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OUR LOCATION
IS THE BEST
Our outpost is located just 14 miles
west of Bryson City, NC. on US 19/74 West in Western North Carolina
located in the heart of the Nantahala Gorge.
We are located near the bottom of the river (take-out), so you get
to enjoy viewing the full river while you are shuttled to the top (put-in).
On your way, you'll be reminded of each of the runs that we told you
about in your instructional brief, and you'll see just how you need
to make your run when you get on the water. Being close to the bottom
of the river allows us a very short run back to the Outpost where you
are welcomed by Hot Showers and spacious changing rooms. You won't
end up waiting long periods of time while other companies are waiting
to pick up the last of the stragglers that you saw an hour ago hung
up on the rocks just after the first rapid. We run Large Busses and
Mini Busses so your wait will be minimum at the takeout. We'll shuttle
you back to the Outpost while you are still dripping wet! Other
companies are forced to wait long periods of time, until they get a
full load, because they have long runs back to their Outpost. That
is exactly why our trips are shorter than everyone elses trips. We get
you on the river, and we get you off. If you are waiting around, it's
because that is what you want to do, not because you are waiting on
us!
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WE
VALUE YOUR TIME
We know your time is valuable, and
you want to minimize time spent waiting around, and maximize your time
on the river having "FUN"! After all, that's why you are here.
At Paddle Inn, we get you right on the river,
and we'll pick you up and shuttle you back to the outpost before you
stop dripping! If you want to spend a half an hour in the T-Shirt shop,
it's because you want to, and not the fact that you were there waiting
on us to get you on the river!
WHY IS YOUR FULL RIVER TRIP ONLY
2-1/2 HOURS?
GREAT QUESTION! Thanks for asking!
It's Not Shorter, it just takes less of your time.
The longest trip on the Nantahala River is 2 hours float time.
If you want a longer trip on this river, you're going to have to start
"Back Paddling"! It is the perfect length trip, and every
outfitter runs the same Full River Trip. We advertise your trip
will average 2-1/2 hours total. Why can we do that, and other companies
can't/won't? For starters, we go when you're ready! Yes, we try to schedule
trips as often as possible because it is cost effective, but it is more
important to us that you don't have to wait! No, we don't tell you to
show up 1/2 hour early, and wait for the stragglers before we start
giving our instructional briefs. That is the reason that other Outfitters
advertise their same trip takes 3 to 4 hours. Guess where all of your
extra time is spent? We have 14 passenger Mini Busses for the small
trips, and full power diesel school busses for the larger ones. Just
as soon as we get you signed up and outfitted, we'll give you the best
instructional brief on the river and get you going. On the trip up the
river, you'll be able to see and ask questions about the rapids that
we just told you all about!
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WE
ARE FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED
We are family owned and operated,
and we know "you" are the reason "we" are here.
We want you to return to Paddle Inn every year, and we know why you
are here, and what you want! You are here to "Raft the White
Water of the Nantahala River", and you are ready to get started.
We give you the best equipment, and the best Safety and River Instruction
on the river. How do we know? Because you tell us! Several hundred times
a year we are told by patrons who have rafted with many other companies
through the years, that they learned more during our instructional briefs
than all previous years combined. Why? Because we loved the river long
before we got into the rafting business. We give you the opportunity
to enjoy the river like we do! If you have a problem, or a suggestion,
we want to hear about it. We also value your input.
WE
HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED
We have all types of rafting equipment
at our Outpost because we know your adventure is a one of a kind trip,
and you need just the right kind of equipment for your group. Not every
trip is the same, nor is every group. You get what you want here, not
what we want to give to you. Part of your group wants to be in
one of our several sizes of rafts, others in our two sizes of single
duckies, double, or our very exclusive and unusual triple duckies! Not
a problem here! We'll reserve exactly what you want, and we'll be ready
when you get here!
We have all sorts of rafts. We have 2/3 man rafts, 3/4 man rafts, 5/6
man rafts, 7/8 man rafts, always looking to meet your needs depending
on your size and expertise level. We have Double Duckies, Single Duckies,
and the Smaller Sport Duckies. And
if you are wondering what all of the Duckie business
is, sometimes they are also called Funyaks!
NEW "3 Man Duckies" came out in 2008: We
are very proud of our new (only ones in the US)
three man ducky, and a new sport 2/3/4 man mini raft. We
have had several requests for something like this, and are proud to have
finalized the designing of these boats for our customers to enjoy.
