a pump. Fit it in person at an outfitter whenever you can, and buy from that shop if possible. Local shops are there to help and advise you. Used gear from Facebook Marketplace can work too, as long as it's quality.

Keep going

Keep paddling with good groups, and switch groups if you need to. Never boat alone, and follow local laws and rules.

This is a simplified starting point, not a full course. The goal is to spare you the regret of spending a lot of money on the wrong gear. Immerse yourself first, then spend.

Shop SOLWYRXAsk Jacob

There's no single right answer. It depends on how you want to paddle.

The basics

• Raft. Most modern rafts are self-bailing, so they're just called rafts. A non-self-bailing raft is a "bucket boat." You can paddle one or put a frame on it and row it.
• Cataraft. Two inflatable pontoons with a frame in the middle. It takes on obstacles differently from a raft, can slow or build momentum in its own way, and usually runs at a slower average speed.
• Inflatable kayak (IK). You sit in it and paddle. It's lighter and easier to handle, which makes it great for day runs. The boat feels smaller and the whitewater feels bigger: more technical in some spots, easier in others.
• Packraft. Light, packs down tiny, and paddles a bit like a kayak. It gets pushed around, but it's a ton of fun and great for surfing.

Example: SOTAR's Merlin series

The Rondel is an 8-foot inflatable kayak. It turns very easily (it doesn't track straight), braces through hits, is pretty stable, and can even catch air off a wave. Among the rafts, the Excalibur is the small one at 10 feet, the Lance sits in the versatile middle at 11, and the Ballista is the big one at 12. For R1, the Excalibur and Lance are great. SOTAR rates the Excalibur for one or two people, the Lance for two, and the Ballista for up to four with more room. See the SOTAR lineup.

Example: Go North packrafts

The Carver is one of the lightest in the lineup. It's playful, great for surfing, gets pushed around but is maneuverable, and has a personality all its own. The Stance is a similar style but bigger, punches through features well and is fairly stable. The Badger is the "Class III couch": stable, fun and an all-rounder. You can pack all of them with gear in the tubes. See Go North Rafts.

Every brand and model has its own strengths and weaknesses. Demo what you can, ask questions, and choose for the paddling you actually want to do.

Short answer: if you want an ultralight packraft for backpacking and Class I–III water, start with the Go North Carver. It's about 5–6 lbs and packs down to the size of a sleeping bag. Want more stability or room for gear? Step up to the Badger.

What actually matters for backpacking

• Weight. You're carrying it. Every pound counts on a long hike in.
• Packed size. Sleeping-bag size fits in or on a pack.
• Water rating. Make sure it's built for the class you'll actually run.
• Load capacity. Enough for you plus your pack, with room to spare.

Go North packrafts side by side

Specs and prices from the Go North listings in the SOLWYRX shop, October 2026. Prices can change, so check the product page.

My picks

• Lightest on your back: the Carver. It's playful, great for surfing, and has a personality all its own. It gets pushed around a bit, so you want to be somewhat skilled.
• Most forgiving: the Badger. It's the "Class III couch": stable, fun and an all-rounder.
• Technical water: the Achelous, with its removable spray skirt.
• Two people or a hunting load: the Glacier.

I took the Carver on a fall colors float with the OWA this October, and it was an absolute blast. Five Go North packrafts also ended up in our 12-boat stack.

Quick answers

Can a packraft really handle Class III? These Go North models are rated Class I–III. But your skills, training and gear matter more than the boat. Never boat alone.

Can I carry gear in the tubes? Yes. You can pack all of these with gear in the tubes, which keeps the weight low and the boat balanced.

Where can I see one in person? Email me. We can often meet at Go North's shop in the Tualatin area.

Shop Go NorthAll packrafts

Short answer: most made-to-order Sawyer raft paddles ship 2–4 weeks after the order goes in, plus shipping time to you. Sawyer's carbon race paddle is listed at 2–3 weeks.

