Can't get the tubes to whip!

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biglurr54

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Feb 14, 2011
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Cant get tubes outside of the wake!

So I have been having a problem with getting the tubes to swing outside of my wake. I never had this problem before having kids. I could whip adults around like nothing. Since I have had kids there hasn’t been much adult rides. My kids are 5 and 6 and are looking for a more wild ride now and I cant get them out side of the wake to save my life!

I have 2 54in round cheap tubes with 50ft of rope. I connect off the two tie down eyes on the back of the boats with one of those things designed to pull from the center. The boat is a n 18ft aluminum bowrider with a 120 rude.

I cut hard and do S turns and they just track right behind the boat! I have cut as hard as the boat will turn at that speed.

Is the issue their lack of weight and the weight being low in the tube vs the heavier adults laying on top of the tube? Anything I can do to get the little ones to swing more?
 

hemi rt

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Jul 1, 2010
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Sounds like you don't have enough weight/drag to get the tube outside the wake, you may have to put an adult on the tube with the kids.
 

4now04

Seaman
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Sep 25, 2010
Messages
53
If the kids are sitting on the floor inside the tube, that drag will limit the ability to swing them out of the wake. Are they able to sit or lay on the tube and not on the floor? We always stayed under 25 mph. Its easy enough to hurt someone without going any faster. Tube tow ropes are usually 55 to 65 feet long. We used a "Y" tube tow rope that was 65 feet long. The rope was a single 3/8th poly braided line that split into two lines about 2/3rds of the way back to the tubes. We had quick disconnect fittings for connecting to the tubes. We pulled many riders, including occasionally some very overweight riders for 18 years with it. This "Y" rope usually kept the riders closer together, but occasionally we did have riders on each side of the wake. With two riders some bumping is fun, but you need to be careful that they do not collide with each other too hard.
 

jimmbo

Supreme Mariner
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May 24, 2004
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Don't forget the kids probably don't comprehend there may need to be a bit of effort on their part to get the tube to move around.
 

wahlejim

Master Chief Petty Officer
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Jul 23, 2015
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If the kids are sitting on the floor inside the tube, that drag will limit the ability to swing them out of the wake. Are they able to sit or lay on the tube and not on the floor?

This is absolutely what I ran into. As soon as they got the weight out of the center of the tube, it was much easier.

Also try to start the turn gradually than increase as the tube starts to go in the direction you want it to. Work with the momentum of the tube.
 

Royce Brown

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
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For me to whip my tubes around with small kids on I have to start a fairly aggressive turn (normally running 20-30mph) which causes the boat speed to drop, if I exit the turn early and straighten out I can really use a pendulum effect to whip way out wide. I also give my 150HP pontoon full throttle when making aggressive turn, come out of the turn early and then back off the throttle while they swing WAY outside the wake.
 
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