BRIS 1.2mm 12ft Inflatable White Water River Raft Inflatable Boat FloatingTubes

The media could not be loaded. *UPDATED FOR CLASS IV RAPIDS AT BOTTOM*I will be updating this review as I use the raft more and more and as I build her up to the Ocoee Olympic Course (class IV & V)+ Let me start by saying that this raft is amazing for the price point. I could have gotten a cheaper raft off Alibaba, but I really didn’t want to go through the trouble of import and shipping. BRIS takes care of everything, the import, shipping, and the fees are built into the price of the boat.SET-UP / FIRST IMPRESSION -The boat comes in large box with two oars, a foot pump, the actual boat, two thwarts, 1 thick rope around the length of the boat, 4 smaller ropes to attach the thwarts the the outside shafts, a small repair kit, 1 carrying bag for boat, and the instructions.First, the instructions are to the wrong boat. This was mentioned in another review for a BRIS raft of another size, so I think that this is common. The raft comes covered in the bag carrying case. I took the raft out and examined the folded raft so I would know how to re-fold it for storage. I then worked the bag around it and managed to break off the two side flaps to the bag because I pulled the handles the wrong way so they were pulling against the seam. Be careful to not do that. (basically just use common sense.)Next I layed the raft out and started to inflate. Airing up the raft with just the foot pump would take about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, so I definitely recommend you have a battery or 12v powered pump. The pump did not have enough power to fully inflate the tubes so I used the foot pump to finish them off. I inflated the tubes until they were very taught, to the point where they felt solid and would not bend in big rapids.One thing to note is that you need to fill the raft up INCREMENTALLY so that the floor can inflate under the tubes.Once everything is inflated, the floor is incredibly tightly pressed against the sides of the raft. The only place where water will be able to escape is from the curved bow and stern. Something I am going to try is to put a ratchet strap around the middle of the boat and pull the sides in a bit so water will be able to drain out.Overall, other than the drainage problem, I am very excited with this purchase. The material seems to be really good, and the raft inflated to a very very sturdy level. I’m excited to use this, we will be taking it down the upper Chattahoochee tomorrow which has some really shallow spots and one lower class II.+ I promise that my lab is happy, she was just annoyed I woke her up so I could see if she could walk around the boat without damaging it.((Side note - the material is definately strong enough so that my dogs (black lab and beagle) will be able to raft alongside my dad and I.))FIRST DAY ON WATER --Mobility (first impressions)Let me start by saying that this boat is a lot easier to transport than I originally thought. However, this is not a one person thing. You will always need at least two people. Not only is it more fun that way, it's also 100% safer. To start, I went to Walmart and bought 4 light duty ratchet straps so I would be able to tie it down to the roof of my car. We put it on top and attached the front handle to the hood latch, and the back handle to the undercarriage. We then threaded the ratchet straps around the side roll cage on either side. (open the front and back doors of your car and its the bar that connects in the middle of the two doors.) I tried to keep the car under 45mph just because it was a short trip, and for a longer trip I would definitely completely deflate it and use the carry back to pack it in my trunk. We then took two cars to the point where we were going to end up and then one of us left one car there and we both headed up to our start point in the car with the raft on top of it. (Keep in mind both cars were relatively small. One was a 2013 Ford Fusion and the other was a 2017 Nissan Leaf.)The transport of the boat relatively easy and can be handled by two people.CLASS II - LOW DIFFICULTY-The boat floats incredibly well and was very very stable with two people (210 lb. 6' 7" guy and 240 lb 6' 2") We put the heavier of us on the back to control the steering and I sat up front to give us the power. I found that the best seating for two on this boat is one in the back steering from the left side and one in the front giving power on the right side. The first mile of this short river (Chattahoochee, Georgia, from Buford Damn Park to Settles Bridge Park ~ 2.5 - 3 miles) is very very shallow, at about an average of two feet in depth, there were areas that we really had to work together to spot potential rock stops and rubs. Bear in mind that this is the first time I have ever owned a whitewater raft, but the steering is virtually 90% up to the person in the back of the boat.** We has some good hits against rock that completely stopped up, and the bottom of the boat showed very little to no physical damage. There were some light marks on the bottom, but no chunks taken out of the plastic. **We also took a cooler (Ozark Trail 52-Quart Cooler) full of soda, water, ice and snacks with us that weighed about 25 pounds. It fit perfectly in the middle of the boat.When we got to the boats first rapids (class II) the boat, who's name has still yet to be determined) handled it amazingly well. There was very little chance that we would have flipped, there was almost no water that splashed up into the boat, you could take this thing down backwards, sideways, anything and I'm confident it would not flip.CLASS II-Easy, no problem. Dogs, drinks, kids. Helmets not required.CLASS IV-V - DIFFICULTTo start, when we first put in the Chattahoochee at North Highlands Dam in Columbus GA (about ~150 miles downstream from our first river run) there is a large class III that if you hit it wrong, you’re going over about a five foot vertical. Of course, despite having practiced in the calm waters at the start of the Chat. (Chattahoochee) we Misjudged the speed of the water and did not have enough power to make it past the rock. THUS we went over the vertical completely sideways. In R2 Rafting (two people in the boat) I found its best to sit side by side in the middle.Let me repeat this***** IN TOUGH RAPIDS WHILE R2 RAFTING (two people in the raft) IT IS BEST TO SIT SIDE BY SIDE IN THE MIDDLE.******We went over the drop sideways and not only did the boat Not flip, we both managed to stay in.Going down the river, the rapids got progressively more difficult, and the boat handled them with ease. Maneuvering was pretty easy (be sure that you both have the same paddles. We bought one Carlisle paddle and compared to the one included with the raft, it was a lot better. Therefore we could not sync our strokes because the paddles were so different.) Multiple Times, water splashed over the top of the boat and waves filled it up. The self bailing worked well, except again, no water drains from the sides because the drop stich floor is so tight against the side tubes.CUTBAIT - CLASS VI have attached a video I took of a commercial raft going through the same rapid we went through. I took the video right after we made it through, so the rapid you see is what this raft handled incredibly well.We had two really decent scrapes and had to drag the raft over some rocks when walking it back up a section to run a class IV rapid again. The bottom material is really good against these things.We did not flip once, and flew through the class V. The only time we fell out was in the class IV after the V because we tried to sit front back and not side side.CLASS IV-V-Don’t bring anything you’re not prepared to loose, or have it secured to a d ring with a climbing carabiner. Not for weak swimmers. The biggest thing to remember is don’t panic if you fall out. Just lean back with your feet downstream and look for the boat when you surface.**keep in mind that this boat weighs upwards of ~~100 pounds and so trying to transport by yourself is probably more dangerous than the whitewater itself.**

