How we became the inflatable kayak experts in North America… and even in the universe!

My two main passions are the river and the circus. I can never do one for very long without thinking about the other. The circus has taken me to work internationally. Sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a few months.

After a few trips without paddling, I can tell you I missed it a lot. One day, I found a solution: packrafting.

An ultralight inflatable boat, some models of which are adapted for whitewater.

With a packraft, I could now bring a "kayak" with me, no matter where the circus took me in the world. Packraft, paddle, helmet, PFD, clothes, everything could fit into a carry-on (50L).

Here are some places where I've had the chance to inflate my packraft:

• On the River Severn in England, to surf a tidal bore (a wave that travels up the river due to the tide).

  
  

• In the ocean in Portugal

• On an urban wave in Munich, Germany

• To explore urban canals, in London

• Etc.

During my trips back to Quebec, I used my packraft to allow friends to join me on river descents. Its disconcerting stability was almost shocking. Friends with zero whitewater experience could navigate sections of river that had taken me years to even consider.

Long story short: Autumn-winter 2020, Covid, the Rivière Concept project takes shape in my head and on paper quietly.

The goal? A rafting company on the Matawin River, with complementary activities such as packrafting and paddle boarding (in whitewater).

While searching online, I found a company that offered custom packraft construction. The possibilities were practically endless.

My friend had drawn the "patterns" I had in mind, before sending them to the company that made them.

Lot #1 (2021) :

Lot #2 (2022):

June 5, 2021: Arrival of the packrafts

June 6, 2021: First packraft participants on the upper Matawin

The problem is that packrafting trips quickly became more popular than rafting trips.

We were no longer a rafting company offering packrafting trips. We were a packrafting company that offered rafting trips.

The Matawin River is exceptional for rafting, but the optimal level for packrafting is more difficult to achieve.

In addition to this change of direction from raft to packraft, other circumstances arose at roughly the same time:

• We were losing our premises and the possibilities for relocating in the small village of Trois-Rives were rather limited.

• The advice of Dominic Fournier (owner of Adrénergie) who more than once told us: "Hey guys, packrafting is happening on Pont-rouge (a section of the Jacques-Cartier river)."

• A brief conversation with Jeremie Duchaine (owner of Flow Inflatables) who had told me about a (vacant?) space perfectly located at the exit of Pont-Rouge.

• In 2022, we had an average of 22 participants per outing on our Pont-Rouge events versus 9 participants per outing on our Matawin events.

The calculation is worth the effort. In 2023, we moved to the Jacques-Cartier River, Pont-Rouge Donnacona section.

After the 2023 season, we realized that our small, ultralight packrafts weren't suited to intensive use on the unique Pont-Rouge-Donnacona section. The stratified rock cliffs (which are its defining feature) are also very hard on the equipment. On the Matawin River, our packrafts slipped on the rounded rocks. On our new section, the type of rock pushed our small boats to their limits.

So we looked for a more robust alternative to our ultralight 8lb packrafts (without losing their essence).

Most inflatable kayaks designed for whitewater weigh around 45 lbs/13 feet long.

After several searches/tests, we found the ideal boat: an inflatable kayak designed for whitewater of 25 lbs/8 feet, stronger than our packrafts and which offers the same sensations.

Above about 10 lbs, it's no longer really a packraft. That's why we now refer to it as an inflatable kayak. However, we've kept the spirit of the packraft: a short, lightweight craft that allows beginners to experience whitewater paddling much like they would in a rigid kayak, but without the associated technical aspects.

From the Matawin to the Jacques-Cartier, from ultralight to the most robust, here's how we evolved to become the experts in inflatable kayaks!

Alex