Why it takes a few weeks

Sawyer makes most of their stuff to order. You design it or choose from a set of options, they make it, and they ship it out. That's how you end up with the exact length and setup you want instead of whatever's sitting on a shelf.

Sawyer raft paddle build times

Build times from Sawyer's raft paddle listings, October 2026. Sawyer notes builds can take longer when demand is high or an item is out of stock.

Oars run on a similar schedule. Sawyer lists the Dyno X oar at 2–4 weeks.

Getting the right length

The right paddle length depends on your boat, where you sit and how you paddle. The Freefall XD, for example, comes in 2-inch steps from 56 to 72 inches. Tell me your boat and seat position and I'll help you pick before anything gets built.

From my own paddle

For my grad present this past June, my parents got me a 64-inch Freefall XD with my logo on it, and that thing is so awesome. I recently had a customer get one too. I've abused Sawyer gear for years, and it holds up. If there's a manufacturer defect, Sawyer warranties it for one year.

Quick answers

Can I get an exact length? Yes. That's the whole point of made-to-order.

Can it get to me faster? Sometimes. Email me before you order and I'll check current timing with Sawyer.

Is it worth the wait? If you paddle a lot, yes. A paddle built for your boat and your stroke lasts years. You can always get a cheap plastic paddle, but if you want high quality, Sawyer is the way to go.

Shop SawyerAsk Jacob

Short answer: if you want a solid everyday knife and a first aid kit that can actually handle getting wet, grab a Pak pocket knife ($30) and the Pak Waterproof First Aid Kit ($25). That's $55 for two things you'll use on almost every trip.

Everybody gets excited about boats and oars. Fair enough. But the small stuff is what you reach for all day: cutting cord, opening food, trimming tape, patching up a scraped knee at the takeout. Pak has been a big partner for SOLWYRX, and these are the products of theirs I keep coming back to.

The knife lineup

All of Pak's knives have high carbon stainless steel fine-edge blades, textured G-10 handles that grip well, and a pocket clip. They open one-handed, which matters when your other hand is full of gear.

Specs and prices from the SOLWYRX shop, October 2026.

Which one should you get?

• Drop Point: the do-everything pick. A classic shape for cutting, slicing and everyday camp jobs.
• Sheepsfoot Stonewash: a straight edge with a rounded-down tip, which I like around inflatable boats. The stonewash finish hides scratches, and the lockback and thumb hole work for lefties and righties.
• Clever: the one that gets people asking about it. Same flipper and liner lock as the Drop Point, with a different blade shape and the green handle.
• 3 Pack: three knives for $60, which works out to $20 each. One for your truck, one for your dry bag, one for a buddy. Or split them up as gifts.

The Waterproof First Aid Kit

The Pak Waterproof First Aid Medical Kit is $25 and comes in a compact, waterproof, shatterproof case. It's light enough to live in a day bag or dry box, and it's built for treating cuts, sprains and shock and stabilizing someone until help arrives.

• Bandages, wipes and tape
• Trauma shears
• Stainless steel straight and elbow tweezers
• Gloves and a CPR mask
• Emergency blanket
• First aid guide booklet

Toss one in your boat, one in your car, and one in your backpack, and you're covered on the water, on the road and on the trail.

A word of honesty

These are everyday folding knives, not a dedicated river rescue knife. If you need a knife on your PFD for cutting rope in an entrapment, get one made for that and train with it. And a first aid kit is only as good as the person using it. Take a first aid class, like a Wilderness First Aid course. We don't rise to the occasion. We fall to our level of training.

Taking care of them

After a river trip, rinse your knife in fresh water, dry it, and keep the pivot clean. Check your first aid kit after every trip and restock anything you used, so it's ready next time.

Quick answers

Are Pak knives good for camping and river trips? Yes, for everyday jobs like cord, food and tape. For rescue, carry a dedicated rescue knife too.

Is the first aid kit really waterproof? Pak describes the case as compact, waterproof and shatterproof, which is why I like it in a boat.

Do these make good gifts? Absolutely. A knife and a kit together run $55, and the 3 Pack is an easy way to cover a whole crew.

