"I did this the first time this weekend and it was awesome! Many other have given pointers, so I'll just add on some things I didn't read about before going, or didn't take seriously.\n\n- The river is not dirty, if you're used to swimming in lakes and rivers. This is much cleaner than most rivers I've been to!\n\n- Don't bring anything valuable. Anything! We were even talking about bringing a cheaper cooler next time because we almost lost it.\n\n- I agree that tying the tubes together is best, but there were a few times we got stuck on trees or rocks and being able to untie would have been helpful. I saw one group with carabiners that they could hook up to each other's tubes. Great idea!\n\n- It is possible to not get burnt, just make sure to put sunblock on ALL your exposed parts throughout the day and don't forget your ankles, hairline, or swimsuit margins (oops!)\n\nHave fun!"^^ . "1"^^ . . "2013-07-15T00:00:00"^^ . . "0"^^ . . "5"^^ . "1"^^ .