Dart (River)
From Wikipaddle
| River Dart | |
| Grade | 2, 3, 4+ |
| Distance | 12+ miles |
| Time | Dependent on section |
| Location | |
| Country | UK |
| Region | South West |
The River Dart located in east Dartmoor, is possibly the most popular whitewater river in Devon, South-east England.
If you abide by access agreements, paddling slots should be obtained before paddling from the River Dart access officer, and a ticket displayed on your helmet or bouyancy aid on the day of your trip.
Contents |
Upper Dart (Dartmeet to Newbridge)
| Upper Dart | |
| Grade | 3 - 4 low water 4 - 4+ high water 4+ - 5+ very high water |
| Distance | 5 miles |
| Time | 3 - 4 hours less experienced 1 hour very experienced |
- Access from 1st December to 14th March
Official put in
Water levels
There is a gauge on the section below which gives an accurate level, however this requires you to run that section in order to see it. It is much easier to see the level at Newbridge (see below, on the loop section) before driving to the get in.
Get in - Dartmeet
The River East Dart runs through the car park. However, due to restrictions on the access agreement paddlers are encouraged to put in further down the river at Dartmeet, where the East and West Dart join to form the Upper Dart. To access this point, walk out of the car park, over the road, up the hill through the gate, along a path, and then down to the river's edge.
Notable rapids
Due to the high number of features on the Upper Dart, only notable rapids are mentioned here.
Mad Mile
A series of river wide ledges and slides. Much easier in low water, but at high levels many stoppers are powerful and hold swimmers. Sneak routes exist, and should be used. This section also belies it's name - it's closer to half a mile.
Euthanasia Falls
A diagonal drop with cusion wave, chunky stopper, large rocks with the water funnelled between them. A chicken chute exists at certain levels.
Sharrah's Pool aka Surprise, Surprise or Pandora's Box
Complex rocky set of drops, complete with siphons. River left section has a slot, middle section has rocks with a high possibility of pinning. More dangerous at lower water levels, at high levels it can wash out.
The Loop (Newbridge to Waterworks Bridge)
| The Loop | |
| Grade | 2, with a few grade 3 sections Continuous grade 3 in high water |
| Distance | 4 miles |
| Time | 1-2 hours |
- Access from 1st October to 14th March
Put in at Newbridge (take-out for the Upper Dart) where there is a large car-park. Please make park at the rear of the car park, not the front which is reserved for non-paddlers.
Medium levels
Water levels - 'The Ledge'
Paddlers of the River Dart have for a long time used the rock ledge at Newbridge as a quick reference for how high the river is.
- Unpaddlable - water is far below the ledge, and rocks are exposed under the bridge. Do not paddle at these levels, or you will damage your boat or the riverbed.
- Low water - water is well below the ledge.
- Medium water - water is lapping at the top of the ledge.
- High levels - water will flow through the third arch of the bridge.
- Spate - If the steps leading up the bank are underwater expect spate to super-spate conditions. Take care at these levels.
High levels
Newbridge rapid
The first rapid is Newbridge itself, a small wave formed before the bridge which can be played on at low-medium levels, washes out at high levels.
High levels
Top wave
About 50 metres from Newbridge is river-wide wave, which gets better with more water going over it. Very popular with playboaters, with eddy service on both sides, and a bankside walk back to the carpark.
Many grade 1-2 rapids follow. The river splits, with a guage on the island, following that the River Webburn joins.
Washing machine
A 1 metre grade 3 drop, with a stopper and wave train beneath it. The lead in pushes you right past rock, but finally position yourself river left to get through without any hiccups.
In high levels the stopper holds boats and people, but lets go after a short time. Low-medium levels require little effort to punch through.
More rapids follow, along with seal-launch rock, a tall sloping rock which can be slid down.
Lover's Leap
This involves a 100m grade 3 rapid, which requires rock evasion and a final wave train which pushes you into the leap itself: a large undercut cliff-face. In anything but high flows this is easily avoided, but can still cause pinning potential with inexperienced paddlers.
Several wide and continuous rapids follow Lover's Leap. However just before the next grade 3 rapid, a small but sticky stopper appears without warning. This needs to be taken mid-river or you could end up being back-looped, or going over Triple-drop upside down or backwards.
Triple-drop aka Triple-falls
The most difficult grade 3 rapid on this section of the Dart. Luckily inspection, and if neccessary portage, can be done on river right or left.
- The first drop is a half metre ledge. A pour-over type hole in anything but low levels.
- Second drop is a big wave/stopper into a pool.
- The last drop is harder, requiring you to take the centre line followed by a move to the left or right, avoiding the centre which turns into a sticky stopper at most levels.
Each drop has small eddies on both sides of the river, and the pool after the third drop is flat allowing boats and people to be rescued at the river bank.
More grade 1/2 rapids follow before you reach the Spindryer.
Spindryer
At high levels this rapid can by tricky, especially if you take it river right, and end up in the fast rotating eddy that it's named after. If caught, a fast break-in is needed and possibly a surf across the wave that forms next to it. River left is the ideal place to aim for.
More small rapids follow.
High levels
Haystack rapids
The last notable rapid on the river before Holne Bridge, which works best in medium to high levels. Reasonably large but predictable breaking waves carry you 50-80 metres down to Holne Bridge, the old get-out.
High levels
Holne Weir
In medium to high levels this is a highly retentive stopper and should be treated with caution. Two chutes allow access through, and should not be missed. The lead-in is flat, and is easy to achieve. Portage on the bank is also possible.
Another small rapid follows, with the Anvil playhole.
Take out
Holne Bridge is the only take out, now that River Dart Country Park has withdrawn paddler support and the use of their facilities. It is recommened you park your cars somewhere other than the lay-bys near the bridge because of the overcrowding issues.
Lower Dart (Waterworks Bridge to Buckfastleigh)
- Access from 1st October to 31st January
| Lower Dart | |
| Grade | 2 |
| Distance | 3 miles |
| Time | 1-2 hours |
High water levels
This stretch of the river never goes beyond a grade 2, and is popular with open boaters and inexperienced whitewater paddlers.
