havasu to laughlin on the river

[78 propduster]

Don't try it on Sundays, very low water levels. Done this trip many times, learned the river in a jet boat as a kid so I know the rock bars. read the water, any differences in the surface are indicators. colors are good indicators too. Polarized sunglasses help in seeing this You could take the London jet tour boat on a morning run and memorize the rock bars.
Great advise about following another boat!

[jackpunx]

a few years back we took a couple of big cats to the classic boat beach bash in Avi... it was pretty hairball to say the least... most of that day is on the Pegged movie...
we went up in the afternoon and came back at dusk.. (in 2 36' cats) I have never gone that fast for that long.. it was a trip.. it was between 90-130 the whole way... I was watching the water ....It felt like such a gamble.. we called ahead and they said it would be ok at that time..
I would love to do it in my smaller boat sometime soon... but I wouldnt go past AVI

[HDF WATERDOG]

Truly sounds like a great ride. I've tryed it twice now with not pretty results. Both times I was a sweating nervous wreck just because I knew what might happen. Skip the costs of the new props, just wasn't fun being at my wits end the whole way up. Stay in Havi and the Gorge and enjoy yourself.

[AZLAW]

I drive from Laughlin to the Avi every year, in a jet boat. There is no point going all the way to Laughlin, no slips and a bunch of inexpericenced jetski renters from south of the border. The avi has a great beach to put your boat for a few. Also there are some good sandy beaches on both sides of the river before you get to the white pipe line thing that goes over the river.

[Ziggy]

I drive from Laughlin to the Avi every year, in a jet boat. There is no point going all the way to Laughlin, no slips and a bunch of inexpericenced jetski renters from south of the border. The avi has a great beach to put your boat for a few. Also there are some good sandy beaches on both sides of the river before you get to the white pipe line thing that goes over the river.
I think thats called Big Bend.........:idea:

[roostwear]

Actually, it's River Bend. Big Bend is a mile or so further upriver around the (river) bend. The gas line area IS my playground, and not too infested with PWC's. Big Bend is badly overrun with them.....

[hkunz]

Back when we didn't know what we were doing, we used to run the jet from Havasu all the way to Laughlin, with gas stops in Topock, Needles, and Avi. Had to be careful coming back on the last fillup, as the last gas is at Avi. Any time of day, no one looking out over the bow, we just flew it up at 45 - 50 MPH (any faster and we'd run out of gas). Not a care in the world.
Then we bought a prop boat, a Donzi with THREE FEET of draft. We watched a v-drive hit the rocks in front of us, and stopped there, about five miles up from Needles bridge, just past where the train car is on the Cali side. The Donzi lasted eight months - what a loser boat, it started falling apart around us....
Then we went and got sonar for the Cheetah as soon as we got it, and now we could "see" the bottom. We've been up to the train car with my DIL hanging on the bow watching the bottom (and us watching hers LOL).
The Advantage is the same way, sonar, and as far as the train car. There are some very nice houses up there, right on the river, and some private marinas on the CA side. I suggest doing it at least once, but bring a big enough crew to watch the bottom.