Paul Marriner wrote:
Came back from a trip and found this thread. Good comments and I'll add a couple more from my CD.
3) ...it's often easier to walk back to the put-in point along the shore than to fight the wind. If you pack a pair of oversize boat shoes you won't damage your neoprene booties. 4) While the aging bladder problem is real, take along some liquids to avoid dehydration.
When you purchase a float tube, try to buy one that has enough large pockets to store a compact pair of shoes (or as Paul notes, boat shoes) and a bottle of water. I've had a Caddis Premier tube for a long time, and it comes with two backrest bladders. I removed the top one of the pair and that compartment has been endlessly handy to have. When I am in my larger kick raft, there is always plenty of space to pack shoes.
I can't agree that Force
Fins are the answer for all tubing. They work very well (I use them) for
small ponds, but for big water they don't do the job. Competitive swim
fins do a much better job of moving you along.
A long while back some writer (name escapes me) did a study of swim fins. He found the very best were very long, narrow and flexible models, a specialty item. Most of the waters I float tube would qualify as 'big water' and the Force Fins have served me well. One big advantage of Force Fins over swim fins is that they are comparatively compact, and you can actually walk in them without falling flat on your face. *g*
Wes Wada Bend, Oregon
