help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

[alilley]

i am a newbie to boats and i am looking for advice on pullin the kids on a tube for the first time. i currently have 17ft sunchaser deck boat with a 3.0 mercruiser/alpha 1 that is rated at 140 horse. i feel that should be more then enough to do what i am wanting to do here. the to kids i wil be pulling both weigh under 75 lbs each, one being 11 years the other being 8. i currently have a single rider tube and i am looking for tips, inside, and the in's n out's of pulling a tube. i rember doing this when i was a child but i didnt really watch the drivermuch then. after all i was about 10 ...... wow time flies that was 20 years ago thanks in andvance for all your help

 

[merc850]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I only know that it's not a good idea to use a ski-bar, they can come loose and hit the tube.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Remember when you are pulling a skier or tube you are basically driving a 100' long boat. Plan ahead on where you are going and keep a good lookout. Especially true on busy waters. Be safe and have fun.

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I've found it best to accelerate slowly because the tube won't jump on plane instantly.
Once it's skimming on top of the water you're all set.
Remember that fast turns will whip the tube so be careful.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

And with kids that young you want to keep the speed down. Just a comfortable margin above planing speed and they'll think they're flying, until they get used to it.

And it goes without saying that the drivers job is to drive the boat and constantly be looking for other boats, the observers job is to watch whoever's being towed.

 

[Bifflefan]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Some states require a person of age ?? to be a spotter. Its a good idea to have one anyway.

Also remember when picking them up after they fall off, Most lakes are counterclock wise, so swong around and come back to the downed rider, pass them about 60 feet away from them and then swing around them to bring the tube up to them so they can get back on. I always do this even if they are goin to be getting on the boat, then I pull them up to the boat on the tube. I think its good practice and they are out of the water and in the tube. That way they dont have to swim to the boat and i dont have to get near them with the motor running.

 

[BigBoatinOkie]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

When it comes to watersports, pulling a tube is about as easy as it gets. Just start off keeping them inside the wake. If it looks like they want a little more fun, start slinging them outside the wake a little bit, but not too hard. With new riders, I like to gradually increase the aggressiveness of the ride until I reach the point that is a little too scary for them, then back off, that way you know how aressively to pull them. You want them to have the maximum amount of fun without scaring them, so you have to know how far you can go before they get scared. Make sense? With neices and nephews, it's almost impossible to sling them off because they are so light, they don't create much centrifugal force and aren't top heavy on the tube like an adult is. You just need to watch the riders and adjust what you're doing based on their reactions. The driver paying attention to the rider and making adjustment to suit them is the most important part of driving, apart from not crashing of course. Be careful and have fun, but not too careful, cause that's no fun.

 

[skibrain]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Tubing does not have to be all that fast. Small kids will plane at 14-15 mph. Probably just about the speed you boat planes out and the bow comes down (trim all the way down) is a good speed to start with. Rarely should you need to go over 20 mph with them.

The tube will generally track behind the boat in the middle of the wakes. Try some gentle S turns back and forth and the tube should slide over the wake and swing to the outside. And then back in as you turn the other way. If the tube won't swing out, you might try shortening the rope. Most tube ropes are 60'. I like 50'.

I think it is great for boat DRIVERS to be pulled on a tube occasionally so they can get a taste of their own medicine and be reminded that A. it isn't easy for many people to climb back onto a tube from deep water. B. being taken for a ride that gets too wild is no fun. Know your rider.

I like to stop about 5 minutes into their ride, circle around along side the tube and ask them how they're doing. Having fun? Am I driving too wild? Do you want a little wilder ride? More turns? More waves? Let them tell you what they want.

Have fun!

 

[Claudus]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Tubing does not have to be all that fast. Small kids will plane at 14-15 mph. Probably just about the speed you boat planes out and the bow comes down (trim all the way down) is a good speed to start with. Rarely should you need to go over 20 mph with them.

The tube will generally track behind the boat in the middle of the wakes. Try some gentle S turns back and forth and the tube should slide over the wake and swing to the outside. And then back in as you turn the other way. If the tube won't swing out, you might try shortening the rope. Most tube ropes are 60'. I like 50'.

I think it is great for boat DRIVERS to be pulled on a tube occasionally so they can get a taste of their own medicine and be reminded that A. it isn't easy for many people to climb back onto a tube from deep water. B. being taken for a ride that gets too wild is no fun. Know your rider.

