socal rafting

Crystal and Kayla were super helpful! We got there around 10 in the morning and the place was slammed. The store has everything you will need on the river. They got the six of us signed in and fitted with life jackets in about ten minutes. Crystal kept my car keys behind her counter while we were on our trip. We put our gear in a trailer behind the bus and got on board the bus. The guide went on the bus ride with us and gave us some valuable tips for making a fun trip. The water is low, so we had to scoot off of a few rocks. Be aware - 2 of us flipped out of our tubes at "Big Daddy" rapid. I did what the guide said and just floated through the rest of the rapid before I tried getting back in. We had a blast! The first trip took us about an hour and a half to get down and was a bit of a workout. We got out of the river at the park in downtown Kernville and walked 1 block into town for lunch and Hawaiian ice (Ice House - yum!).Our second trip went totally smooth since we had a little experience (and full bellies). The paddles really help to get down the river. After two trips down the river we had all had our fill of sunshine and paddling. We got out at the park and walked back one block to return our tubes and life jackets. We were back on the road about 3:00. All told, the six of us had a great day trip for under $300 total. We will definitely be back in the Spring for river rafting.A bit of advice to have a GREAT time:1. Bring water with you or make sure you are hydrated before you go.2. Bring an old pair of sneakers that can get wet (or water shoes)3. Be prepared for a workout. It's an exciting trip but not just a lazy float.

This is horrible because there is no water in the river and the owner of the place doesn't care that he sends people down the river knowing that you will get snagged on every single rock! You also have to pay six bucks for a paddle in order to PUSH yourself down the river. It is the worst experience ever! When you complain, the workers can't do anything about it. The owner chooses not to stop this stupid venture because I guess he is making a fortune off our stupidity. There is no ethical behavior here, and I feel sorry for the workers because they are getting a lot of crap from all of us! It is really a bad bad time. Don't go! It is hot and miserable and my friend lives in the area and says the good reviews are from his employees.

Sorry to break the 5 star review record, but I did NOT have a fun time. The river was way too low to tube without a paddle( ever heard of the expression " up the river with no paddle", that was us). We arrived around 10am, got our gear( no offer of a paddle) and took the shuttle. They told us it would take 2hrs to float down the river. We forgot water( totally our fault), but did remember sunscreen/chapstick. We went in a shuttle bus with another couple, a couple who paid for the guided tour. Since we didn't pay for that, the guide made no effort to give us any information. There were so many places on the river where we became stuck on rocks. We could not get out. We'd have to get out of the tube and try to move it on slippery rocks. At one point( before Big Daddy), we got out and tried to walk around it because we were stuck. I ended up falling on the rocks. Not fun. It took us closer to 4hrs to get back and when we did get back to return our stuff, there was no way in Hell I was going on another trip. We would have never made it back before they closed. Thus, an all day shuttle turned out to be a 1 trip shuttle. I should have been offered a refund for the difference. That would have been great customer service. When the river is that low, they should be suggesting that people pay the extra 5.00 for the paddle. These people know the River, we don't.

Just came back from a group trip at the Kern River where we took inflatable kayaks down the river and ended with the Zorb Ball Experience. Everyone had such an amazing time and I have John to thank for that. He was so great to work with through the entire planning process and such a wonderful guide. We all had an incredible weekend that we won't forget.

Came to go paddle tubing with our 4 teen-tween girls over Labor Day weekend. Water was low which meant a low-key float. Guide Doug was great at getting us around the rocks and showing us the best routes. Loved the guided tour with the option to go on our own for the rest of the day. Equipment was in good shape generally and staff is terrific.

Great from start to finish !Called in to make reservations. Staff was friendly and helpful - not only with the rafting portion but in suggesting places to stay as well.Check in and check out was easy. You pay one price that includes the tube (which has a netted bottom and a cup holder), PFD, oars and.... shuttle. You have to provide your own water shoes...they are mandatory. You can do more than one trip down the 3 mile stretch if you wish - in fact you can do it as many times as you want for the same price (they load you up with a wrist band)They were offering a free shuttle if you had your own stuff (and you have to wear water shoes) Just be sure to tip the driver - who was also very friendly.The shuttle seems to run whenever there are people needing a ride. You start upstream and end up right back at the store where you started (Just a quick walk up the hill from the river)The outfitter is in the River Toyz store. Lots of items (in case you forgot) at reasonable prices. Water, snacks, sunscreen., hats, souvenir t-shirts etc.website: http://www.socalrafting.com/

This company is inside River Toyz, a cute shop for souvenirs and essentials (ie sunscreen, water bottles, under water cameras). The price was very reasonable for a tubing trip down the Kern River, and the shuttle to the starting location is included in the price. Ironically they were out of under water cameras but drove us up the road so we could hop out and purchase 2 of them. They take decent pics up close, just fyi. Do not try and take your phone. We did this trip even though the water level was pretty low. It was still fun. You might have to paddle more.They held our keys too while we were tubing. It takes about 2 hrs to make the trip down the river back to the store.Other details:There are no bathrooms in the store but around the corner at the public park area. Parking is free on the street. They don't rent tandems (2 person tubes). There is netting in the bottom of the tube so you can bring water bottles or sunscreen on the trip down the river. We did a (grownup) girls trip, but ages 10 and up would be fine too. The water was low, had it been higher, younger ages might have some trouble maneuvering... we did, lol.