But, this trip isn't for recreation.
This Virginia Department of Transportation crew from Hampton Roads is here to map the area around the Hardy Ford Bridge on the Bedford/Franklin County line.
"As we're actually going through the water, this is what we're passing over in real time," explains GPS Coordinator Jeff Bevins.
The bridge is old and in need of repair.
Before the work can be done, engineers need to know what's under these muddy waters.
A boat with mapping programs and underwater sonar helps clear up the murky mystery.
Says Bevins, "This is a true cross section. This is showing as we're moving how the bottom is going back and forth. It's showing the shallow areas on the right hand side over there and little deeper areas to the bridge."
The sonar sends acoustic soundwaves to the bottom.
Those waves return and are captured on a computer which shows an image of what's below.
Newer technology allows the crew to cover more area in less time.
"With the multi-beam, instead of just taking that one single shot going down, we're able to cover a 200-foot area all the way out, a nice big cooridor," says Belvins.
No great mysteries discovered on this trip, in fact, the only thing that turned up was something that looked like a 5-foot tall stick.
This is the second time VDOT has conducted a hydrographic survey in Southwest Virginia.
The other time was last year on the New River in Montgomery County.
