There are also a lot of folks who've had a miserable, scary, dangerous first moving water experience on this section. I'm sure there are a lot of us who could tell stories. This is a great learning section, if you approach it appropriately and treat it with respect. If you just take a boat and toss it on the river, it can be a very harsh lesson indeed. A lot of people get on this and other rivers and do foolish things, and get away with it.
People bend the rules and push the envelope all the time, and get away with it.
But when you bend a lot of rules, you're asking for trouble. Going on the river with little prior paddling experience, and no prior moving water experience. Paddling a boat that is not designed for whitewater use. Not wearing a helmet. Not wearing proper clothing.