Tubing the Guadalupe-anyone? (New Braunfels, San Marcos: how much, home, live)

[NOTAM]

All the years I have lived in Texas, I have never gone tubing down the Guadalupe or any of the rivers.My coworkers were talking about how much fun they had over our long weekend, and it sure does sound fun. I asked them if they saw snakes,and they said they saw a few. That is the only thing stopping me from doing this. Maybe if I could carry a rifle or shotgun on my back, I would feel safer, but obviously that ain't an option. How many of yall have gone tubing? Have yall seen snakes while tubing?
I used to do alot of wakeboarding on the lakes in North Texas and on the Brazos, but I was going at such high speeds that if there were snakes around, I didn't feel as vulnerable as if I were just floating in a tube, ya know? I know this sounds silly maybe to some of yall, but I have an extreme fear of snakes and it really sucks that I can't enjoy some things in life because of it.

[Alatex]

I've tried the San Marcos River a couple times. Although I didn't see any snakes myself, someone in the next tube over saw a couple snakes on the bank. I saw a gazillion turtles.

I wasn't particularly put off by the snake sighting, since there were so many other people in tubes, as well. I figure the snakes were probably even more eager to avoid us tubing tourists that we were to avoid them.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

I have tubed the Guadalupe multiple times and have never seen a snake (but then again, I wasn't looking for any!). I did see lots of turtles also. Since reading all the posts re: snakes on C-D.com, I have to admit, I am frightened to tube again! I am deathly afraid of snakes. But, I have to say, it was a ton of fun floating down the river with friends. I will miss that river

[car957]

I did it on Saturday. The snakes are as scared of us as you are of them. The turtles couldn't give a damn.

My beer was cold, the water was nice, and everyone had a good time. I brought a cooler of brisquet and potatoe salad and shared it with friends. It was gone at the end of the day. When I got home I never slept so hard in a long time - it was a great time.

Step up Belle. I kind of treat it like Jerry Jeff's song about pickup trucks - I like coasting down hill in my pickup..

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by car957

My beer was cold, the water was nice, and everyone had a good time. I brought a cooler of brisquet and potatoe salad and shared it with friends. It was gone at the end of the day. When I got home I never slept so hard in a long time - it was a great time.

I want to go tubing with you! Cold beer and BBQ...yummy. Now if I can only get past the idea of snakes on the river..... ( I do believe they are more afraid of me then I am of them, but I still don't want to take chances that I'm right!)

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I've done it and it was the most fun I've ever had with clothes on. We rented tubes for each of us 5 people and then rented one for the ice chest which we loaded with drinks. It was SO much fun.

I am horrifed by snakes and I didn't see any, posibly because I didn't WANT to see any though.

[Mom2Feebs]

Amen to that Lindsey. We used to do it all the time. I never saw any snakes...lots of floating coolers but that's about it!!

Just don't go when there has been a bit of a drought...can be hard to navigate when you bottom out in the more shallow sections.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I remember the water was so cold and clear that there was a spot that I was going to jump off my tube for some reason, when I did thinking it was going to be shallow, it turned out to be over my head.
It was unbelievably HOT out and the water was amazingly cold. On one occasion I had my dog with me and she was not a rough and tumble dog, she rode on the cooler to warm up and then when she got hot would come and sit in my lap. It was funny to watch her walk over people that were tied on to the cooler to get around.

Check out my album, her name was Chelsea. She has gone to the happy hunting ground now but that dog sure traveled. All the way from being born near Boston from parents from England to riding the river in New Braunfels.

[Trainwreck20]

There are snakes along the river, but during tubing season you would be hard pressed to find them. Most snakes prefer the warmer water of the creeks and ponds, as opposed to the unnaturally cold water from the bottom of a lake. Of course, the creeks do come down to the river, so that is the most likely place to see 'em.

From an empirical perspective, I have been tubing many, many times and have never seen a snake on the Guad. I have never seen one on the Comal. I have seen several on the San Marcos, but I was always in a canoe and they were always on the bank.

If you go tubing, make sure you get a tube with the plastic bottom strapped in. Also, if you have a big group, a pony keg fits perfectly in a tube with a bottom, so you avoid having to deal with cans. Just tie a cup off to your tube, and you're set.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Which river is more fun to float...the Guadalupe or the Comal? I have always wanted to try that Comal shoot. Has anyone done that? What's it like?