I haven't emailed Dave yet, emailed Sutton last year and he gave the
similar response that he thinks it is doable, but that Georgia has
been unwavering. I do know that they control access to the gorge,
and there are no commercial raft trips allowed in it. The only way
in during a release might be as an AW volunteer, but that still
wouldn't let us scout everything. From what I know, they are
adamant that you can't leave the stairs or put-in area due to an
endangered plant that only grows right there. I did think of one
thing. Brad posted Sutton's response in the other message board on
msn in and it had something about there being a concern about the
locals seeing experienced boarders doing it and then wanting to take
a boogie board or air matress down it, but the fact that they
control access would keep them from being able to get in there
without the proper equipment. I'll send an email tommorrow. Maybe
someone could get on as a volunteer running the throw line at
Ocencia to see it. I have seen that rapid on video, looks like a
cinch as long has you don't crash head on into the thing. Looks
like those that try to go river right of the thing, get surfed
parallel with the thing and then get pulled across the thing, which
takes away all their speed and gets them surfed and usually causes
them to swim in the hole at the bottom. Those that go left of the
thing, though it has little margin for error, skip over the hole at
the bottom. I would recommend a portage at rapid 2, as it requires
a boof, and as riverboarders, we don't have a boof move.