The How To Guide to River Tubing on the Cowichan River
The "HOW TO" guide for Cowichan river tubing, by Sun Lotus Guesthouse
"providing tubing experiences for over 8 years."
Every year new people discover the amazing adventure that locals have been
enjoying for generations -- tubing on the Cowichan river. When they set new
folks up with rental tubes they are full of questions about the activity, so
here is the low down provided by Sun Lotus Guesthouse (formerly Iguana Ranch)
who are the premier Cowichan river tube rental company providing professional
heavy-gauge vinyl tubes, accessories and assistance to happy & safe river-tubers
for over 8 hot sunny years.
What to Bring:
Water shoes are necessary for getting in and out
of the river over the rocks (if they might fall off then tie them to your tube).
Laces can get caught on rocks and can be very hazardous, so don't wear sneakers.
Helmets may not be the coolest looking thing, but
be reasonable...you cannot prevent your head from smacking against the rocks,
the professional kayakers you see in the river always wear theirs and they are
very cool!! At least consider wearing them through the rapid parts, and tie
them to your tube for the calm stuff. (any sport helmet will help)
Wetsuits, "crazy!" you say...but, in
and out of the water, sun and shade with a good river wind can be pretty chilly
sometimes, you are always comfortable in a wetsuit, more bouyant, and they save
your skin from the sun and from abrasions against the rocks...
Water -- not booze, it's a good idea to bring a
water bottle that can be tied to your tube handle to keep you hydrated, it's
amazing how thirsty you can get while tubing...and boozing looks like fun, but
that where the trouble really begins....
TUBES -- not toys
- a good heavy duty tube made for river tubing or towing is the best bet, thin-vinyl
tubes, boats, air-mattresses made for lakes or pools are not suitable for tubing,
they will invariably leave you stranded on the side of the meandering river
where you will have to walk out --- sometimes quite a distance from the road,
thru brush and forest --- good thing you have your shoes!! Even the popular
black vehicle inner-tubes are notorious for popping when subjected to sunshine
and rocks, so spending $20-$30 on a tube that you think you will use again and
again may not be such a good investment after all!
Shuttle vehicle indeed! How do you plan to get
back up to your vehicle after the ride is over? Usually this requires some figuring
out, especially as your group gets larger & if you are transporting your
own tubes -- generally, you drive up to the top of the river and dump all your
tubes and extra bodies, then all drivers and vehicles head down to the bottom,
park all extra vehicles, drivers jump into one car and go back up stream. If
you have hired Sun Lotus to deliver your tubes and provide a shuttle, we will
park your car at the bottom and shuttle you to the top of the stream and let
you go from there, our tubes have large valves and can be quickly deflated and
returned easily on your way back towards Duncan, British Columbia.
Where to go - the Cowichan river can be tubed for
many long hot hours at a stretch, but in our years of experience we have found
the two 1.5 hours sections to be the best rides available and the most convenient
time frame (you can make it longer by pulling out, and playing in your favourite
set of rapids over and over...)
SKUTZ FALLS--MARIE CANYON ADVENTUROUS RUN
The ADVENTUROUS run (approximately 9 rapid sections with 3 that might take your
breath away for a moment!) you jump in at SKUTZ FALLS about 100 meters above/before
the bridge and you pull out at MARIE CANYON (totally avoiding going through
the canyon which is extremely dangerous). There is a pull out sign about 200
meters before the canyon and provides you plenty of warning. Shortly after passing
under the train tressle, you will see the pull out sign, continue left around
the bend ABOUT 50 METERS and head straight for the flat rocks that you will
see in front of you ... do not follow thru the next right turn -- that is
where the canyon begins.
MARIE CANYON--STOLTZ POOLS GENTLE RUN
The GENTLE run begins at MARIE CANYON (at the base of the canyon where the water
flattens out). Right at the beginning there are two significant drops that can
catch you off-guard if you haven't found your balance on your tube quite yet
-- no problem, they're good and deep, you will just be surprised and get wet!
After that, your smooth ride will only be interrupted by noisy shallow rapids
and the possibility of being stuck in the shallowness of them. (do remember
to lift your butt, or you might get a punch in the bum that will leave a nice
purple souvenir). So just sit or lie back and enjoy the amazing river scenery
as you slowly cruise and try to stay in the main flow... You will exit at STOLTZ
POOLS CAMPGROUND when you see a distinct line of huge boulders that have been
place by the parks people along the left bank.
How to Tube
How to tube might seem obvious, but some instructions are good here. Many people
treat tubing as a passive activity, the safety is highly increased if you treat
it as an active sport. Find a position in the tube which will enable your arms
to dangle in the water, then continuously use you hands as gentle paddles to
keep yourself in the main flow--if you need to get somewhere quick (like to
the other side of the river, or away from a scraggy bank...) dig your arms in
deep and stroke backwards towards your goal. When heading into a rapid, try
to go thru feet first, but whatever way you end up going, keep your eyes downstream
to see what's coming and counterbalance...remember it's a ride! Ride it!
Going into a rapid, direct yourself with your paddle-hands until it becomes
absolutely necessary to hang on to your tube--we tell our guests to "become
one with their tube". And if you find yourself about to turn over, try
to hang on to your tube as best you can, fall flat like a starfish and do not
panic, you will pop up in less that 5 seconds (it helps to count), if you find
you do not have your tube in your hand then immediately grab it -- it may not
be possible to get back on right away, but hang on in case you encounter another
rapid--it can still pull you safely through.
Sun Lotus can be reached at 250-709-9010, or cell 250-710-7955
Email: sunlotus@shaw.ca
Website: http://www.sunlotus.ca
About Sun Lotus
Sun Lotus is a Vancouver Island tubing company located in Duncan, BC, situated
5 minutes before the most popular start point for Cowichan River tubing. Sun
Lotus Guest House, is located about 5 minutes before the Stolz Rd. entrance
to the park. It is off Old Lake Cowichan road (not the highway) turning left
at Culverton. Sun Lotus rents highly visible yellow heavy-duty professional
river tubes with handles, helmets, wetsuits and shoes, and can assist you with
shuttles. Please call in advance to arrange any rentals as they host weddings
and other events on their picturesque property and wish to avoid drop-ins.
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