Comal River, New Braunfels, TX

The Comal River is located in New Braunfels, TX, about an hour south of Austin! The Comal is famous for its tube chutes! One of the biggest things to remember is on the Comal, there is a can ban, meaning you can not have canned beverages on the water! There are police on the river and if they see the cans, they’ll confiscate all of them. When it comes to renting tubes on the Comal, we always recommend renting from Texas Tubes! The Comal River definitely offers the most exciting river tubing in Texas!

The Guadalupe River, New Braunfels, TX

The Guadalupe River, also in New Braunfels, TX is the other of the two New Braunfels tubing spots. Unlike the Comal river, there is no can ban here – bring all the canned beverages your heart desires! When it comes to renting tubes on the Guadalupe River, we always recommend renting from Tube Haus, you can drop in to the river right from their location!

What to take to the river

Now, I don’t know about the rest of the country, but in Texas, as soon as temps start to rise, Texans get this overwhelming urge to head South and float the river. Now, it sounds a little goofy when you think about it, but don’t knock it till you try it! River tubing in Texas is so much more than sitting in a tube and drifting around. You add in a few friends, some alcohol and the gorgeous Texas scenery and you have the makings of a fabulous river floating day. But aside from all of the obvious, there are some things you just can not forget when hitting the river.

Coolers for the river

Now, one may think this is obvious. It’s not. You’re about to spend 4+ hours in the Texas sun, DON’T FORGET YOUR COOLER! What kind of cooler and what you put in your cooler is totally up to you, just don’t forget it!

Waterproof speaker

Invest in a cool waterproof speaker or a cooler with speakers. It’s not only a great way to add a little sound to your float, but you’re sure to attract other floaters with your music. We invested in this awesome waterproof speaker and it has definitely become not only one of our river trip essentials but also a great addition for any outdoor activity.

Snacks

Now, I know your cooler may be filled to the brim with beer and other fabulous alcoholic beverages while you’re floating the river, but stick some food in there! For longer floats on the Guadalupe River we usually pack picnic style with meats and cheese and if we’re doing a shorter float on the Comal River, we like things like beef jerky, candy and trail mix. Consuming tons of alcohol in the heat, with nothing in your stomach is never a good idea!

You need something to save your sunglasses! Losing your sunglasses in 12 feet of water is not something you want to happen while floating. Most of the tube rental places and even Walgreens locations close to the river sell floating croakies. They may not be the cutest, but they work damn well! If being fashionable while floating is more your game, check out some of the ones above! Get them, you won’t regret it!

Croakies/Sunglasses

Ways to keep your valuables dry & safe

I don’t even think this one needs an explanation… Keeping your phone safe when you’re near water is a no brainer. We used these awesome waterproof phone pouches anytime we are around water and they are perfect for keeping your phone dry… AND they float! Another great tool in our arsenal is a dry bag! We love this backpack dry bag – it keeps our phone, keys, clothes and anything else, dry!

Sunscreen

This is the biggest and most important one. The only moving you’re going to be doing is re-adjusting yourself in your tube, lack of movement + lots of sun= extreme sun exposure. I’m all for getting a good tan, but when floating the river, you really need the strongest sunscreen you can have! Bring it with you to put more on every few hours, you can thank me later!

Floating the river has always been something we really enjoy doing in late spring and summer. Whether we have 10 friends with us, or it’s just us two, we always have a great time floating the river as long as we bring along all of these river essentials.

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