We are the only Outfitter that I know that has such an animal! They
are really Fun! Dad, or Mom and the two kids now can step up
to the new adventure.
We have Self Bailing Rafts, and we maintain
a large fleet of the Regular Rafts that we refer to as "Bucket
Boats". Both styles of boats are fun, and they are a totally different
experience on the river. Which one will you prefer? That we cannot always
tell, but we'll tell you what the difference is and let you decide.
We have worked directly with the manufacturers
to create this custom line of boats that are perfect Nantahala
River boats. You will love the way they ride and handle.
WHAT
ARE THE TRIP OPTIONS?
White Water Rafting on the Nantahala
River is what we specialize in. Our Company is focused on giving you
a quality experience at an affordable price. We offer three types of
trips, and three different length of trips, and multiple boat sizes
and styles. They are all described here on our Trips
Page.
PLEASE
VIEW OUR RATES ON OUR RATES PAGE
We have the best value on the river, and we want you to give
us a shot at your business so you can see for yourself how we operate.
Our individual rates are listed on our rates page.
Give us a call and lets talk about your group. We work with each group
individually so we can get you the best rates for your particular outing.
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We are the
Only Outfitter in the USA that has developed our own line of rafts,
and we made them specifically for you, and the Nantahala River, so you
could ride in the Best, and we could be just a little better again than
every other Outfitter! And there is more!
Have you ever had something that wasn't just right? Have you
ever thought that if you would have designed this, it would not have
this, and it would have that, and this is just down right foolish? Well,
us too!
We kept looking at all of the commercial rafts on the market. We bought
one of these, one of those, and tested them. It seemed like every raft
out there was built according to the same designers initial idea from
10 years ago, and those designers had never been in a raft, much less
guided one down the river.
We approached several of the major raft wholesalers in the USA, and
asked them about designing better boats. Boats that make more sense
to a boater. After many comments about how hard and expensive it is
to design a boat, we decided we still wanted the best rafts on the river
for our customers, so
GUESS WHAT?
We have them! The Mercedees of the Nantahala River. And they were right!
It was not easy, and the design phase was not cheap! But! We ended up
with the best designed boats ever produced. Three prototypes later, and
we were ready to roll. Within two weeks of having our new rafts, we were
visited by the guides and owners from many other Outfitters who had "Heard"
about our new boats. I personally interviewed every one of them, after
their trips, curious to hear what they had to say. Everyone agreed that
the boats were the best they had ever paddled, for every reason they were
designed, and only 30% of them noticed the last change to be made, but
all of them agreed that this last change would even make the boat better.
Mostly from the Outfitters point of view, but that is who we are, so it
made perfect sense to us too. It just so happened that this feature, "the
valve locations" were misread on the last prototype, and should have
been perfect to begin with, before we received them.
We even produced a special urethane sheet fabric to apply to the bottom
of the raft to make the raft bottom slicker, and make it slide over the
rocks easier. This design was made for our rental customers, since our
guides never hit a rock, right? Yeah, Right!
There has been so much excitement, we have been begged and pleaded with
to make these boats available to other Outfitters. We kind of feel selfish
about our new design, but we figure you might raft other rivers that we
don't operate on, and figure why not! Besides, our factory is so great,
and they have done such a great job, why should we not all enjoy the new
rafts.
So we designed a 7/8 man raft, then a 5/6man, then a Single, Double,
and yes a Tripple Duck. Then we decided we should really have a 2/3/4
man raft also for small families, or small groups of 2 to 3.
We took every feature of every boat we liked, and every feature we did
not like, and applied them to each of our boats.
Ever tried to figure out how to redesign flotation where there are outside
tubes, then at a certain weight, the floor, but only a certain portion
of the floor and tubes at a certain weight, add in the flex factor of
the floor, and thwarts, removing length of flotation in one place, and
making sure it is replace in others, only while a portion of that new
area is effective at a certain weight and pressure. Then figure the weight
and volume of air at a certain psi and temperature, and about a hundred
other considerations. I guess the three prototypes were inevitable.
So, what happened next? Well, you know when you finally
accomplish something like this, you just don't remember how much trouble
it really was, and we started looking at everything differently. It was
little things like,,, These darn splash jackets,, If they just.....!!,,
and the booties,, If they just....!, and the Wetsuits,,, Why didn't they.....!,
and before you know it, we have something called "The American Outfitter
Supply Company. We are making everything that is not the best, much better,
and making it all available to you!
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