Drop Me in the Water! (Wait, do fish pee in there?)

So, what is a float trip all about? It's all about fun, that's what! Grab a canoe and a partner (or a kayak and your awesome solo self) and enjoy a relaxing float down a beautiful river. Yes, fish might just pee in there. (Where else would they go?) If you object to that, as does our "fearless" faculty sponsor Dr. L, then try not to fall overboard.

Here are some Things You Need on a float trip.

• Clothes that can get wet. Please tell me this one is self-evident. The rivers should be clean enough to swim in, so feel free to wear a bathing suit under some old clothes.
  
• Clothes that can get muddy. It's not always smooth sailing down any river, unfortunately. We may just have to wade in shallow places. If you absolutely have to wear your finery, hope for a lot of rain in the preceding weeks so the river is nice and deep.
• Close-toed shoes. The idea of wet feet inside wet shoes may not appeal to you, but I bet it sounds better than open-toed shoes floating away downstream or bleeding bare feet. (The rocks underwater are typically smooth and the mud typically covers them enough, but you should be prepared for anything.) If you jump in for a swim, you may want to take your shoes off, but make sure there's nothing too sharp underfoot before you do.
  
• A set of dry clothes and shoes to put on after you come off the river. Not strictly necessary, but it's a lot more fun to go home warm and dry than cold and clammy.
• A towel. Beach towel, bath towel, whatever.
  
• Plastic bags or other containers to store those things that should not get wet. I usually just go with the plastic shopping bags that everyone has lying around the house, but you may want something more waterproof, especially if you bring a camera.
• Life preserver. Everyone will get one along with the canoe rental; no need to bring your own. Will you need it? Not likely. Should you have it? Of course.
• Sunblock and bug spray. These things sort of go together in the category of surviving the elements. And they make those nifty two-in-one bottles. If you don't have any, no worries; the club will provide some.
• Oars - Again, please tell me this is self-evident. These come along with the canoe rental as well. You don't really need paddling experience. You should get the hang of it pretty quickly. These are gentle rivers that do not require mad paddling skillz to navigate. (Yes, I said skillz.)

Things You Do Not Need on the river:

• Non-waterproof electronics. Please don't bring your iPod, laptop, etc. on the float trip. The sounds and sights of the natural world will be plenty stimulating enough, and civilization should function just fine without your input for half a day.
• But what if I want to take pictures? A perfectly natural desire. If you do bring a camera, try to get the waterproof disposable kind; I believe they are pretty cheap. If your camera is not waterproof, PLEASE be careful with it. Keep it in a sealed bag when not using it. Note: Digital cameras are NOT waterproof unless they say they are. Unfortunately, I speak from personal experience. (I swear I thought I left it in the car, and it was too late when I realized my mistake.)
• Cell phone. We won't get reception on the river. Keep it in the car. If you have an emergency, you'll have your life preserver, your canoe partner, and several other floaters to help you out.
• Books/papers/homework, etc. But feel free to bring them in the car; we may have a long drive ahead of us.

I hope this gives you a good idea of what to expect on a float trip. It's not a do-or-die list, just some things I recommend from personal experience.


Will your canoe capsize? Probably not, if you know what you're doing, but it can happen. It's not the end of the world if it happens as long as all your stuff is waterproof. The rivers are not very deep, so don't worry about losing your stuff or drowning (you should be wearing your life jacket anyway).

Will your stuff get wet even if your canoe stays the right way up? Most likely. Water always collects in the bottom of the boats.

Can you collect the pretty shells? There are some small clams and snails in the river. If you see a shell you like, please don't take it unless you are absolutely positive there's no one living in it. We don't want to kill little critters. (Use common sense: if a clam shell is closed, it's occupied.)


All right, I think I've rambled long enough to give you some good information about float trips. If you have any questions, feel free to post here. And don't be intimidated by my lists either. Float trips are quite safe and loads of fun.