There were about 30 kayaks (trip sponsored by Kayakpower, a Dallas livery and rec kayak instruction business). The leader Mike provided water for everyone and went around encouraging each paddler to drink one bottle of water in the 1/2 to 1 hr before we began. Then as each boat entered the river he INSISTED on seeing that each paddler had a bottle of water in their boat. At the lunch stop he walked around asking everyone to drink water or sports drink; then after lunch he asked all paddlers if they had more water and reminded everyone to keep sipping as we paddled. So for a 3 1/2 hr float each paddler was expected to drink 3 - 4 bottles of water. Everybody finished strong, including a late 60's cancer survivor on her very first time in a kayak.
GREAT LEADERSHIP!!!
The trip was a 6.8 mile float in constant current fed by a dam release from Lake Lewisville. The river was about the width of the Caddo and was through a corridor of trees often overhanging the river. Cool, clean water, with some beginner carnage while weaving through 2 strainers. Lunch stop was on a shale beach in a narrow part of the river with great current for cooling off in a 50 yd swim.
In this kind of weather it seemed a good general rule is a liter of water in the hour before beginning, then sipping along every 15 - 20 minutes aiming for drinking 1 liter per hour, the same as recommended for recreational cyclists. I was very impressed with the management of this trip in many ways!!
Of course, after a day's paddlin' there's another type of liquid that goes down well!! [/
