Arts & Culture
Tubers still hitting the Guadalupe, Comal but in fewer numbers
Greg Harman
River Sports Tubes employee Dustin Wright advises a couple of hatted tubers on where to put in on the Guadalupe and when to pull out
Published: June 22, 2011
There’s not much in the river above the Canyon Lake Dam but white rocks; it’s underground springs that are feeding the lake today, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But tubing outfits beneath the dam are still doing a reasonable business with a “low and low” Guadalupe River as parched Texans make the trek past Gruene for some liquid relief. On Sunday afternoon, tubers from Houston to the Rio Grande Valley were hefting their oversized inner tubes into the water. But experienced tubers warned: Be prepared to use your “paddle muscles.”
“Usually on a weekend like this we’re selling out of tubes,” said River Sports Tubes four-year employee Dustin Wright. “This year we’re only renting about half.” The piles of tubes inside the shed backed up his assessment.
While the weather isn’t expected to improve this summer — and longer-range forecasts are less than comforting — this may be as good a time as any to embrace the new normal.
Ready to float? They’ve got your tube patched and ready!
1. Rockin’ R River Rides
Rockin’ R River Rides offers tubing and rafting rentals. Trips last one to five hours depending on the route and river conditions. Shuttle service is included. Camping is available through Rockin’ R at Camp Huaco Springs, which includes tent sites, RV sites, and cabins. Trips start at 9am each day (8am on Saturdays) and end about one hour prior to dusk. Float trips (which include tube and shuttle) are $15 for a tube without a bottom and $17 with a bottom.
River: Guadalupe and Comal
Locations:
Gruene Rockin’ R Rentals
1405 Gruene Road
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(800) 55-FLOATrockinr.com
Double Rockin’ R Campground & Rentals
1321 River Terrace
New Braunfels, TX 78130
(800) 55-FLOAT
Camp Huaco Springs Campground & Rentals
4484 River Road
New Braunfels, TX 78132
(800) 55-Float
Chute House Campground
8664 River Road
New Braunfels, TX 78132
(888) 462-2676
Comal Rockin’ R Rentals
193 South Liberty St.
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 620-6262
2. River Sports Tubes
River Sports Tubes offers short, medium, and long floats, starting at 9 a.m. daily (8 a.m. on Saturdays) and ending around 7 p.m. The duration of each trip varies depending on the river conditions. Shuttle service is included for medium and long floats. Tubes with and without a bottom are available for rent at $15. This price includes the float fee. Coolers are also available for rent at $8.
River: Guadalupe, middle of the Horseshoe Loop
> Email Greg Harman
