Video: Crooked River Offers Safe Options for Enjoying the Cuyahoga

For some people, all it takes to enjoy the Cuyahoga River is a pair of Crocs or a decent inner tube.

It takes more than that to be safe.

Chris Hendricks, livery manager for Crooked River Adventures, a canoe and kayak livery operated by , said at minimum people planning to canoe or kayak on the river should take with them a life jacket, throw rope and spray jacket or rain jacket.

Reasons for taking the life jacket should be obvious. As for the throw rope, Hendricks said this can be used to help pull in a stranded friend if they become caught on an obstacle in the water, and in a pinch it could be used to tow someone.

Hendricks said the spray or rain jacket is important because most people don't know they should dress for the water temperature and not the air temperature.

"We do recomend pretty much any time you go out having something like this even if it's a hot day," Hendricks said. "The water temperature's generally cooler than the air, so we always recommend dressing for the water temperature and not the air temperature."