07-19-2006, 03:12 PM
People do all kinds of things for thrills and a rush. Some of them even survive and thrive. More power to 'em if that's what they want to do. But that sort of thing is not for everybody - especially someone with apparently little or no experience (otherwise he wouldn't have to ask, right?) Perhaps thought should be given to what our newbie wants to accomplish. If he's looking for a reasonably safe fishing trip so he can stay alive and take care of his family, he should think over the moving water before he launches on the basis of our advice here and gets himself into trouble that he can't back out of. All it takes is one unseen sharp submerged stickup in fast water to come into contact with a very lightweight tube bladder to turn a fun time into a disaster. Strapped into a collapsed tube, drowning could occur quickly. If he's looking for a thrill that flirts with potential danger, then I guess he's looking for more than what I'm seeking. Let him shoot through.
I live on a Class II river. People float it in inner tubes, kayaks, and canoes sometimes in the summer. (I guess that includes "rec tubing"?) So you don't have to have a hard drift boat to make it though. But sometimes people drown or have close calls right here in our little town. At the time of this writing (unless it was recovered in the last three days) there is a brand new Fish Craft aluminum drift boat waiting to be recovered from an S turn on the river. The husband and wife took the shiny new toy out on their first trip just last week. The story circulated is that they hit a newly fallen tree and flipped. They were not wearing their PFDs. The boat quickly filled with water and was pinned down by the current. Had there not been an experienced resident along the river who happened to see them and managed to pull them out of the water using his own boat, they'd likely be dead. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying, "Think it over first."
BTW, the original question was about a Caddis product. Frankly, my experience with the Nav IV showed me that they are pretty light weight even when compared to some other lightweight tubes. Maybe that has changed, as mine was purchased about 4 or 5 years ago.
I don't want to start an argument here. Just proceed with caution. Stay safe. You only have one life to live. Sometimes you can't back out of what you let yourself get into.
BTW, here's a link to the [url "http://www.westfly.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=019116"]Sunken Drift Boat[/url] story.
z~
[signature]
I live on a Class II river. People float it in inner tubes, kayaks, and canoes sometimes in the summer. (I guess that includes "rec tubing"?) So you don't have to have a hard drift boat to make it though. But sometimes people drown or have close calls right here in our little town. At the time of this writing (unless it was recovered in the last three days) there is a brand new Fish Craft aluminum drift boat waiting to be recovered from an S turn on the river. The husband and wife took the shiny new toy out on their first trip just last week. The story circulated is that they hit a newly fallen tree and flipped. They were not wearing their PFDs. The boat quickly filled with water and was pinned down by the current. Had there not been an experienced resident along the river who happened to see them and managed to pull them out of the water using his own boat, they'd likely be dead. I'm not saying don't do it. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm saying, "Think it over first."
BTW, the original question was about a Caddis product. Frankly, my experience with the Nav IV showed me that they are pretty light weight even when compared to some other lightweight tubes. Maybe that has changed, as mine was purchased about 4 or 5 years ago.
I don't want to start an argument here. Just proceed with caution. Stay safe. You only have one life to live. Sometimes you can't back out of what you let yourself get into.
BTW, here's a link to the [url "http://www.westfly.com/forum/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=019116"]Sunken Drift Boat[/url] story.
z~
[signature]