Shop Pak ProductsGet the First Aid Kit

The most common mistake I see, both before I became an instructor and now, is flinching.

People see a rock or a wave and instinctively pull away. They stop paddling or rowing at exactly the moment they should be working hardest: digging in, bracing, high-siding, leaning toward the feature, or making that last-second move to line up.

Flinching usually turns you sideways. Broadside on a rock, and you can pin or wrap a raft or cataraft. Hit a wave sideways in any boat, and you're far more likely to flip. Square up to the feature ("tee up") and keep your power, and your odds get a lot better. Hit a rock with the bow or stern and you can often pivot off it instead of pinning. None of this is a guarantee, but it stacks the odds in your favor. Even when you mess up, you mess up less and fail forward into a better position.

The instinct to flinch is natural. The goal is to attack whitewater instead of reacting to it.

The same goes for panicking after a swim. Fight-or-flight kicks in, and many people freeze or get confused. The answer is training, because we don't rise to the occasion. We fall to our level of training.

Ask about instruction

Boats

After a trip, once you're home or at your destination, inflate the boat and get it clean and dry. Rinse off the dirt, grime and water. For a deeper clean, scrub it with boat cleaner and water, and get into every crack and crevice. Let it air dry, towel dry, or do both. Then store it clean and dry somewhere safe, like a garage or another temperature-controlled space. If you live in an apartment, clean it before bringing it inside.

Don't drag your boat across surfaces, because abrasion wears it down. And never leave a wet, rolled-up boat or gear in your car. It gets gross, smells funky, and can damage both the boat and your car.

Repairs

Clean the damage and repair it properly. Some repairs need a professional. In Oregon, I recommend All Inflatable Repair and SOTAR in Merlin, who repair all sorts of boats and do great work.

Oars and paddles

Sawyer gear is durable, not indestructible. You can snap an oar levering against a rock, or pop a T-grip off by prying the wrong way. Be reasonable with it. If a removable blade like the MXS gets badly damaged, replacing it can make sense. For gouges in the epoxy or worn tips, Sawyer's DIY repair kits let you recoat and fix things yourself, and SOLWYRX carries them: the SilverTip Epoxy Kit, Molded Oar Pro-Tip Kit, Spar Varnish Kit, Composite Spar Varnish Kit and more in the Sawyer shop. Wipe your gear down after trips and store it in good condition.

You don't have to be precious about your gear, but be kind to it and keep it maintained.

R = raft, and the number = how many people are paddling. R1 is one person paddling a raft, R2 is two, and so on.

C1, C2 traditionally meant canoe, with one person paddling a single-bladed paddle with a T-grip. Today the term covers anyone paddling single-bladed in a canoe, kayak, inflatable kayak or packraft.

Strokes

Canoe style and raft style differ:

• J-stroke (canoe style): the same blade face stays loaded the whole time. You pull, then rotate the blade outward at the end to steer while keeping your momentum.
• Raft style: you often start on one blade face and pry with the opposite face, using the tube as a fulcrum.

Deadsticking is when a boat full of people has only one person paddling, usually the guide in the back.

A word of honesty

R1 and C1 are hard. They're complex skills that take time and effort to master, and they're best learned once you're already proficient in whitewater, comfortable in different positions in a boat, and bring a solid base of knowledge. The payoff is that solo boating gets you on the river more and makes you a better paddler.

Spring, around 2023, the Packsaddle run on the North Santiam at about 4,500 cfs, which is big water for that run. I was rowing our 14-foot SOTAR Classic with a frame: big and heavy. My mom was rowing her 14-foot Wave Destroyer cataraft with my sister in a back seat and Bailey, our chocolate lab puppy, not even a year old. My dad was paddling our paddle raft with friends, and a whole crew came along.

At Spencer's Hole, the channel narrows. I came in side by side with another cataraft. It took one half, and I took the other, the worse half. They went through clean. I got stuck in the hole. It surfed me, bucked me and threw me out. I broke a carabiner on the way out because I was holding an oar, and I pulled the oar out of its oarlock. I fell upstream into the hole, flushed under the boat, and popped up just above the next rapid. The raft sat in the hole until it floated out into the eddy.

