Who would pay to sit in a circle of inflated rubber as it careens down hurling rapids? Quite a lot of people apparently. While there may be little that beats the adrenaline rush of white-water rafting, you can choose mild over wild - and for a cheaper price too.

Although rafting is more popular among river junkies, this particular sport has been made impossible in places where waters have fallen to low levels. Operators in Kuala Kubu Baru, for example, have been forced to look at other alternatives on Sungai Selangor.

Tracks Adventures director Marjorie Gabriel said that they are now concentrating on tubing trips as rafting is no longer possible. “Rafting is usually conducted below the dam but since the water level has fallen, we have not been able to raft for almost a year.”

The company introduced tubing four years ago but customers preferred rafting. “Rafting has always been perceived as the ‘in’ extreme sport. It doesn’t require much skill, is great for beginners and almost anyone can participate. Most importantly, it was widely promoted as being cool,” said Marjorie.

But what people didn’t realise was that tubing was an equally, if not more, exciting alternative. “Tubing unfortunately, hasn’t been receiving the same amount of publicity that rafting has been generating. Many don’t understand the concept of tubing and think that it’s just floating down a calm, flat river,” revealed Marjorie.

Now let’s see if perception fits reality.

Our group of five was driven to a dropoff point somewhere along the Kuala Kubu Baru-Fraser’s Hill road where we were greeted by several stacks of huge smooth black rubber tubes. For most ofus, it was our first time tubing and I was fascinated to find that the tubes were actually very light.

“Sit in the tube with your bottom in the water and your feet facing forward. Make sure the tube’s inlet is above the water but don’t grab hold of it. Guys, be careful not to have the inlet in between your legs,” smiled Marjorie cheekily as she conducted the pre-tubing safety briefing.

She described several possible scenarios and what we should do in case we were thrown out of the tube. “Try to face forward so you can see where you’re going as you are swept downstream and lift your legs up in front of you. You don’t want to break them by having them caught in rocks or submerged branches. And lift your bottoms up! It’s not fatal but you’ll get a nice big souvenir if your bum gets scraped on the rocks.”

It was finally time for the reason we had driven over an hour in the early morning. We carried our tubes down to the river, threw them in with a splash and proceeded to lower our posteriors into the donut hole of the black rubber tubes.

The icy cold waters jolted us from our early morning sluggishness. A refreshing wake-up call indeed.

The initial calm waters gave no indication of what lay ahead. As we were beginning to relax, thinking the ride was one big pleasure cruise, our tubes began to move faster down the river as the current picked up speed.

A thunderous sound up ahead hinted at what was to come. We could not help asking ourselves, “Will I get thrown out?” “Will I crash into the rocks?”

The swirling current started to spin me round and round. I was thrown up against the rocks, and bounced off them, feeling like a ragdoll in an amusement park bumper car. It was much more fun than it sounds!

The falls were nearing and I struggled to face forward – I didn’t want to tip blind over the falls. The drop was now visible and I made a conscious effort to relax my grip as I remembered Marjorie saying that most people get thrown out of their tubes if their body is rigid. It’s apparently easier to balance if you’re relaxed.

Alas, the river had other plans. As my tube flew over the rapid. I was unceremoniously thrown out from my snug hole straight into the frothy swirls below.

It felt like an eternity before my life jacket bobbed me up to the surface but in reality, it was only a split second that I was under. I wasn’t overcome by panic or fear, instead I felt an exciting adrenaline rush surge through my body.

And just like that, the chaotic swirls of the rapids were replaced with calm water again as I floated downstream with my big black tube close behind.

What a rush!

The route is such that there is relaxing cruise time to recover from the adrenaline-pumping rapids. Floating placidly along the calm stretches beneath a canopy of dancing leaves interspersed with sunbeams was an ultimate luxury indeed.

The slow pace allowed us to take in nature’s surroundings in all its glory. We observed the hovering dragonflies, traced the paths of the tiny water boatmen as they glided across the river surface and marvelled at the colourful kingfishers as they dove down to catch a fish swimming below.

‘’We want to change people’s perception of tubing. It has its fair share of thrills and spills, especially during the rainy season when the water levels are high and rapids swifter. It’s great fun, good for a few laughs and it’s much cheaper too!’’ said Marjorie.

The tubing route is 2.5km long with up to class III rapids and takes 1 1/2 to 2 hours, depending on the size of the group. ‘’We don’t like large groups as the quality and safety of the trip are compromised. We can do two trips a day, mostly on weekends. Our average group size is 10-15 people with a maximum of 25 at one time but we make sure there is a ratio of at least one guide to four people,’’ she explained.

Unlike rafting, tubing is for all ages and good as a family activity. ‘’The entire family can join in as the youngest we’ve taken is a five year old and the oldest, a 65 year old. It’s a great introduction to the river,’’ concluded Marjorie.

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Tubing costs RM120 per person inclusive of lunch at a local restaurant. Contact Tracks Adventures at tel: +(603) 6065 1767 tracks@tm.net.my or visit www.tracksadventures.com.my