Intex Seahawk 2: Rafting The Needles & White Horse Rapid (Potomac River) at Low Water

Solo rafting The Lower Needles & White Horse Rapid sections of the Potomac River in the Intex Seahawk 2 two person inflatable raft on perhaps the best summer evening of the entire summer. It was one of those late summer evenings where the weather and sun were of the best possible combination, making being outside a must do.

Location: Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Put In: Below Lock 34, near the parking space for Maryland Heights
Take Out: White Horse Rapid, near Lock 34 on the C&O Canal
Date: September 17, 2017
Level: 1.2ft. (estimated based on the Point of Rocks Gauge)
Distance: 1.1 Miles
Class: I-II
NOAA Gauge: Potomac River At Point of Rocks (PORM2)
Cover Shot: White Horse Rapid
Round #1: (7:10)
Round #2: (8:18)
Intex Seahawk 2

Description:
This is just one of the ways of how low water is fun at Harpers Ferry, and is when you can get a read of the features that are normally submerged. Hopefully this video serves as a critique and review of the capabilities of the Intex Seahawk 2 for those of you who are searching for a one to two person inflatable raft that can be used for both flat water and class I-II whitewater. This is the kind of information that I was in search for when I was reviewing all of the customer reviews and YouTube videos of the Seahawk 2 and other competitor rafts. Most of the reviews were sparse when it came to river action, so hopefully this one answers any questions that you may have. If not, please feel free to reach out to me and I'll provide you with the best explanation that I can.

I was fully expecting to get eaten and flipped by White Horse, but to great surprise the Seahawk punched through like a champ. I am very curious to see how it handles at its class III level and 2.5ft+, especially in how much water it will take in. In the future I plan on posting a video of how it handles in higher water and class III action, so that way you can see extent of its capabilities. This was my first time using this raft in non-flat water and I was still very much getting a feel for how the ors work for steering and general control. Once one gets the rhythm down maneuvering isn't as complex as it at first seems to be. I took on a lot of scraping, becoming concerned at one point, but the raft showed no signs of getting ready to pop; its rugged vinyl construction took all of the abrasions very well. If a puncture does happen, the inner auxiliary chamber should keep the raft from completely sinking if the puncture is in one or both of the other two chambers. The Gear Pouch is handy if there are two people in the raft, but a better option may be looping a dry bag to the grab line rope may be a better option depending on your storage needs. Intex Recreation Corp. does not advertise this for rocky or whitewater, but as you can see it delivered impressive results. The rocks were rounded but still slammed into them with considerable force, demonstrating the strong durability of the vinyl.

The raft came with two tiny punctures, which I found out when trying to inflate it. Intex providing outstanding customer service and a replacement raft, which was fully functional. I consider this to be a one person sized raft for males, and it could comfortably fit two small people (with minimal gear), such an adult and a kid, or two petite females; otherwise it becomes difficult to get it going due to the weight and not having enough space to correctly use the ors. If one is ready to upgrade from an inner-tube but it not quite ready or interested in a whitewater kayak, inflatable rafts such as the Seahawk 2 may be a nice option to consider. You get the inner-tube feel, but with the protection of a tank and the luxury of an RV. As with Intex's River Run Inner-Tube, I found Intex's electric air pump (Quick Fill) to inflate the raft faster than the factory hand pump. Also, be careful that the rubber ring on the french ors does not slide off, if so it almost renders the ors to become useless.
Note:
*I have not been compensated in any means by Intex Recreation Corp. or by anyone in providing this review. This information is solely provided for education and to be of help to others.

Reach out if looking for a kayak partner.

American Whitewater.org:
Dargan's Bend to Potoma Wayside: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/co...
Potoma Wayside to Point of Rocks: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/co...
The C&O Canal Towpath Trail and Great Allegheny Passage: Harpers Ferry
https://bikecando.com/harpers-ferry-w...

Note:
*NOAA Gauge: Potomac River At Harpers Ferry (HFEW2) - Offline
"This gage does not provide readings below 3.1 feet. To determine an estimation of values at low water, view the Point of Rocks gauge. At low water, values at Harpers Ferry are generally within a quarter foot - usually slightly higher - of those at Point of Rocks. Streamflow is typically a few hundred cfs lower at Harpers Ferry than Point of Rocks at low water."