NRS Bandit I

Bought it after a friend let me use his Duckie, but it was a totally different type of boat. The Bandit is small and maneuverable and a lot of fun.

I purchased this inflatable used from an outfitter. Got it at about half the price of a new one. I then had thigh straps and foot braces installed.

Ran the Upper Pigeon from the powerhouse input down to the SMO takeout about 200 times at levels from low water to about 4,000 FPS. I ended up swimming a couple of times. The first time I did it I sat for about 30 minutes above Accelerator, which from my vantage point looked like a waterfall before I hit it right down the middle, a section we called The Elevator Shaft.

The boat never let me down. Every time I swam it was my fault. If you get a chance to get one jump on it. I use mine for fishing nowadays. Works good for that too.

Background

Bought this as a novice whitewater enthusiast, used it right up through time as a working guide. I bought it in 2010 and used it exclusively through the next four years. The only river I ran white water on it was the Pigeon River in Hartford, Tennessee.