Why this exists

Whitewater kayakers headed to remote put-ins often have no cell signal, but many already carry a satellite messenger (Garmin InReach) for safety. LateBoof turns that device into a river-flow lookup: send a river name, get the current flow back over satellite, in seconds. No app, no login, no cell signal required.

Set it up once

1. Save flow@lateboof.com as a contact — scan the QR or download the vCard from the + CONTACT button on the gauge directory.
2. Add that same address as a contact on your InReach (Garmin Explore app or MapShare), so it's quick to message from the river instead of typing it out on a satellite keyboard.
3. Send yourself a test message now — e.g. mf salmon — while you're still in cell range, so you know it works before you need it out on the river.

Use it on the river

Message any river name to flow@lateboof.com — e.g. mf salmon, grand canyon, stikine. Case doesn't matter, but spelling does: it matches against a curated list of run names, or a raw USGS/WSC station ID. See the exact names to use under "Text this" on the gauge directory.

A reply comes back over the same satellite link your message went out on — no cell signal needed either way:

If something goes wrong

Every message gets a reply — never silence, so you're never left wondering if it went through:

1. Not found — the name didn't match anything. Check spelling, or browse the exact names on the gauge directory.
2. Couldn't reach gauge data — the upstream source (USGS, WSC, CDEC) is temporarily down. Try again in a few minutes.

Coverage

US rivers via USGS, plus California's CDEC and Dreamflows for a few Class V runs, and Canadian rivers via Water Survey of Canada. See the status page for source details. This works over Garmin InReach-style satellite email today — not iPhone satellite SMS.