A cataraft came by. I was only in paddle gear, with nothing warm. There was no spare room on that cat, so I somehow climbed onto a tube and straddled it.

Meanwhile my mom had flipped end over end at Spencer's. She and my sister had a bad swim, getting pulled deep. Bailey was stuck with the upside-down cat, whose high-back seats turned it into an upside-down sailboat racing downstream with no eddies in sight. A friend in a SOTAR SL kayak like mine got to it first and pulled Bailey off. We caught up, and I climbed onto the flipped boat, holding Bailey, gripping a rope tied to the cat I'd been riding, and bracing against the frame on the upside-down mesh floor. We finally wedged it against a rock outcropping a little way below Carnivore Rapid. It was cold, wet and drizzly. Everyone was okay.

The part I'll never forget

All morning, before we launched, I kept seeing the exact moment I'd fall out of my raft. It replayed over and over, and I couldn't stop it. I knew it was going to happen.

I grew up in a Christian household, but it wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I truly found what it means to be saved. Looking back now, I believe God has given me spiritual gifts like wisdom, discernment, knowledge and, at times, visions. That morning on the Santiam is one of the clearest moments I can point to.

Runner-up crazy trip

The Grande Ronde at 16,000 cfs, rowing a 10.5-foot RMR Storm with a frame and dry bags. Full-grown trees, root balls and all, floated past our camp on a layover day. The waves were so big I hopped from eddy to eddy to stay out of them, and we made ridiculous time. It was a sight to behold.

In September 2026, a group led by Covey Baack stacked 10 SOTAR rafts and floated a section of the Rogue River. In early October, at 10:15 one Thursday morning at work, I decided to go for it myself, counting by number of boats.

I borrowed a 14-foot Maravia and a 14-foot NRS from my friend David Pauli, and picked up five packrafts from Go North Rafts. On Saturday we did a fall colors float with the OWA, and I took the Go North Carver, which was an absolute blast. Then on Sunday, October 11, we went for it from Fishermen's Bend to North Santiam County Park.

The stack, bottom to top

A 14-foot SOTAR Classic (with my mom's Wave Destroyer cat tubes strapped along its sides as outriggers for stability and seating), a 14-foot NRS, a 14-foot Maravia, a 13-foot Super Puma, an 11-foot SOTAR Lance, a 9.5-foot RMR Thundercloud, a 14-foot Momentum Harrier tandem kayak ("Big Blue and Ugly"), a Go North Glacier, my SOTAR SL, a Tomcat Max, and the Go North Badger and Element on top. That's 12 boats.

We arrived around 9 a.m. Inflating took about an hour, by hand and with an electric pump. Stacking took about two more. I was aiming for 17, but between time limits and how hard it got to go higher, we called it at 12. That's more boats than the Rogue stack, though theirs was likely taller. We floated just under four miles in about an hour, hung up on one rock, spun off, and had people filming us from houses all along the river.

In the news

As I told Zach Urness of the Statesman Journal, "There were a lot of very perplexed people." I also told him it's "just an informal community record," and whether I set it "kind of depends how you define it." Urness reported that 10 to 15 friends and family helped rig the stack, held together mostly with raft straps, that it stood an estimated 15 feet tall and passed about 15 feet below power lines, and that my dad and friends Kira Yelton and Steph Silbernagel helped paddle. Up on the stack, I said, "you're so high up you kind of feel detached from the water."

Source: Zach Urness, "Oregon teen floats record 12-boat stack down Santiam River," Salem Statesman Journal, updated Oct. 15, 2026.

Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. We may hook up something crazier in the future. We'll see.

Watch the stack video

Short answer: if you want one raft that does both R1 and R2, go 11 feet. It's small enough to handle alone in technical water and big enough for two paddlers. Go 10 feet if you'll mostly paddle solo, or 12 feet if you'll mostly paddle two-up or carry gear.

