If you're looking for a fun adventure this spring or summer, then a trip down the Delaware River can't be beat. One of the best stretches of the river is the run from Skinners Falls to Pond Eddy. It's very popular with river tour companies, but is also open to the public. You can bring your own watercraft and launch into the river at Skinners Falls and spend a few hours on the river. As long as your group has two cars (one to leave at Pond Eddy the other to drive up to Skinners Falls) there won't be any logistical problem.

Bring Your Own Watercraft -- Think Inflatable

The main advantage of using a tour company is that they provide watercraft and transportation. If your group has two vehicles, then the transport issue won't be a problem. However, you will need to figure out how to move your watercraft. The best option for most people will be an inflatable watercraft. This prevents the need to have roof racks for solid canoes or kayaks. All you need is a pump and you are good to go. The inflatable craft can be folded up and stored in the trunk.

What Type Of Pump

Get an electric pump that can be plugged into the car's cigarette lighter. You should look for one that has a 12v design. These will often be sold in the camping section. Also, if you're getting your inflatable boats online, the same stores will likely sell these pumps. Hand pumps, like the type you use on bike tires, will take too long to pump up larger inflatable watercraft such as kayaks, canoes, and rafts. If everyone is going tubing you could get away with it, but a 12v is still a better idea.

Types Of Inflatable Watercraft

You have four choices when it comes to inflatable watercraft. The first are inner tubes. These are for solo riders. They are not good for rapids. So if you're planning on using these, you should skip Skinners Falls and enter a bit farther south on the river at Narrowsburg. If you are going during a time of year when the river is calm (mid summer), and there is not much whitewater, then tubing is a cool way to drift down the lazy sections of the river.

Larger craft such as rafts, canoes, and kayaks are perfect for the whitewater sections. The only consideration for these craft is that you will also need to transport the paddles. If you have a group of six people, for instance, and you each are using a kayak, then that's six paddles you will need to strap to the roof of your car.

If you're car isn't outfitted with a roof rack or you simply don't like the idea of carrying that much equipment, then consider an inflatable canoe or raft. These can fit multiple people and you don't all need to use an oar. You could get a large raft that would fit six people and only need to have two oars strapped to the roof. You should also look to see if you can find telescoping paddles. These are are designed to collapse down when not in use. You could store these in the trunk or backseat.