[Paddlewise] Liability for group tours

I belong to a "Friends of..." group that is hosting an informal, 
2-hour paddle tour for the general public next month. The water we'll 
be on is an easy paddle - a shallow, sluggish river and small lake - 
and we'll be traveling slowly, but some of us are concerned about 
liability if something goes wrong. I estimate 10-20 paddlecraft will show up.

I'm aware of these ways to reduce problems:

Require wearing PFDs.
Assign members to monitor the group, including at least one person to 
bring up the rear.
Require proof of wet-exit ability for kayakers. We won't require this 
for this trip.
Cancel if windy or if storms threaten.

And these ways to reduce liability:

Signed release form specific to the event. I've seen examples ranging 
from one paragraph to pages of legal disclaimers.
Insurance (not an option for our group at this point).
Incorporating the group. (Our state (WI) apparently offers some 
protection for members of "unincorporated associations" as well.)

I would welcome any other recommendations, suggestions, or comments 
about reducing risk and liability on group paddles and what is a 
sensible amount of precaution for a tour of this type.

Jan Axelson  
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************