Tubing

Cold river water is one way to cool off on a hot summer day

Tubing is an activity that both locals and students enjoy, although students from Chico State have turned it into something quite spectacular. Tubing involves floating down a river using a tube for flotation. Many people choose to take food and beverages along for this activity, and some people will put their coolers inside the tube for flotation as illustrated in the example below.

Many locals regard Labor Day weekend 2004 as the last great tubing weekend on the Sacramento River This was the year that rock star energy drink allegedly set up a booth on Beer Can Beach, and people partied at the river all day. After this river tubing on holiday weekends lost slight popularity, but it is slowly making a comeback.

During Labor Day in 2007, a group of students rented a bus to help ferry students to a popular tubing location on the Sacramento River. Over 15,000 students participated in the annual tradition. It made headlines for its sheer scope and questions of legality over the busing. Coordinators intended to help make the festive time safer for tubers by providing a way to avoid driving.

Another popular weekend is Memorial Day weekend, or the weekend prior to finals at Chico State. In 2009, the weekend prior to finals saw at least 5,000 people clogging waterways with their tubes.

Businesses all over Chico try to cash in on tubing by renting the tubes and offering "free air." Many gas stations will give out air for free, however since California state law only requires gas stations to give out free air for automotive purposes, a few gas stations will charge or attempt to charge for air. Stations most notorious for not honoring requests for free air are the Exxon on Walnut Street and 6th Street, the Chevron on 9th Ave between Broadway and Main, and the 7-11 on the corner of Forest and 32.

Another interesting aspect of tubing is the various methods tubes are secured to cars and trucks for transport to the river.

This is an unknown launch point. (Scotty's Boat Landing?) Please help by changing this caption to the location's appropriate name. Photo used with permission.

• Sacramento River - There are many public access sites on the Sacramento River for river tubing. A) The most popular launch spot is the Irvine Finch River Access right off Highway 32, just east of Hamilton city. Most floaters elect to rest at Beer Can Beach and then get off the river at Scotty's Boat Landing. Others however choose to continue further south to Wash-Out Beach where one can see river road from the river. B) Woodson Bridge State Recreation Area is another potential place to start off. Ending locations may be Bidwell-Sacramento River State Park or Irvine Finch River Access. Time: around 5 hours one-way.

• Butte Creek - Less crowded than the Sacramento River with a little rougher water, Butte Creek is an alternative place that locals enjoy for tubing. The most common drop-off is at the Steel Bridge by Centerville, with an end point of the Covered Bridge downstream. The entire trip takes several hours, and can get fairly rocky at points, but allows you to miss many of the crowds. Note that much of the land surrounding Butte Creek throughout this area is privately-owned. Be respectful of those living along the creek: don't leave your trash on the bank, stay off people's private property, don't be obnoxious and noisy.

• Bear River - Bear River Tubers. For over 25 years they have braved the river’s rapids and the parties and lived to tell about it. Bear River is a bit of a drive from Chico as it flows through Placer, Nevada, Yuba, and Sutter Counties.

Things to know for fun and safety in river tubing include equipment, skills, choosing a river & safety. Leave valuables home, empty your wallet with exception of driver's license, health insurance cards, and automobile club cards. You'll likely want to lock those into your car while keeping your non-electronic car key with you in the safest place possible. Most male swimming trunks have a hideaway pocket sewn on the inside of the waistband where putting a key might be safe. Stores like Tomfoolery offer waterproof hideaway bags that can strap to your body. A neck lanyard with waterproof ID card holder may be advisable. Park in high traffic areas if at all possible and do not leave any valuables in the car! Be sure the car being dropped off downstream also takes similar precautions.

Remember to apply sunscreen every half-hour or whatever the instructions on the sunscreen indicate. Do not jump out of the tube just anywhere, as the under-surface current may catch you off guard. Important places not to get out are cut banks where river flow is fastest! Logically, it would likely be best to beach yourself on a point bar or gravel bar and cautiously enter the water. There are exceptions to this rule such as during increased flow due to storm or release from a dam. You are not guaranteed safety swimming off a point bar. Also note that water is fastest just above the riverbed where there is little resistance to flow. BE CAREFUL.

Use common sense and don't drink while tubing!

For some, a leisurely float down the river isn't complete without a cooler close by Weekend before Chico State's finals week, 2009. Lots of tubes heading out Highway 32 How many tubes can one possibly cram into the back of a pickup truck? At least five tubes stuffed into one small car

Comments:

2009-08-03 11:44:14   Great site, really top notch. —206.15.101.236

2009-11-12 06:21:57   Thanks for including my web site in your excelent overview of tubing. -Bear River Tubers Webmaster www.bear-river.org —206.170.173.213