I called Pelican International and asked them how they rate boats. They said that what determines the ratings is the material and construction of the boat. Some of the polymers have flex in them, like RAMX, and Royalex. This makes them almost indestructible, BUT......if you were to become trapped between two rocks in Class V water, the boat would bend, trapping you in it, and possibly cutting you in half. Even though most boats have extra internal bracing to prevent this, according to the regs, they still have to rate it as Class III and under. I have never had a RAMX collapse on me (but I am also careful not to get trapped on rocks...). Whitewater hard-shell boats are much stiffer, and will break in two before they bend enough to trap you.

They were at a loss as to why some inflatables were rated at less than Class V, because they handle whitewater much better than hard-shell boats. They speculated that it may be due to some obscure bureaucratic regulation that has been misinterpreted.

Quote Originally Posted by Fly Goddess View Post
But see Gig, you just answered a great question there...YOU are the determining factor for the white water. NFO says their boats are class V rated, and as you mentioned, under the right controller, they are. Not everyone can do a class V, but I do think the right person can pretty much float it with many different boats.