When people ask me about a raft for paddling solo (R1) or with one partner (R2), the conversation usually lands on two SOTAR lines: the Merlin series and the Rogue series. Both have boats that work for R1 and R2, but they're built with different priorities. Everything below is checked against SOTAR's own product pages and spec sheets.

The short version

• Merlin series: precision and play. SOTAR builds these around a continuous-curve hull for boofing holes, catching eddies and quick direction changes. The rafts run from a 10-foot solo boat up to a 12-footer with more room.
• Rogue series: range and value. Named after rapids on the Rogue River, these are SOTAR's lighter, more affordable boats for low-water rivers and creeks. Every Rogue has a raised mesh floor that bails fast, tapered bow tubes for more interior space, and a fabric SOTAR formulated to slide over rocks. SOTAR says the line pairs a cataraft's speed and tracking with a raft's versatility.

All seven rafts below use SOTAR's 35 oz Rezcoat urethane, and SOTAR lists a 5-year limited warranty for both series.

Merlin series

Excalibur, 10': SOTAR calls it an R1 playboat for technical whitewater, built for steep creeks, tight lines and Class IV. The continuous-curve design is aimed at big boofs and sharp eddy turns. 54 lbs, rated for 1–2 people.

Lance, 11': SOTAR's R1/R2 playboat. Compact enough for technical solo runs, with the room and stability for two paddlers, and light enough to shoulder on portages and hike-ins. 58 lbs, rated for 2 people.

Ballista, 12': one foot longer than the Lance for more tracking and space, with an offset continuous-curve hull. SOTAR pitches it for soloing steep lines, guiding technical drops, or running with a partner and gear while keeping the Merlin feel. 70 lbs, rated for up to 4 people.

The Merlin series also includes the 8' Rondel, a 24 lb inflatable kayak rather than a raft.

Rogue series

Nugget, 11': SOTAR's R2 boat for steep creeks, technical lines and Class IV drops. With the thwarts out, SOTAR says it packs small enough to check as airline luggage, which makes it the travel pick. 55 lbs, rated for 1–2 people.

Argo, 12': SOTAR markets it for steep creeks and high-volume water, and says it has more interior room than typical paddle cats. You can also put a simple row frame on it for two or three people. 60 lbs, rated for 2–4 people.

Tyee, 13': the all-rounder. It works as a quick R2 boat, a paddle raft for up to five, or a light overnight boat with a small oar frame. 72 lbs, rated for 2–5 people.

Rainie, 14': named after Rainie Falls on the Rogue, and billed by SOTAR as the raft that handles like a cataraft. Large tubes and a long waterline help it glide, and it works for day trips with a simple frame or multi-day trips with gear. 78 lbs, rated for 2–6 people.

Side by side

How I'd choose

• Mostly solo and want to play: the Excalibur. If you'll bring a partner sometimes, the Lance.
• Mostly R2 on technical water: the Lance if you want the playboat feel, the Nugget if you also travel or hike in.
• R2 now, a crew or row frame later: the Argo or the Tyee.
• Distance and gear: the Rainie, or the Ballista if you want more room but still want a Merlin boat.

From my own boat

My current sponsorship and demo boat is an 11' Lance. I've run it R1, R2 and R3: on the North Santiam's Niagara section at 1,000 cfs, on the White Salmon including Husum Falls, and loaded down with gear on the Grande Ronde for up to 18 miles in a day. Watch the Lance video. That exact boat is for sale at 20% off as a used demo.

Every boat here is in my shop, and I can order any of them fully custom for you through SOTAR. Not sure which one fits? Email me and I'll help you sort it out.

Quick answers

Is a 10-foot raft big enough for two? It can be. SOTAR rates the 10' Excalibur for one or two people, but it's really built for solo paddling.

Can I R1 a 12-foot raft? Yes. It turns slower solo, but the Ballista is a solid pick if you R1 and want room for gear.

What's the best all-around size for R1 and R2? 11 feet. The Lance if you want to play, the Nugget if you travel.

