It’s time to grab your friends, floats, and tunes because it’s tubing season! Floating the river is easily one of the best ways to cool off in Texas. Some even go as far as saying it’s a lifestyle. Whatever the case, there are things everyone should know before tubing down the river all day. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Everything will get wet.

Most rental spots hold keys and IDs until your return, and some offer rental lockers. You can also lock items in the car. “A lot of people leave food in cars, do a trip, get out and picnic, and go again,” says Shane Wolf, manager at Rockin’ R, the go-to tubing chainlet in New Braunfels. If you simply must bring your wallet, phone, and vape—yeah, bro, we see you—secure them in a waterproof dry bag and attach a pair of Toobies to your sunnies.

Never tie your rafts together.

Imagine going one way around a tree in fast-flowing water while the six rowdy BFFs you’re tethered to go the other way (pop!). Hold your cooler tube and, more important, dog tube with your feet or carabiners, which are easy to unclip.

You can’t control the weather.

Sometimes that means your trip will be delayed or canceled. Of course, you can control your own actions, so stay off banks that are private property (pretty much all of them), respect the wildlife, be mindful of noise ordinances while blasting T-Swift’s “Cruel Summer” for the eighth time, and always keep the kiddos (and dogs!) in life jackets. As for those pesky rapids? Just wait until they spin you right-round and spit you out. Or make like a local and use Ping-Pong paddles to expedite the process.

You don't make the rules.

Depending on where you go, there are age limits, alcohol rules, as well as cooler- and tube-size limits. In New Braunfels, single-use containers (cans, bottles, Ziploc bags, etc.) are banned. That’s why you can float the Guadalupe with a 12-pack of Topo Chico Hard Seltzers in sections outside city limits but must carry your beloved brew inside a growler or keg.

State parks, meanwhile, do not allow alcohol, while the city of San Marcos allows it on the river but not on land. Find out which laws apply to your stretch of river before you pack the cooler. And one more thing: Tip your shuttle drivers! They deserve it after hauling all of us sopping-wet (and rowdy) people around all day.

Even if you swear you applied sunscreen everywhere, only a hat, a rash-guard swim shirt, and (dare we say) breathable leggings will truly ward off the sun, mosquitos, and those pesky hot spots on your tube. Another pro tip from Wolf? Cover your tube in wet towels, and it will stay cool.

Leave no trace.

Whether it’s private or public land, leave the river the way you found it. Bring an extra trash bag, be cautious of empty cans floating off into the river, and don’t litter! After all, the very beauty of it all is the reason why you’re there in the first place. Pack it in, pack it out.