06-05-2015, 10:55 PM
[#0000FF]I've been float tubing well over 50 years. Well. And I have gone afloat on lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans, etc. And I definitely try to plan my trips around wind forecasts. I can deal with cold, rain, snow...almost anything except wind...and lightning.
That being said, weather forecasters are not always right. Can you say "SELDOM". I have cancelled trips when wind was forecast only to find out later that it was flat calm all day. And I have gone tubing in nice weather only to have an unforecast gale force windstorm come up. Had that happen a couple of times on Starvation...flat to flat-sided 4 foot swells in 4 minutes flat. TubeBabe and I have had to power for the nearest shore to wait out a blow...or to hike back and get our vehicle when the wind only got stronger.
Float tubes are inherently safe in "troubled" waters. At least in lakes. You should never try to float tube down a strong flow with rocks and shallow spots...with legs dangling to potentially catch and flip you over. But on deeper waters you can ride out some bodacious waves without fear of flipping. Center of gravity and all that. But no guarantees against sea sickness. That has happened...not to me but to others.
Dirty Harry says "A man should know his limitations." I'd like to think that most tubers pay more attention to their limitations than some hairy chested boat owners who think they are impervious to all that Mama Nature can throw at them. They are known as "statistics".
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That being said, weather forecasters are not always right. Can you say "SELDOM". I have cancelled trips when wind was forecast only to find out later that it was flat calm all day. And I have gone tubing in nice weather only to have an unforecast gale force windstorm come up. Had that happen a couple of times on Starvation...flat to flat-sided 4 foot swells in 4 minutes flat. TubeBabe and I have had to power for the nearest shore to wait out a blow...or to hike back and get our vehicle when the wind only got stronger.
Float tubes are inherently safe in "troubled" waters. At least in lakes. You should never try to float tube down a strong flow with rocks and shallow spots...with legs dangling to potentially catch and flip you over. But on deeper waters you can ride out some bodacious waves without fear of flipping. Center of gravity and all that. But no guarantees against sea sickness. That has happened...not to me but to others.
Dirty Harry says "A man should know his limitations." I'd like to think that most tubers pay more attention to their limitations than some hairy chested boat owners who think they are impervious to all that Mama Nature can throw at them. They are known as "statistics".
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