Ace is Ace! - Ace is Ace! Tip#1- Get the full wetsuit kit. The river is dam fed…meaning the water at the bottom of the lake feeds the river so…cold! Tip#2- listen to the guide and be prepared to paddle your heart out…this is not a float trip. This is not a river you swim in. But it can be the best ride of your life if you are ready to put the work in. Bobby (has also done tours in Oregon whitewater but has been with Ace for 4-5 years) was an awesome tour guide! No Koolaids here! Our group had two inexperienced and four experienced rafters…he tested our ability and took us exactly where we needed to be. Awesome ride!!! This guy knows the Gauley. We got to do the extra fun stuff without any mishaps!!! He really knows his stuff and, on the Gauley, it is absolutely paramount that you get a guide that knows their stuff! BTW….there is another guide at Ace referred to as Nugget. This guy navigates the river better than the damned fish! There was an incident that he went to check on. I kid you not..the man hiked and swam the terrain faster than anything. Pops up his head on the side of our raft and is like “I need a ride”. We obliged….and then hops back out to swim to shore like a friggin Appalachian Merman to get back to his own raft. Did I mention the Gauley is not a river you swim??? But he did it like he was taking a stroll down the street. If Bobby isn’t available for your Gauley adventures, I can promise you that Nugget knows that river better than you know your wife and will give you the ride of a lifetime as well. Whitewater guides are a breed unto themselves and I’ve been rafting for over 15 years…both of these gentlemen are a cut above and are experts at what they do.