I like to stop about 5 minutes into their ride, circle around along side the tube and ask them how they're doing. Having fun? Am I driving too wild? Do you want a little wilder ride? More turns? More waves? Let them tell you what they want.

Have fun!

This. Also, don't make your turns too sharp. When the tube gets out on the whip it can be pretty frightening for younger kids. Pay attention to line slack too as it can be pretty scary/painful if the line goes slack and then suddenly rips the tube forward.

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Tubing does not have to be all that fast. Small kids will plane at 14-15 mph. Probably just about the speed you boat planes out and the bow comes down (trim all the way down) is a good speed to start with. Rarely should you need to go over 20 mph with them.

The tube will generally track behind the boat in the middle of the wakes. Try some gentle S turns back and forth and the tube should slide over the wake and swing to the outside. And then back in as you turn the other way. If the tube won't swing out, you might try shortening the rope. Most tube ropes are 60'. I like 50'.

I think it is great for boat DRIVERS to be pulled on a tube occasionally so they can get a taste of their own medicine and be reminded that A. it isn't easy for many people to climb back onto a tube from deep water. B. being taken for a ride that gets too wild is no fun. Know your rider.

I like to stop about 5 minutes into their ride, circle around along side the tube and ask them how they're doing. Having fun? Am I driving too wild? Do you want a little wilder ride? More turns? More waves? Let them tell you what they want.

Have fun!

I'm learning. My recent repower to 110 hp has me thinking of the kids tubing as well. Not trying to hijack but, I am learning. My kids are teens, a lil heavier than the OP's.

 

[BigBoatinOkie]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I'm learning. My recent repower to 110 hp has me thinking of the kids tubing as well. Not trying to hijack but, I am learning. My kids are teens, a lil heavier than the OP's.

Teens? Throttle up and turn the wheel, and don't stop turning until they are in the drink.

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Teens? Throttle up and turn the wheel, and don't stop turning until they are in the drink.

I can see the value to this...
"remember when I told you to be in by 9:30 and you were two hours late and I was up worried to death?"

just kiddin

 

[SeanT]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Two words:

Ejector Seat

 

[BF]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

A couple points that haven't yet been made... If / when someone falls out of the tube or it flips, throttle down right away... the overturned tube sometimes will land upside down and catch a huge scoop of water that can make a big pull on the rope.... Get into good habits when driving with fallen riders in the water. I always approach / go around them with them on the driver's side of the boat. That way, my view of them is never blocked by the bow/hull. Don't ever drive close to them, and always be going slow enough that you're not making waves and can talk to them. If you're gonna switch riders, or they're quitting. Shut the motor off before they swim up to the boat.

If you have a swim platform on the back of your I/O, it is much easier for them to climb up onto that, and then jump into the tube than to climb in from the water. But again, engine should be shut off before they even start towards the boat.... don't forget to put the boarding ladder up and run the blower before you fire up again. (better to just leave the blower running). BTW, my kids are the same age and already know that you never swim up to a boat with the engine running. As I'm coming up to them, they'll say, "shut it off, I'm coming in". So, don't be afraid to explain to the kids why you do things certain ways. They learn good habits.

And ditto what's been said above. Make it fun for them, and don't make the ride scarier than they want it to be. We almost always pull 2 single rider tubes at once, on separate ropes. The only additional thing to be careful about then is to not whip the tubes so they bang together hard. This is a problem when one rider slides side to side easily, but the other one doesn't move as much. It would ruin everyone's day if the little ones banged heads. But a little rubbing and the ability for them to talk to each other while tubing seems to add lots of fun. We have hand signals for speed up, slow down and zig zag. The kids like to have some input about whether the ride is too easy or too scary. Usually one tuber is giving the zig zag sign, while the other is shaking their head "no". Part of the fun. As a driver, I listen more to the timid kid, than the wild one. If it's too tame for them, they can go by themselves (which they almost never want to do).

BTW, I've got a 17' searay with a 3.0 mercruiser... yes it is more than enough. My kids are usually going at 'just planing nicely speed' which is around 20 mph or just over. It is a very fuel efficient rig for pulling kids.

Have fun!

 

[swaycleveland]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

tube rope and prop dont mix! make sure your using a rope that floats. also i use my boat hook to retrieve riders. kids will get tooo close to the boat and if its rocking at all can get banged up by the hull.

