NAKID Tubing Trip!

Always a favorite among NAKIDs - we're going Tubing out near Harpers Ferry, WV on Saturday, July 11th.

We'll be leaving My Brother's Place promptly at 10am (don't be late), so plan on getting to MBP at 9:30am. We'll check in with River Rivers at 11:30am, and be on the river at 12:30pm. We'll depart the river at 4:30, depart Harper's Ferry at 5:30, and be back at MBP at about 7pm.

It's only available to Fall 2009 NAKIDs only, so if you're not a member of NAKID for this Fall, sign up for Fall now. It'll be $27 per person (add $10 for friends) and you must send us money via Paypal at the link above and mark "Paid" in your RSVP comments.

• Beer on bus ride out: Tubing can be hazardous, so on the bus ride out, we'll be limiting the amount of beer that people can drink (and you should conservative with that, too). River Riders may not allow you to go tubing if you're drunk.
  
• Tubing: We are tubing at River Riders in Harpers Ferry, WVA. We'll be arriving at about noon. We will check in, watch a safety video, & hop on their 12:30pm shuttle bus to hit the water. Well tube for about 3.5 hours (1:00-4:30). All NAKIDs must depart the river at 4:30 to hop on their shuttle back to our bus. The Boomerang Bus will pull out of River Riders at 5:30pm, & we'll return to DC around 7pm.
  
• Fees: Because of the size of our group, we scored the upgraded deluxe tubes! The tubing fee + bus trip is $27 per person and you MUST send us $27 via the link above and mark "Paid" in your RSVP.
  
• Waivers: River Riders & Boomerang requires everyone to fill out a waiver before tubing. We have printed out the waivers and Ryan or Nikki will have you all sign them on the bus on the way to WVA.
  
• Coolers while on the river: There are cooler tubes available for a $6 rental fee (these are just black tubes for your coolers), or you can rent a floating cooler for $10. A medium size cooler is best for the cooler tubes as River Riders does not allow styrofoam coolers, and big coolers will sink the cooler tubes. Sharing coolers with your friends is a must. There are pictures of both options on the River Riders website.
  
• Water levels are currently HIGH: All of this rain means that you will tube faster than normal and that caution is a must. Be vigilant on the river and pull over onto large rocks to regroup, maximize your river time, and to hang out and enjoy.
  
• Glass is not allowed on the river or the bus.
  
• Rope: If you want to tie yourself to your friend's tube, BYOR! River RIders does not have rope available.
  
• Shoes: Footwear is required on the river, so think sneakers, or water shoes. Flip flops and bare feet are NOT allowed on the river.
  
• What to bring? Ice, food, drinks, shades, & sunscreen. There is a little store that sells ice, snacks, sandwiches, beer, & drinks, so plan ahead because you will get hungry & thirsty on the river.
  
• Belongings: You can leave items on the bus while you tube. You can also check your items with the tubing company. The Boomerang is not responsible for lost or missing items, so please do not bring anything valuable with you (on the bus or on the river).
  
• Please also visit River Riders FAQ section to read the important FAQs on tubing: http://www.riverrider...
  
• Drinking on the river: All of the tubing companies say that alcohol is not allowed on the river. However, they do not check coolers, and they sell beer on their properties. They say that people are watching while you are on the water, and if they see alcohol, they will take it. However, we have never actually seen this happen over the three years we have been tubing. We wanted to pass this along to your group because they seem to be stricter this spring since the water levels are higher. We don't know if they will be enforcing the "no alcohol" rule or not, but in a nutshell, keep whatever is in your coolers in your coolers until you are on the water. Be discreet and if you purchase beer while at River Riders, they may ask you to hold on to it until after you tube. Safety first : )
  
• Caution ahead: Hopefully everyone in the group is active and in good health. Your tube may flip, and your may get bruised and scratched....
  

FAQs

How rough are the rapids?
The rapids on the whitewater trip are class I-III at normal water levels. American Whitewater terms class I-III as beginner to intermediate level rapids. Here is some information taken from the International Scale of River Difficulty.

class I: fast moving water with riffles and small waves. few obstructions, all obvious and easily missed with little training. risk to swimmers is slight; self-rescue is easy.

class II: novice. straightforward rapids with wide, clear channels which are evident without scouting. occasional maneuvering may be required, but rocks and medium sized waves are easily missed by trained paddlers. swimmers are seldom injured and group assistance, while helpful, is seldom needed.

class III: intermediate. rapids with moderate, irregular waves which may be difficult to avoid. strong eddies and powerful current effects can be found, particularly on large-volume rivers. injuries while swimming are rare; self-rescue is usually easy but group assistance may be required to avoid long swims.
The trips are successfully completed by thousands of people each year, but they are not without danger or difficulty.