Whenever I go to a theme park, I generally stray away from rapids flumes. Whenever I go to a park, I have my camera, phone, and sometimes, my iPod. I don't feel like shelling out money for a locker, sorry, thats my mentality. As far as getting wet, if I have a change of clothes, maybe thats fine. But, if I don't, you aren't going to see me getting on one, I absoultely hate walking around a park for the rest of the day soaking wet.
As for why I like Log Flumes more, quite frankly, they're fun. They're nostalgic. My girlfriend likes to snuggle up to me when riding a log flume during mild portions, so they can be intimate (if you have a girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband) too, which is nice. They're generally well placed or well themed, too. Either set in the woods or built as a dark ride, log flumes have some of the best sights to see during a ride. So, thats my two cents.