Shop SOTARAsk Jacob

Short answer: you can order a custom SOTAR raft through SOLWYRX Paddle Gear, and I'll personally help you design it. SOTAR hand-builds every boat in Merlin, Oregon. Pick a pre-designed build, or work with me on a fully custom one for solo trips, two-person trips, technical creeks or big water.

Three ways to get a SOTAR

1. In stock. Usually demo boats, like the 11' Lance I've got right now. All my demo boats are 20% off retail because they're used, regardless of condition. New boats on hand are regular price.

2. Pre-designed. Boats set up on my site with a selection of colors and features I've decided are worth offering. Choose a few customizations, press order, and it ships once SOTAR builds it, in about four to eight weeks. You don't have to make a ton of decisions.

3. Fully custom. Play with my Classic ST designer to get ideas for colors and sizing. Then place a custom order through the form at checkout, or email me with questions or exactly what you want. I help you design and outfit it, check everything, do the pricing, contact SOTAR and send an invoice. SOTAR builds it and ships it to you.

Best custom rafts for solo and two-person trips

Specs and list prices from SOTAR, October 2026. Prices can change, so check the product page.

Creeks or big water?

For technical creeks, you want a shorter, lighter boat that turns quick, boofs well and is easy to carry around a portage. That's where the Excalibur, Lance, Nugget and Argo shine.

On bigger water, a longer boat tracks better and carries momentum through holes and waves. That's where the Classic ST, Strike and Tyee come in. If you run both, an 11 or 12-foot boat is the best middle ground for a lot of people.

What we'll figure out together

• Model and length for your rivers, flows and crew size.
• Setup: paddle or row, thwarts, foot cups on the Classics, and frame.
• Colors: start in the Classic ST designer.
• Outfitting: Sawyer oars and paddles, Oar Snubbers and rigging.

You don't need to know exactly what you want. Send me your run list and roughly what you want to spend, and I'll help with the rest. That's what outfitters do, and I do it over email, or in person if you're with me.

Quick answers

What's the best raft size for solo trips? 10 to 11 feet. The Excalibur or the Lance.

What about two people with overnight gear? 12 feet, like the Ballista or the Argo.

How long does a SOTAR take? Pre-designed builds ship in about four to eight weeks once SOTAR builds them. For fully custom boats, I'll give you a current estimate from SOTAR when we put the order together.

Shop SOTAREmail JacobBuild a SOTAR

When: Saturday, November 14, 2026. Meet at Moore Creek Boat Ramp at 10 a.m.
Where: Upper Clackamas, Hole in the Wall to Moore Creek.

Despite the name, R1 Fest isn't a festival, and it isn't a SOLWYRX event. It's a personal community get-together I'm hosting. The idea is to get people who R1 out together on the Upper Clackamas. I'll be R1ing, my dad will be R1ing, and hopefully lots of others will too. SOTAR may bring some small rafts, likely from the Merlin series, like the Excalibur and Lance.

Don't R1? You're still welcome. Expect chill vibes, probably a turtle box, new faces, and a fun day kicking off the winter season.

River Rat Sunday, my dad Jared Linkhart's open-invitation community trip on the Upper Clackamas, kicks off its new season on December 20. It runs on the third Sunday of every month through the winter and spring high-water season.

2026–27 dates: Dec 20 · Jan 17 · Feb 21 · Mar 21 · Apr 18 · May 16 (likely Clackfest weekend).

It's for local paddlers and for those who travel to what Jared calls "our home town river." Lots of people get their first Upper Clackamas run on these trips. Jared calls the river a "gem." Oar rafts, paddle rafts, IKs, packrafts, hardshells and SUPs all show up. In Jared's words, "You will find instant friends out here."

From past trips

One high-water day included a four-kid youth paddle crew running a SOTAR SL for the first time, who "absolutely handled that boat all day." That day saw two raft flips and plenty of IK and packraft swims. Swimmers were pulled into other boats, the oar raft was flipped back on the water, and everyone helped carry gear up the hill at the takeout. "Everyone was kept safe," Jared said.