 

[SeanT]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I don't let my kids jump on to the tube from the boat. You wouldn't let them do it from the dock, a swimming platform shouldn't be any different. I've lost balance and fallen off the swim platform myself. I don't want some kid to misjudge things and hit his head, or bounce off the tube or something.

With some very rare exceptions (once in a while we putter around with our four year old on the tube), if they can't climb on, they can't tube.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I have been a driver pulling a tube for about 15 or so years now and have had to pull the gamut of riders from boasting teen age boys on up to mothers with very young children in the tube with them. I have developed a trick that works well on all of them.

What I do is this: Once I start pulling them and the tube just gets up on plane, I don't go any faster. I will give them a straight pull for a bit and let them get themselves settled and comfortable in the tube. Then I will start turning the boat into a tight circle maybe 50 feet in diameter.......here's the key; Throttle control.....you don't want to whip the tube outside the wake...you have to control the throttle to keep the tube right in the white water from your prop (center of wake).
Now the circling of the boat creates huge swells in the center of the circle you are making.....what I do is after there are some nice waves in the center, and I have the tube running right in the center of my wake (it should be about opposite the boat in the circle), I turn 90 degrees out and away from the circle and pull the tube through those large waves I just created.
If it's a kid or mom or some other faint-hearted soul, I pull them through slow and it creates a kind of roller-coaster ride for them. However, if it is a sturdier heart (or a wise-mouthed teenager), I will accelerate as soon as I've made the 90 degree turn. All those nice waves become huge launch ramps for some of the greatest air you may aver see tubing.
The picture in my signature is of 4 kids ages 6-14 in a four person tube getting air out of one of those circles. In the picure, the tube is about 4 feet out of the water. It's a milder ride because of the younger kids.

Anyway, just thought I'd share because so far everyone that I've tubed has enjoyed the ride. The key is in knowing the limitations of the rider and making sure they have fun and don't get hurt (too badly).

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

I have been a driver pulling a tube for about 15 or so years now and have had to pull the gamut of riders from boasting teen age boys on up to mothers with very young children in the tube with them. I have developed a trick that works well on all of them.

What I do is this: Once I start pulling them and the tube just gets up on plane, I don't go any faster. I will give them a straight pull for a bit and let them get themselves settled and comfortable in the tube. Then I will start turning the boat into a tight circle maybe 50 feet in diameter.......here's the key; Throttle control.....you don't want to whip the tube outside the wake...you have to control the throttle to keep the tube right in the white water from your prop (center of wake).
Now the circling of the boat creates huge swells in the center of the circle you are making.....what I do is after there are some nice waves in the center, and I have the tube running right in the center of my wake (it should be about opposite the boat in the circle), I turn 90 degrees out and away from the circle and pull the tube through those large waves I just created.
If it's a kid or mom or some other faint-hearted soul, I pull them through slow and it creates a kind of roller-coaster ride for them. However, if it is a sturdier heart (or a wise-mouthed teenager), I will accelerate as soon as I've made the 90 degree turn. All those nice waves become huge launch ramps for some of the greatest air you may aver see tubing.
The picture in my signature is of 4 kids ages 6-14 in a four person tube getting air out of one of those circles. In the picure, the tube is about 4 feet out of the water. It's a milder ride because of the younger kids.

Anyway, just thought I'd share because so far everyone that I've tubed has enjoyed the ride. The key is in knowing the limitations of the rider and making sure they have fun and don't get hurt (too badly).

That looks fun as all h**l!!! I may have to practice that. About how many circles, just a guestimate, do you do to get those waves??

 

[SuperNova]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

That looks fun as all h**l!!! I may have to practice that. About how many circles, just a guestimate, do you do to get those waves??

Depends on the size of the boat, but usually only once or twice is sufficient. It takes some practice to really get right, but it's a lot of fun. Key is to not let the tube go outside or inside of your wake, if you do, it'll miss the waves when you try to pull it through the center of the circle. You gotta keep it centered...so it's a balancing act of turn diameter vs. speed (throttle). I try to set it up so the boat drops down to about half-plane as I'm circling, to get the biggest waves, and I use my circle diameter to control where the tube goes in my wake along with a little throttle as needed. Once you get it to work once, you'll pretty much have it figured out. It is actually a lot easier than it sounds on here. But it does take a little practice.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: help-- looking for tips on pulling a tube for the first time

Make sure you have plenty of space around you, take it steady and have a good spotter. That way you will all learn what works for you.
Enjoy.