The ride on Jerry’s Jetboats was probably the highlight of our two weeks in northern California and Oregon. It was exhilarating to speed up the Rogue River in very shallow water. The boats need less then 1 foot of draft and the driver zooms around places where you can see the water rippling over the rocks. Our driver was particularly fond of the 360 degree spin as the way to stop the boat and point something out on shore. We must have done a spin two dozen times. The whiplash is more significant in the front of the boat. We also did a fun showoff maneuver whenever another boat was heading our way.

I would have liked the 104 mile trip which has more whitewater then the 80 mile trip. We weren’t sure how our 5 year old would like it so we went with the shorter ride. Both of our boys loved it. Personally I liked the later start time of the 80 mile trip and we saw more wildlife (including otters and a bear) on the return trip closer to twilight.

By all appearances Jerry’s and the Mailboats provide an identical service. There is probably more variation between individual drivers (we were randomly assigned between 3 boats leaving on the 80 mile trip) then between the companies. The Mailboats have put a giant sign and ticket booth in the parking lot for Jerry’s and they’ve bought the jerrysjetboats.com URL so that is redirects to mailboat.com. Personally I think that is a little obnoxious so I’d go with Jerry’s for that reason.

Our driver plugged himself for tips but he earned them.

Our family of 4 took the longest (104-mile) tour up the Rogue River on a boat piloted by Tom, a 23-year veteran. We saw some nice scenery (and it got progressively nicer the further upriver went), and wildlife (a family of otters, a pair of eagles, several osprey and herons, and a few other creatures I can't recall). We did not see any bears, and I do wonder how often the larger animals are seen during the tour.

Tom did a nice job narrating our 8-hour tour, injecting what I felt was just the right amount of information (and humor) - some tour guides seem to feel the need to keep talking, which in a beautiful setting like the Rogue River, would be a significant detractor. As it was, we were sitting next to a couple who seemed to have an awful lot to say - to each other, the people behind them, and/or no one in particular. It reminds me of outdoor concerts, where some people go primarily to listen to the music and other people go primarily to socialize and/or enjoy a nice afternoon / evening outdoors (where live music just happens to be playing in the background).

The nature highlights were seeing a pair of bald eagles take turns dive bombing the river to fish (one would swoop down and reach for a fish, and while it was climbing, the other would swoop down - I don't know if they were after the same fish), a family of otters scooting along the river bank, and a seal repeatedly tossing a large fish across the water (attempting to tear chunks off to eat - it doesn't have any arms/hands to use, obviously - while fending off the pelicans who also saw a dining opportunity). My daughter was the one who pointed out the seal / fish / pelican activity as we approached the bridge near the mouth of the river at the end of the tour, which helped create a happier ending, after having seen very little wildlife - besides revisiting the eagles we saw on our way upriver - anywhere else on the after-dinner return trip.

We did get wet a few times, through 360's and other maneuvers by the boat, as well as through various water shooting weaponry brandished by the rafters we occasionally passed by. Although no one on our boat hat any way to return file individually, Tom ensured that the rafters got _far_ wetter than any of his passengers did at the end of each duel.

We sat in the front row, and would highly recommend it, as the view is much nicer, we didn't seem to get quite as wet as the people behind us (we had a wind / water shield in front of us), and it gives access to some extra dry storage area under the front deck of the bow.

We had a dinner buffet at a restaurant in Agness (population 90); the salad bar was OK; the dinner bar - with roasted pork, potatoes, and green beans, all overcooked - was not so good. Still, it was better than I'd expected, given that we had no choice of where to eat (I forget the name of the restaurant, but it's the only option available on the 104-mile tour).

A couple of other reviewers have noted the other jet boat operator on the river - Mail Boats (the blue boats). I did not observe any significance from the expressions of enjoyment on the faces of any of the blue boat riders compared to the faces of any of the other red boat riders we passed. I suspect the variations in experiences on tours of either company are largely based on the pilots and the other passengers on any given trip. We chose Jerry's primarily because they were the only to offer the afternoon 104-mile trip, but also because I was able to find some user-contributed reviews for them (unlike Mail Boats, reviews for which I could only find on the Mail Boats site).

All in all, it was a day well spent, but I wouldn't rate our experience quite as highly as some of the others who have posted reviews here.

My Family and I went on the Jet Boats and had a fabulous day with captain Jeff. He was amazing. We saw tons of wild life and were happy to be on the red boats. You could tell they were the best , tons of red boats everywhere. I will tell all my family and friends.

If you have been debating whether or not you should go on Jerry's jet boat ride, the answer is YES! You will Not be disappointed. It had been recommended by a co-worker while I was planning our 10 day trip the through Oregon. It ended up being the highlight of the whole trip! It was so much fun. We had a blast and yes, you do get wet but words can't describe all the fun you will have. Our pilot was great and so knowledgeable about the wildlife and vegeation in the area. It's a family run business and they take care of you well. I had to email with a couple of questions before we booked the trip , and the response was prompt. They know how to run their business successfully. We also saw the competition(the blue Mail boats) on our trip and they looked like they were having little fun compared to us. I am so glad we chose "Jerry's". People of all ages would love this boat ride. Lunch on the trip was great too. You've got to take one of these trips thru Jerry's if you are in Gold Beach. The spins are wild!