15 TIPS FOR FLOATING CENTRAL TEXAS RIVERS

Summer is officially here, which means it’s time to float down one of Central Texas’ many waterways in a tube and soak up some sun.

If you’ve never been tubing or floating on a river, here are some things to remember for your trip. Figure out the best place

for your group. Different rivers (and different areas of each river) often attract different crowds. The Comal River is a little more relaxed, whereas the San Marcos River attracts a younger, wilder crowd. Go to austin360.com/summer-fun for a list of tubing destinations in Central Texas to help you make your choices.

Carpool. Parking can be crazy at some of the tubing joints, especially if you’re not planning to show up early in the morning. And make sure whoever is driving isn’t planning on drinking.

Bring something waterproof to hold valuables like your ID, credit card, cash, phone or keys. Something, preferably, that you can keep around your neck or tie onto your bathing suit/shoes/clothing. Or, just leave the valuables at home. Whoever’s driving will need to keep hold of their car keys, but other than that, there’s

little you really need while you’re on the water. Bring twine to tie your inner

tubes together. If you’re going with a big group, it’s likely you’ll get separated at some point. But twine or rope will reduce the risk of losing track of your friends. You can also use the twine to tie your shoes or keys onto your inner tube so you don’t have to hold them. Don’t always trust the bags or netting that come with your tube — they’ve been used by thousands of people and can fall apart easily.

RICARDO B. BRAZZIELL/AMERICAN-STATESMAN 2017 Tubers float the San Marcos River at Rio Vista in August 2017. If you come prepared, your tubing trip will go much more smoothly.

TOM MCCARTHY JR. FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN 2017 Tubing with a group? It’s easy to get separated on the river; consider linking your tubes with some twine.