You shop around for rafts, you get a sense for the price you will be paying, then you see the BRIS boats, and you know there is a catch. So far, no catch. I took the 12 footer down michigan rivers all summer, with kids ignoring instructions and letting the boat get thrown into thickets regularly, with fishing gear and a fishing frame banging around on and in it, beer cans, camp gear, tools, etc. So far it has been a great boat and no issues. A guide on the Jordan took an interest, was impressed, but said that in his experience PVC did not hold up well in cold temps. I took note and try not to fold it up in cold weather. Other high end boats are made from material that may be more durable and resistant to the sun (neoprene instead of PVC, with a similar poly mesh core), but they are 3 times the price, so as long as the BRIS lasts more than a third as long, ... winning. I keep the tubes at about 2.5 psi, the floor at 7.5 psi, and it is solid as a rock. Bought a fishing platform as part of my frame system, but barely necessary as the floor is essentially as rigid as a SUP. No regerts after one season, except maybe that I got addicted to the river.

So, I will say that I was skeptical. After receiving the raft, I had all of my doubts blown away. This raft has the same value and as a high end raft, like an NRS, at a fraction of the price. Already had it out on multiple rivers in Montana and not a single issue. It's the perfect length for fishing AND white water rafting, with different amounts of passengers depending on the activity. I've had multiple people ask about it while on the river and they don't believe how much I paid, due to its quality. The pressure valves are high quality, the floor is absolutely solid, and I am building a raft frame extension for fishing, showing that it has absolute customizability. Usually you pay for what you get, but I have to say that I got a lot more and much better quality. I always refer others, mostly in person and I did in person just the other day, and I have nothing negative to say. If you have questions, contact me and I "should" be able to answer whatever you are wondering about.

Buying this, I was a little bit antsy. I mean an $1100 raft has to have some catch to it, right? WRONG. This thing has held up incredibly well. We have run the Eagle, Colorado and Gunnison rivers on it, up to class IV rapids without a hitch. It handles very well, is light and maneuverable. I have been rowing from a Bighorn I frame, and there is more than enough storage space, if rigged properly. If you are looking to get into the sport, or need a second third or fourth boat, the Bris is the way to go.My only suggestion is more and better placed D rings. I will eventually add some more on myself, but would be nice to have 2 more on each side.

Magnificent Raft. This thing is tough. I have personally loaded it down with 800lbs. It barely sat in the water. Looked like we could easily loaded it with more. Took it white water rafting, handled all the abuse a wild river could throw at it. I highly recommend this Raft.

Works great

The product is not good size that after inflated it so I want to return. They ask me to pay return shipping cost which is really high. if you want to buy raft boat keep it mind you can't return it

I have owned brand name used rafts for more moneyThis raft is a tank in terms of sturdiness and very well made. Impressed with handling and self bail system. Have only done up to class 2 rapids and had to bounce off, scrape and charge onto obstacles... Rocks and stumps.... Not a scratch. Awesome value for the money. HIGHLY RECOMMEND