Southern Vancouver Island Whitewater

Nanaimo River

Run Middle Class III (IV)
Level 20 cms (1.2 m) - low, but some good waves. Ledges are fun at this level. Too low for tandem canoes.
37 cms (1.5 m) - playful level
80 cms (1.9 m) - medium high - many playspots are washed out, but drops are still well-defined 		Boats all
Season Nov - March-April. Best after rain Character small volume pool-drop
Length 3 h to Pipeline
4.5 h to House Rock
Put-in At logging/watershed bridge
Takeout Pipeline OR at end of House Rock Gorge. Both have long walks (1 km).
Features
  • Boof Pourover - pourover on river R. Can boof over the top, or just slide on by
  • Little Nanaimo Confluence - on river R
  • Headwall - a rocky slide with waves at the bottom, washing into a small headwall
  • Dual Drops - two stairstep drops in succession. Best lines are on R. Can catch small eddies on R halfway down each drop
  • Crybaby Wave - steep powerful wave on river R at a right-angle L bend
  • Lunch Wave - a bouldery rapid with some fast waves at the bottom. Both sides below the drop have beaches, which provide good takeouts for a rest stop. There is access to the road from here, if an early takeout is needed.
  • The Canyon - a bouldery rapid, then a fast pool, then a short drop curving to the L through a small canyon. Normally run R of centre. At higher levels can be run on the L below the upper headwall.
  • Ender Riffle - small feature (eddy behind a rock) in deep pool around in the corner from the canyon on river R. Great bow enders!
  • Pipeline Drop (AKA Howie's) - a bouldery entrance ending in a diagonal ledge with a major pourover on the L and a rock R of centre. Easiest line is on the R, but watch out for the rock at bottom. The most straightforward line is just L of the rock, but at some levels it can be sneaked on the far R. The right eddy is quite grabby, so you may end up there anyway!
  • Pipeline Takeout - spot by an old rusty pipeline on river L
  • Waterfall Wave - at the first L bend, a small ledge creates a near-river-wide wave which provides a mellow but fun surf.
  • Cabin Rock - the little brother of House Rock. More fun to run on the R. Novices should be careful to avoid the pillow.
  • The Ledges - 20 min down from Pumphouse, the river splits around an island. Take the R channel (main flow) to find a long series of low ledges which create fantastic play spots at all levels. At low levels these are great practice spots for flat spins. At higher levels they can be sticky, but are still fun to play on.
  • Wake-Up Rapids - a ways down from the Ledges, the river serpentines L, R, L through Class 2+ drops. This indicates that you are about to see:
  • House Rock (IV) - a large rock splits the river. The widest channel is on the R, but current pushes directly into a headwall (and then bends 90 degrees into the L canyon wall). Usual line is R of House Rock (some hug the rock, others take the middle and then cut hard left). At some levels (lower ones?) there is a sneak route on the L of the rock. Followed by short gorge with flat water.
  • Takeout is at end of House Rock gorge on L.
Comments A good long run, with well-spaced, varied, interesting rapids. Some good waves at the right level. The Ledges are unique with major surfing fun at the right level.

Pipeline Drop - February 2011