Another day, at about 6,500 cfs, was simply "BIG." I swam at Toilet Bowl (caught on two cameras), a 14-foot raft flipped right after, and every swimmer was rescued fast. There was no wood, just big clean waves and "absolutely viscous eddies." Watch the 6,500 cfs video.

River note: Toilet Bowl has changed, with an exposed gravel bar and a new hole mid-channel.

In 2026, Jared also led a River Rat trip on May 17 during Clackfest to help people feel at home at the festival beyond the racing. "I am always humbled and grateful for everyone who comes out and fosters a sense of community."

Right now, the big focus at SOLWYRX is brand expansion. We've contacted a number of brands. Several are on board, some are still pending, and a few have passed.

• Riverskate: fully live and available to buy now.
• SOL Paddle Boards: some products are uploaded, and sales open soon.
• Canyon Coolers: working out logistics. Hard coolers may come through boat packages, with others available for local pickup.
• Boat packages: complete kits are in early planning. We're still looking for a frame partner.
• Pre-designed SOTAR boats are live for the SL kayaks, Classic rafts, Merlin, Rogue, Strike and Micro Strike. Pick your colors, and on the Classics, choose foot cups. Presets include the standard maximum number of thwarts. More rafts and cats are coming.
• Custom SOTAR orders: email me directly, even for models not listed yet. The Classic ST configurator is back as a design playground. It's not an ordering form.

Next up, we'll finish uploading brands, then ramp up outreach and advertising. We're always watching for the right brick-and-mortar space. New kayaking and R1 videos are coming to the SOLWYRX Paddlesports YouTube channel. Nothing is guaranteed, and things change, but this is where we're at.

Riverskate and SOLWYRX Paddle Gear are officially partnered, and Riverskate boards are for sale on the site now. Riverskate is based in North Carolina and recently received a patent for its side-wing design. Visit Riverskate.

My own Hovercraft 150L arrives Friday, October 30, and I'll be getting it on the water as soon as possible and making videos. This partnership has been a few months in the making, through some technical and logistics hurdles, and I'm excited to work more with Riverskate. Thank you, Riverskate!

SOL Paddle Boards: SOLWYRX is now a SOL dealer. Products are being uploaded and will be available once my own board arrives. They've been supportive and great to work with, and I've really liked their boards. SOL at SOLWYRX · solpaddle.com

Canyon Coolers: SOLWYRX is an approved Canyon Coolers dealer. We're still working out logistics, so what ends up on the site isn't settled yet. In the meantime, email me to order a custom cooler, then pick it up or meet up. We can often meet at our partner Go North's shop in the Tualatin area. canyoncoolers.com

Some shipping, like oars, takes extra steps and costs a bit more, but buying through SOLWYRX supports a local, independent dealer. If you like what we're doing, buying, sharing and reposting all help.

Clackfest 2027 (confirmed): SOLWYRX will have a booth at the Upper Clackamas Whitewater Festival, held the third weekend of May (official 2027 dates pending). The 2026 festival marked its 40th year. clackfest.com

Boatsmith (hopeful): We went last year and would love to return, but it isn't confirmed yet.

Others: We're watching for more festivals. Each one takes time and resources to prepare for, especially as we scale.

After a really dry October, the rain has finally arrived, and it's pouring. Hopefully it keeps up and the rivers get flowing.

I've spent plenty of time on the North Santiam's Packsaddle run, and now I'm looking forward to more Clackamas, especially the Upper, with R1 Fest and River Rat Sundays coming up. I'm hoping for good flows on November 14. I'm also excited to get back out regularly, shoot good videos, take out the many great craft we've got, and try the new Riverskate on the Upper Clackamas.

• Kayaking and AIRE Tater fun: recently filmed, now in editing. The Tater is AIRE's short, playful little boat.
• Riverskate: first rides on the Hovercraft 150L.
• R1 across different craft: a longer project, with a companion article planned.

Stay tuned! Subscribe to SOLWYRX Paddlesports.