Tubes

[EagleWB]

Our Cub Camp is situated next to a river, slow moving and not to deep. Besides swimming in the pool, once a week they tube in the river about 200 yards. The tubes are all old and leaking air, does anyone know were we can get more tubes suitable for the river that aren't too expensive? The tire dealers around here won't even sell inner tubes anymore because they are afraid of the liability. We would need about 20-25 tubes. The only ones I can find online are the ones you tow behind a boat, but are too expensive (about $70.00). The only solution we have so far is to buy 2-3 of these a year until we have enough, but that would take 10 years to get enough. Thanks for any help.

[nldscout]

The only wrong with this ides is that it is prohibited in the G2SS. Cub Scouts cannot boat or Raft on Moving water, Only flat water ponds or lakes.

 

If this is a council Camp they should no better than run an event such as this

[EagleWB]

I thought rafting and tubing were two different things, as listed in the Safety Afloat and as long as you have the trained adults and PFD's, that tubing was allowed. Does tubing fall under the rafting guidelines or is it separate?

[scoutldr]

//shudder//

 

nldscout is correct. As a BSA Lifeguard Counsellor and Aquatics Instructor, my interpretaion is that tube=raft. Let's apply the common sense test here, guys. Do any of you carry enough personal liability insurance to quibble over semantics? In fact, I would say a raft affords more protection and stability than a tube would. Cub (including Webelos) afloat activities are limited to lakes or ponds and then only with suitable conditions (i.e, good weather, warm water, PFDs, suitable supervision, Swimmers, SAFE EQUIPMENT (NOT "leaking air"), etc.)

 

Safety First!

[EagleWB]

SAFE EQUIPMENT(NOT LEAKING AIR) is the reason we need new tubes. I called the aquatics director and he said he asked about tubing at camp school and was told it was ok, rafting was equated to whitewater rivers. Also when camp was inspected this activity was going on and the inspectors witnessed and approved it. It is one of three Council camps. Don't they have to have their program reviewed by National every year? This activity has been going on for years, have all the Council Execs, DE's, Camp Inspectors been wrong in interpreting this? I will bring this up at the next Board meeting and we will have to make some kind of decission.

[YoungBlood]

Well, I too had this discussion at camp school. I was also under the impression that this activity is ok for Cub Scouts.

[Twocubdad]

I've got a copy of "Age-Appropriate Guidelines for Scouting Activities" which is a bar chart listing probably 50 or 60 activites and a graph indicating which are permissible by age.

 

There is a distinction between tubing and rafting. Tubing is listed as a separate activity from rafting and the chart shows it as appropriate only for Webelos and up -- i.e., NOT permitted for Tigers, Wolves and Bears.

 

"Rafting -- flat water" and "Rafting -- flowing water" are listed separately, but both are approved only for Boy Scout and Venture ages. For Tigers, Cubs and Webelos they are approved as "Council/District Outdoors Programs Only".

 

So while rafting could be allowed if this is a district or council camp, tubing is not allowed for cubs, period. But don't feel bad. I took Safe Swim Defense and Safety Afloat last year and don't remember hearing any of this during training.(This message has been edited by Twocubdad)

[EagleWB]

Thank you all for your feedback, I have learned a great deal. Even though we were told it was ok, it seems tubing is only for Webelos.

Twocubdad, I checked out the Age Appropriate guide and found some other interesting things. Tigers can do commercial go carts,canoe and raft on flat water(on district or council level),go bouldering, and Wolves and Bears can also do horseback riding, but they cannot row on flat water or go tubing.

Thanks again for all the information. Looks like we will have to change our program for this summer.

[OneHour]

EagleWB, I would recommend against it. Having been through one recently, it's not an ideal situation to be in for a group of boyscouts and this is not even cub scouts. The logistic of getting the adults to "coral" all the boys is virtually impossible, not unless you are planning to tie the tubes together. Some will get away and be ahead of the group. Some will lag. Some will be swimming just because they want to! You can't keep a count of all the boys at all the time and it doesn't matter how many BSA lifeguards that you have floating down the river with you, not unless you have one for one ratio. I saw it first hand of how risky it was! For the safety of the boys and for your protection, it's not worth it! Appearantly it was okay with our Council since our event chair turn in the Tour Permit and it was approved. I'm not sure whose plan it was (I think that it's the SM plan) to have this trip.

 

Another observation, it seems that your River is not crowded with "tuber?" on the weekend which is okay, I guess. Where we went, it was the local main source of income and there are about three to four colleges within a 50 miles radius. So what you have is a bunch of drunken college kids who do nothing but smoke, drink, swear, and make lewd/crude comments/jokes all along the river. Something that a group of impressionable young men should not be witnessing.

 

One thing that I am glad that I did was to suggest to the other ASMs that all new scouts wear PFDs, but I regret that my son and I came along and I regret that I did not strongly voice my objection! Thank God that I didn't have to regret of losing one to the river.