Not every stretch of river is worth paddling. A shallow riffle scrapes the floor, a rocky chute looks messier than you like, or the water is too low to float a loaded packraft. You do not always need to deflate and carry. Often you can walk the packraft down the edge on a line, or wade it through the shallows, and be back in the seat a few minutes later.
Lining, wading, carrying
Three options sit between paddling a section and walking away from it. Choosing the right one keeps the day moving.
| Feature | What you do | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Wading | Walk beside the packraft in ankle to shin deep water, holding a grab handle | Shallow riffles and gravel bars with slow current |
| Lining | Walk the bank and guide the floating packraft on a line | A short drop or rocky run beside a walkable bank |
| Carrying | Lift it out and walk around, inflated or packed | Weirs, log jams, strainers and anything you cannot see through |
Weirs, log jams and strainers are always a carry. Our portaging field note covers those. Lining and wading are for the small stuff: shallow, gentle, visible water with a clear run-out below.
Rig it before you need it
A line clipped to the bow of the packraft is the core of lining. Set it up at home, not at the edge of the riffle.
- Use floating rope, a few metres long. Long enough to reach from the bank, short enough to manage without tangles.
- Attach it to the bow loop or a grab handle at the front.
- Stow it coiled and secured so it cannot trail in the water while you paddle.
- Carry a river knife where you can reach it with either hand, in case a line ever snags.
- Keep your pack strapped low and tight in the packraft so it floats flat.
Some paddlers rig a second line to the stern. With a line at each end you can set the angle of the packraft to the current and steer it around rocks from the bank. One line is plenty for most gentle sections.
How to line a packraft
- Land above the section and look at it from the bank first.
- Walk your line. Check the bank is passable all the way down and that you can stay out of deep, fast water.
- Hold the coiled rope in your hand. Never wrap it around your wrist, hand or body.
- Ease the packraft into the current and let it float ahead of you, bow upstream or angled slightly out.
- Walk it down, letting out and gathering in rope as it passes rocks.
- If it catches, stop, change your angle on the bank and let the current free it.
- If it pulls hard or you lose your footing, let the rope go. Retrieve the packraft in the calm water below.
Letting go is always an option. The packraft floats, the gear is strapped in, and it will wait for you in the next pool. You never hang on to a line at the cost of your footing.
How to wade it through
Wading is the quickest option on a shallow riffle, and a packraft makes it easy because it weighs so little. Step out on the upstream side, hold a grab handle, and walk the packraft beside you on the downstream side, so the current pushes it away from your legs rather than into them.
- Stay in water below your knees. Deeper than that in current and your feet stop being reliable.
- Shuffle rather than stride. Slide each foot along the bottom and feel for rocks before you put weight on it.
- Use the paddle as a third leg, planted upstream of you.
- Face upstream or slightly across the current so it pushes against the front of your legs, not the back of your knees.
- Wear shoes that stay on. Bare feet and loose sandals do not belong in a rocky riverbed.
If the water gets deeper or faster than you planned, climb back in and paddle out, or step back to the bank. Never try to stand up in moving water that is above your knees. Foot entrapment happens when a foot jams between rocks and the current pushes your body over it.
Reading where to walk
The inside of a bend is usually shallow and slow, with a gravel bar that makes a natural walkway. The outside is deep, fast and often undercut, with trees leaning in. Choose the inside, and walk where you can see the bottom. Avoid any spot where water flows into or under a log.
Low water days
Late summer and dry spells drop many Australian rivers to a string of pools joined by shallow runs. That is prime wading country. A loaded packraft floats in surprisingly little water, and a quick walk through each riffle keeps a low-water trip rolling. Check the level before you go and plan extra time for walking.
Practise on easy water
Try both techniques on a warm day on a gentle, shallow river. Line the packraft down a short run with a friend waiting below. Wade a gravel riffle a few times. Practise letting go of the line and picking the packraft up in the pool below. Then, on a real trip, the choice between paddle, line, wade or carry becomes quick and calm. Wear your PFD every time, and leave your trip intentions with someone at home.
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