Roping a tube

[SweeperForce]

Hello,
I have 2 tubes I want to take out to the water. The one has handles on top and two rope tie ons underneath. The other tube has two handles on top but nothing underneath. How would I connect a rope to pull it?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[hckplyers]

Re: Roping a tube

AAahhhh, I havn't seen a tube, with two connectors, nor one without. Are these new? Were they double packaged? Could they have been sewn wrong? If new you may want to take them back for some other ones before using. Sheesh, this is weird, hahahaha

 

[bigpoppakdog]

Re: Roping a tube

how about giving us the brand name and model.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Roping a tube

Sounds like one is a snow tube or a float tube not made for towing.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Roping a tube

There should be an obvious harness on the tube to attach the tow rope. Older ones use a nylon loop, and newer ones will have this white chunk of plastic with a hole in it to loop it through.

Connectors on the bottom remind me of the big "Splash Island" tube that we anchor out from the dock. You can't pull from connectors like that.

Need a pic or make/model of the tube to really answer your question.

 

[SweeperForce]

Re: Roping a tube

Here are some photos.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Roping a tube

Those are snow tubes. Great for riding down the hill in the winter time. Completely the wrong thing for water sports unless just using as a swim float. The small rings in the bottom are for a light rope to pull the empty tube back up the hill.

Tubes meant for water sports have a heavy duty nylon cover with sewn on straps that are capable of hundreds of pounds of pull.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Roping a tube

I'd put 60' of line on one and see if I could hook a hot chick off the beach area of my lake.

Whoops, wife is coming...

 

[convergent]

Re: Roping a tube

The force on a tube being pulled behind a boat is in the thousands of pounds. I first tubed in the days where the tube was a black rubber tube from a tractor tire and you literally just tied a rope to it. They'd last a shot time and pop, and then you had to either patch it or find a new tube. So you could tie these snow tubes to the boat, but you will more than likely destroy the tube pretty quickly. My tube tow rope is rated at 4,000 pounds.... a snow tube will be pieces of a snow tube pretty quick if that kind of force is applied to any part of it.

 

[Thad]

Re: Roping a tube

I'm not trying to start an argument, but that is indeed a tube that was made for water. It is an early version made for small children. Notice the two
air chambers. One is the buoyancy chamber that will keep it afloat if the main tube pops.

Also, I actually have one of those in my arsenal. It is perfect for small kids new to the tubing thing because it pulls from the bottom, it is difficult to nose dive it, and unlike the covered tubes, the child sits up out of the water and does not get beat around from the water surface riding "on the bottom cover". Also, there is no risk of a small child being "sucked" down under the tube between it and the outer cover.

You put a section of rope through the two eyes and then forward and tie in a knot. This makes a triangle that you attatch the tow rope to.

Keep in mind, these are not meant or even designed to go very fast. No big whips outside, no big air on the wake. Just a slow ride to get the child used to the idea of being out there.

Now, the other that has no eyes, most likely a snow tube!

 

[sethjon]

Re: Roping a tube

Sounds like a defect. There has to be a place to attach a rope.

 

[bigpoppakdog]

Re: Roping a tube

If they were made for water, I certainly DO NOT believe they are designed to tow. The two eye-lits are not anchors for towing. It does not appear that the other is for water either. The extra chamber could easily be argued as a device used to keep your butt/back off the ground as you slide down the hill that is covered in snow.


***I am going to recommend that you DO NOT even think about towing a child on that tube behind a boat, because I DO NOT believe it is made for water. It's hard to tell what the bottom tube is from the photo, but I DO NOT believe you use those anchors as tow anchors.***

In fact when I look at the whole previous post, I do agree with any of the recommendations. You do not want a child who is learning how to tube to be riding at the "top" of a tube. The tube in the top photo, put the child at the top of the tube without any balance support around them. Get a little off balance and off they go. Water tubes are designed so you can have a child kneel and makes it virtually impossible for them to fall off or out of the tube at slow speeds, unlike your tube in the photo. Many of them also have an extra chamber in the inside to act as a cushion/floor, so they won't get beat up on the water. The tube in your photo, has anchors like you see on blow up canoes. Designed to fit a small rope through, but not to tie a makeshift knot/tow anchor. As far as getting sucked in between the cover and tube, not sure where that comes from????

Now could you feed a rope through, tie a knot and pull slowly behind a boat? I'm sure you could.

 

[sethjon]

Re: Roping a tube

When you say 2 tie ons underneath, do you mean front and back? Or do you mean it looks like 2 tie ons? If its the latter then put the one through the other and hook on. If the other tube has no tie ons it wasn't made for towing.

 

[Wingedwheel]

Re: Roping a tube

Such a debate!! How about looking up the manufacturer and checking the model#s. I guess thats too easy. I do agree that it doesn't look like its made for towing behind a boat.