Enjoy the Texas Hill Country

Tubing Time

First things first.  Regardless of where you go tubing be sure to contact the outfitters before you go to check on local conditions.  Flows are low everywhere and you want to make sure you go where you don’t have to walk your tube for a considerable distance.   Also, it is always better to go early in the day because things can get very crowded in the afternoon.

Few things are more enjoyable in Central Texas during the summer than going to swimming holes and tubing down the rivers in the Hill Country. If you are ready to go tubing, we suggest trying to pick up a copy of “Toobing Texas” (might be out of print but we saw some at Josh’s the last time we were out there). Another option would be to go to our favorite tubing website, Tube Texas, to get some information about tube rental services. It might also be worth your time to get a copy of “Rivers and Rapids” if you can’t find “Toobing Texas” because they are both put out by the same guy (no less than Ben Nolen) and the information in the kayak book could be used for tubing as well.  Also, since we are in yet another drought so be sure to call ahead to check on river conditions before you head out.

We want to emphasize how important it is to know the area where you will be tubing. We have seen some kids (and some adults) crash pretty hard while we have been out paddling. By the way, you get good paddling karma for returning unopened beverage containers to upended tubers. We don’t want to sound like an old mother hen, but it is unwise to assume that because you are going tubing you will be free from encountering dangerous conditions. That often is the case, but there are several stretches of river where you could become injured or even bonk your head and drown if you fall off the tube. Ask anyone who has gone down the center of the Guadalupe at Huaco Rapid when the water is running at around 900 cfs if they have any stories to tell. Just use some common sense and ask the outfitter about obstacles and hazards and when in doubt, get off the tube and walk.

For folks tubing on the Guadalupe, and especially those who will be tubing in or very near New Braunfels, you should know there are rules that apply regarding what you can take on the river. Thankfully, beer bongs are right out as are Jell-O shots in the New Braunfels corporate limits. Easy there junior, try to act like this ain’t your first big rodeo. In New Braunfels your drink cooler can be no larger than 16 qts and if you take a radio or stereo with you the aqua cops can issue a ticket if it can be heard from 50 feet away.  You also need a latch or some similar device on your drink cooler so the contents don’t end up in the river.  And please, please, please make sure your empty cans do not end up in the river.  Finaly, never, ever take glass or styrofoam anywhere on the water like we have seen some numbskulls do over the years. Any oaf caught throwing a cigarette butt into the water will be tied to a cypress tree and covered in nutrea bait. Also, you should look at the River Sports Tube website to get the low down on the rules of the river.

Above all, be sure to contact some outfitters in the specific area where you will be floating to determine which rules are in effect before you leave home. There are relatively few rules that apply upstream from the corporate limits of New Braunfels (but don’t ever bring glass or styrofoam to the water), and the rules that do apply in New Braunfels are in a relative state of flux.

It is very important to ask about the flows and how long you will be on the water when you are at the rental office. That is going to vary depending on stream flows. Also ask whether you will be going over rocks because if you are you will want a tube with a bottom in it. Be sure to bring some river shoes because there is always the chance you will have to do some walking and flip flops will not cut it.