Riding the Current With Eddy the Rafting Dog
Some dogs just get after it, come swell or high water. And Eddy — a spirited black lab with a love for river rafting — is no exception. Armed with her two humans, Bobbi and Eli, and her trusty Confluence™ Life Jacket, Eddy is always along for the ride.
Ruffwear offers multiple life jackets for any aquatic adventure, and it’s no surprise that the Confluence™ is Bobbi and Eli’s go-to for Eddy. Not only does this all-new life jacket provide her with buoyancy, comfort, and mobility, but its harness foundation offers the added security and performance that Eddy needs for those high-octane moments in the whitewater.
Like a Dog to Water
Rafting isn’t new to Bobbi and Eli. As former river guides in Oregon, they’ve logged plenty of hours on the water. But when they adopted Eddy in 2021 – and named her after the swirling current found in rivers – Bobbi says that rafting became even more special. True to her breed, Eddy absolutely loves playing in the water, and now they all spend their days exploring and camping on the river as a family.
The Deschutes River, where we spent an afternoon with Eddy and her humans, offers a myriad of different rafting adventures. It flows for over 250 miles through Central Oregon, including Ruffwear’s hometown of Bend, before joining with the Columbia River. The rafting season here typically lasts from May to October, with plenty of day-trips and overnight excursions for Eddy and her humans to choose from when they want to get out and explore.
“Rivers feel like the best way for both of us to be able to connect to nature, to really ground ourselves with our otherwise busy lives,” Bobbi says. “Being able to get on the water with our dog is such a special way to reconnect to ourselves and to each other.”
The All-New Confluence™ Life Jacket
Like many action sports, rafting includes an inherent risk. Some would probably even say that those white-knuckling moments make for the biggest smiles and tail wags. Bobbi and Eli always practice safety and caution on the water, and are intentional with Eddy so that she feels prepared and knows what to do in the whitewater. And a large part of that comes down to her gear.
“We buy high-performance life jackets for ourselves,” Bobbi says, “so it’s really wonderful to be able to do that for our dog as well.”
The Confluence™ Life Jacket blends the streamlined fit, mobility, and security of a harness with the buoyancy of a life vest to support a dog’s most epic pursuits. Strategically placed foam panels support their natural swimming position, and an extra handle provides ample lifting support to help them out of the water and onto the boat.
Six points of adjustment make it easy to find the perfect fit, while the side-release buckles create a simple on/off experience. The reflective trim provides visibility in low-light conditions and there’s a loop for attaching a safety light. The reinforced tow loop allows you to really take advantage of that harness structure by offering a secure connection point.
