Pillow wall and outer bend
Also: cut bank, pillow, outside bend
At a pillow wall, the current hits a rock or the outer bank head-on. The water piles up and pushes boats against the wall.
In river bends the main current is usually on the outside, at the cut bank. The water there is deep and fast, and trees often lie there. On the inside, at the slip-off slope, it's shallow and calm. If you get pushed against a wall, lean towards the wall and push off. If you lean away, the current catches the tube from below.
Sources and further reading
Research as of 13 Nov 2026. We have marked manufacturer information as such.