River snorkeling

[Riversnorkel]

Porgy,
Throw up some photos or tell us more about your trips.
I would like to see whats going on over there.
The swimming sounds great, very cool!

 

[Jaeger45]

Here in Illinois, our rivers tend to be quite murky, unfortunately. Step into the Illinois river, and you'll be wading through 2-3 feet of silt--good midwestern topsoil!

However, after spending some time looking for hellbenders in trout streams in the mountains of North Carolina and Georgia, I could definitely see trying this out! I like the idea of the pony on a backplate for rough situations.

 

[Riversnorkel]

YouTube - pink salmon spawn
A little video I shot with my dad last fall. The largest Pink Salmon spawn in recent memory. We were lucky to whitness such an amazing sight!
Enjoy.

 

[Trini]

Hey I say the gloves you guys were using, did you consider the sharkfin gloves? they are thinner and may give a better hold on rocks etc. I have a couple pairs and they are great although i am in the Caribbean and have not tried the river thing just thought I would mention it.

 

[Riversnorkel]

One of our ladies up here uses the Darkfin gloves. They offer more dexterity and usability for sure, but offer no insulation, no so great in our cold water. They look great though.

 

[Tropical RiverSnorkel]

Hi all,
Here's our version of River Snorkelling. We've turned it into a commercial activity 5yrs ago and it has been showcased on many tv travel shows. If you're interested our website is backcountrybliss.com.au

I would recommend anyone wanting to do this on big white water think about getting Swift water Rescue Training.

 

[Dewit2it]

River snorkeling is challenging! I've done it in trout streams (1-5' depth) trying to shoot video of the fish. Sometimes the hardest part is staying put on the bottom in a foot of water. The fish love you for the slack water you create, and the goodies you stir up in the water. One of my favorites is the Crystal River just below the dam. (Waupaca, WI) You can get a few rock bass and bluegill from the lake above that will be your best friend in the water. And the crawfish make a good snack after diving.

 

[REVAN]

I had an awesome river swim down the Ichetucknee River in Florida a couple of years back. It was really cool and there were deep springs along the river to stop and explore along the way. Some of the pits dropped down beyond 60 feet deep with vertical/overhanging walls. The visibility was basically forever. I also did a sweet run down the Rainbow river from the spring head at the state park down to the county park. That one was really awesome as well, but the springs were not as deep as the ones in the Ichetucknee. I don't think you are supposed to leave the swimming area in the state park the way I did, but there was no one there to stop me and it was totally worth it.

I've done the Green River Gorge in western Washington, and also the Cedar river (once during winter flooding - that was an exciting 6.5 miles in 45 minuts). I recall swimming the Klamath river in northern California on a camping trip when I was a kid and had a lot of fun back then also.

The bottom line is that river diving can be a lot of fun. One of these days I want to go to Belize and snorkel down some of the underground rivers they have there. I'm sure it will be totally epic!

 

[toastman]

finally, someone who appreciates rivers as much as I do !

I do freedive spearfishing in different lakes here in Montreal, and I also enjoy swimming against the current and going from rock to rock like a fish ! The scenery underwater may be repetitive (same green plants and rocks, no color), but it is really lots of fun if the visibility is good !

Cheers !

 

[Riversnorkel]

Happy New Year everyone!
Here's to getting out and exploring your local waters in the coming year.
I started this thread in the hopes of raising the interest in swimming rivers, but the real message is to explore your own back yard, take interest in your local area using the most basic dive gear possible. No thousands of dollars in gear and travel and no tour boat operator trained fish.
It's murky, gritty, potentially dangerous and not for those who demand a pampered dive experience.
Get out there and come back and tell us about your adventures!