WCPO 9's Stephen Knobel covers Butler County. If you have a story that you'd like Stephen to look into or a news tip, email him at stephen@wcpo.com.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — The boats are loaded for you. The shuttle ride is handled for you. Someone even gives your kayak a shove into the current.
All that's left to do is sit down, dip your paddle into the water and let the Great Miami River carry you downstream.
As the Tri-State entered the third day of a heat wave that pushed heat index values toward the triple digits, dozens of people found themselves making the same decision: if they were going to be outside, they were going to be on the water.
"If you're gonna be outside, you're either doing water or air," Sherry Hutslar said.
At Middletown Adventure Co., that decision started in a parking lot lined with brightly colored kayaks waiting for their turn in the river.
Ten minutes later, after a short shuttle ride and a walk down a handful of steps, those same boats slipped into the water.
WATCH: This Butler County business is booming as people search for relief from the suffocating heat
Customers strapped coolers onto their boats and prepared for a few hours of floating relief from temperatures that had kept many indoors for days.
"Really, we have just been inside because the heat is honestly suffocating," Kelly French said.
Owners Jason and Courtney Groves said hot stretches usually bring more business, but this week has been different.
In just three days, they said they have sent more than 60 boats onto the river.
"It has been booming," Jason Groves said. "We have just come home dirty and sweaty, but we love seeing people come off the river and they just have a blast."
He said the heat has made one thing almost universal among customers.
"I haven't seen a single person come back dry," he said. "Everyone has been jumping in and getting wet."
Not even a broken leg was enough to keep one paddler on shore.
With a cast still wrapped around her leg, she climbed into her kayak and prepared to launch anyway.
"I'm excited, ready to go kayaking," the kayaker said.
For the Groves, watching moments like that unfold is part of the reward.
The business is only in its second year, but it already feels like a family operation. Their children help out. Their father-in-law pitches in. Everyone has a role.
"We get to be the best part of people's days," Courtney Groves said.
Out on the river, it is easy to understand why.
The current moves just fast enough to carry paddlers along without demanding much in return. Birds chirp overhead. Trees hang over the water, providing pockets of shade.
The loudest sounds are usually paddles dipping into the river or the splash of someone deciding they would rather swim than sweat.
With an Extreme Heat Advisory remaining in effect through Thursday in Butler County, more people are likely to make the same calculation in the coming days.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 Butler County reporter Stephen Knobel? Email him at stephen@wcpo.com.
