LOL, it's like the way I was taught to handle my guns. You draw when you are going to shoot the threat dead, this is not tv.
Truth is, river water is a soul eater. All around the world, even in temperate climates. My best friend and I nearly cacked it on the Rifle River in Michigan, despite both being 'Certified' in Swift Water Rescue and in our early 20s at the time, and very physically fit men. Caught in a boil we never saw, until it was too late: our canoe rolled out from under us and dragged us both down. Nothing but dumb luck kept me here shitposting.
Yeah... if MY kid went in the drink I'd follow. Even knowing the logical failure I was making, but I also know the best ways to salvage that stupidity. I also know there's less than 1% of the population that has trained for that kind of shit.
I don't know what you call a boil in Michigan, but down here in Florida a boil is where the aquifer bursts through the limestone strata that supports this whole state and creates all of our fresh water rivers. The St. Johns, the Swanee, the Peace, the Santa Fe... Millions of gallons of fresh water from thousands of boils pump out of the ground everyday. It's all 72* fahrenheit state-wide. ...but it's slow moving fresh water. You can drownproof and float for days in it. You'll never get thirsty. lol. The most dangerous part is getting snapped up by alligators or floating too close to Jacksonville.
If you ever get a chance to come to Florida, fuck those beaches. You can see beaches anywhere coastal. Visit the state parks. Almost all of them have a boil and you can swim all year round. Even in 20* weather. When it's 20* in Florida, the springs feel like a warm bathtub. (just watch out for the manatee police. those feds will arrest you for swimming even near one.)
Copy pasted: "The following is a modified excerpt from Ken Whiting's book, 'The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking'
A boil describes the action of water rising quickly to the surface and creating the appearance of boiling water. Boils are usually caused when too much water is being forced into one location. They'll often appear at the bottom of rapids, where the fast moving water runs into the slower moving water that is pooled. Similarly, they appear along walls that are being hit by current. In both cases, the oncoming water has nowhere to go, and so it gets pushed forcefully to the surface-and creates a boil. Once it hits the surface, this boiling water peaks and then runs off to the side to the lower-lying water around it. Where this shedding water hits the current around the boil, a seam line is created. These seam lines are largely what make boils one of the most unstable spots on the river."
That's pretty damn cool. I never heard of that. The reason they call the outflow of water a boil is pretty much for the same reason. It looks like a boiling pot of water. You have to see this. If you've never seen a spring boil, you really should. Blue Springs is one of the best. (Orange City, Fl) It's just about 25 miles north of Orlando. We got boils, we got gators, we got otters, we got atomic, supersonic moccasins that will swim directly at you. We got gigantic snapping turtles. We got manatees. lol... All kinds of shit. There's even a boardwalk with handrails that leads into the jungle surrounding the boil for you pussies from Michigan that are scared of the water. lol... <jk>
However, one of the most amazing things I've ever seen was what the locals called "the slides" on the Blanco River in Texas. The Blanco is a wide, deep river that meanders through the heart of Texas hill country south of Austin and northwest of San Antone. There's this one place near Wimberly, Tx where the river gets shallow. A billion billion gallons of slow moving water suddenly has to pass over this half mile stretch of bedrock resulting in a natural water slide. The rocks are covered with teeny tiny leeches. Too small to attach to a mouse let alone a human. And they're slippery as fuck. Anyway, you can sit your ass down in a bathing suit and ride these slides for about 3 minutes until you're dumped back into the deep, slow moving waters of the Rio Blanco. That's the other thing I would recommend.
1) Visit one of the Springs in Florida!
2) Take a slide on the Blanco river in Wimberly, Tx.
If you got kids, they will always remember both trips.
edit: I didn't know placing the pound sign in front would make those suggestions so large.
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