The tubing season in full swing on the Puntledge River in Courtenay, B.C.

By Keith and Heather Nicol 

 Well it is that time of year again. With a forecast of heat warnings in the Courtenay-Comox area of

At the put in at the fish hatchery

Vancouver Island it is certainly a perfect opportunity to dig out that tube and head down the Puntledge River in Courtenay, B.C. What an ideal way to cool off and have lots of fun at the same time. Water levels are very good right now for tubing...you can slip over most rocks with ease if you can get in the right channel. We tried our first tubing of the season on July 24^th and we were joined by a large group of friends as well as our daughter Kristie who was visiting from Vancouver. Most people start at the fish hatchery on Powerhouse Road.  Park near the fish hatchery access road and walk around or past the gate. Part way down you will see a sign pointing to “Tubers Trail” and take that to the put in. This trail is abit steep and slippery in places and there is a rope to help you down the last section.  Good footwear really helps on this section and we tend you use kayak booties or good waterproof sandals since they give reasonable grip and are great for protecting your feet once you are in the river. We also have found that putting a life jacket over the mesh on the bottom of the tube keeps your bum and lower back from hitting too many rocks. If you are using a truck inner tube or another type without a mesh bottom, keep your “bum up” when you go over rapids to avoid hitting “bottom” in the shallow sections. 

Kristie enjoying the ride down the river

The section from Powerhouse Road to Puntledge Park has more rapids and rockier than the lower section from Puntledge Park to either the Condensory Bridge or Lewis Park. Already this summer at least one group required rescue when they took the wrong channel and ended up pinned against a tree so pay attention and if it is your first time watch tubers ahead of you. First timers or those with younger children may want to do just the lower section starting from Puntledge Park and we suggest a pull out just below the Condensory Bridge since the last part can be slow, especially if there is a high tide. For newcomers to the Comox Valley,  Puntledge Park is at the intersection of 1^st and Urquhart Avenue and the Condensory Bridge is off of Anderton Avenue. Since the river is dam controlled water levels can change from day to day so be aware of warnings posted along the river. Some other logistical issues that you need to consider-once at the Condensory Bridge how do you get to your car? In our case we had dropped a car off there before our trip down the river which could then shuttle people back up to the put in . Alternately if we haven't arranged another car we we will drop a bike at the bottom and then cycle back to get the car. Either way tubing is an institution in the Comox Valley and it is the ideal way to spend a couple of hours on a warm day. Below is a video from last summer on the river to give readers a sense of the river since it does have risk associated with it.  Also see this video for a look at the Aquaroo money belt which is what we use to keep our car keys, driver's license, etc dry on the run down the river- https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=-XrDx9R4AqU