With two rivers near Grand Forks, a number of locals enjoy water-related recreation and river tubing is one of the activities.

According to Leslie Davidson, an enthusiast who recently wrote about the activity for Canadian Living, it involves taking an inner tube, or other inflatable device, and floating down a river and many locals enjoy it.

“It’s incredibly popular here. We came here 30-years ago, we were introduced to it right away and I’ve tubed probably every summer except the summer when I was pregnant and had a newborn,” she said.

There are safety concerns related to River Tubing though and Davidson recommends that children who can’t swim should be wearing lifejackets and people that consume too much alcohol are at risk.

Davidson says that while she wears a lifejacket while canoeing and kayaking but she doesn’t when she goes tubing.

“This is different water and a different process, this is mostly drifting pretty lazily. For me it’s about the tranquility of the experience and people just have to use their judgment and maybe talk to a water safety expert about their feelings about lifejackets.” 

She also says that people should cover themselves up, as sometimes sunscreen might not be enough to protect from UV rays.

“Bad sun burn is a consideration,” she says.

“I tube covered because you’re in and out of the water, sliding on and off the tube, so you’re rubbing off your sunscreen.”

Davidson says that first-timers shouldn’t go it alone but should bring someone along with experience.

“I wouldn’t advise people who’ve never done it before to go by themselves in a stretch of river that they haven’t scouted or they aren’t doing with a local, who knows it well – you have to be sensible about how quickly the water’s flowing, because it changes from day to day.”

Logjams are also something that should be avoided says Davidson.

“Logjams are problematic especially if you’re starting higher up the Granby River. You don’t want to be scrambling over or running into (them) because they’re, I would say, probably the biggest danger, more even than rough water.”

She recommends against taking risks but mostly she says people should enjoy river tubing.

“It’s just a lovely thing to do. Once you’re on, you’re there until your takeout spot and depending on the flow of the river and how much water and what you’re riding, it can take an hour or a whole day.”