Our family was part of a big group celebrating our friend’s 50th birthday. Our family included 2 adults, 3 kids ages 11 and 13. My boyfriend and I have been down this stretch of river several times before, with and without guides, and I will say that with Neal as our guide it was by far the best experience we’ve had. He judged each rapid perfectly, communicated directions clearly and decisively, and we had no difficulty getting into bad situations that we’ve gotten into before when not going with a guide. No-one even fell out! He was friendly and knowledgeable as well and was able to give us insights we’d never heard before about the area and the river. If you are considering rafting but wondering if you should get a guide, definitely go for the in-boat guide. The other guides with our group were also fantastic and did so much to ensure the safety and good experience of everyone in our party. Cleatus was the head guide for our party and was excellent as well. He gave us our safety orientation and drove us all back with lots of great info on hikes and history of the area. We felt very well taken care of!