Tube'n Teenagers

[Billfo]

The kids want me to get one of those big tubes ya tow behind the boat so they can all hang on (& try to push eachother off). I have a 135 so I should be able to drag them around pretty good, but I will also need one of those universal ski tripods to keep the rope off the motor. I read that they are readily available online..( I suppose there is a weight limit or something)
............but I am mainly concerned with safety aspects of this type of play. Flinging them into a stationary object, an underwater stump- who knows... ya hear of the freak accidents all the time.. Some of them were no brainers.. Perhaps I am over protective...

 

[hckplyers]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

Well you could wrap them in bubble wrap so they don't get hurt, hahahah, sorry couldn't resist.
We have been dragging the kids and now grandkids from one end of the lake to the other for years, we know the water and where it is shallow or weedy, little ones hate those. To start you can get a transom harness that clips on either side of the motor to the eyes that should be your boat. They are inexpensive and work well. It floats so no problem with the prop. This is if you are going with only one tube. If only one, be sure it is big enough for two adults or they might be hitting elbows or heads.
I would recommend two tubes, be sure they are full cover, no hole on the top, with two tubes one on each transom eye, they can have battling tubes, crashing into each other, no they will not get hurt. Some are better than others, do a search here on the site for the current recomendations. There are some deals where the tow rope is included with the tube, it can add up. A high velocity pump that can be used with the DC power outlet or connected to the battery is a must as well.
If the spray from the rope in the water is an issue, get some googles, they are cheap at WM.
The ski pylons are for skiing and wake boarding, but also not nescesary. I don't think they can take the pulling of two on a tube, be sure to ask your boat mechanic.
Remember that the driver controls how fast they are going and how tight the turns are, you must know the ability of the riders. I can say that we have had hours of fun, lots of memories were made, and sore musceles, priceless.

 

[convergent]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

You don't really need a pilon. We are using the Sportstuff Booster Ball and it works very well. http://www.sportsstuff.com/dyn_prod.php?p=SPT53-2030&k=68024 Before we got it, we were getting the rope hung in the wake and it wasn't a good ride. Works great now... no more rope in the wake and the ball also is great for visibility too. We have it hooked to a harness on the stern hooks and they are pretty low.

As for pulling them, the driver really, really needs to pay attention to what is going on around you. We do kind of a pendulum back and forth and if you watch where the tube is in a mirror, you can kind of whip the tail of the boat a bit as they are coming across the wake and they will pop right out on the other side. But as you are doing this, you are taking a much wider path through the lake than if pulling a skier so you need to have a good spotter and keep aware of whats around you. You need to also stay far enough away from obstacles that you don't whip them out into something.

 

[Brew2]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

As noted above, you are way better off attaching the tube to the transom eyelets rather than a ski pylon.

The "pull" from a tube, espicially if it flips over, can be many times that of a skier/wakeboarder, so you are better off having the rope attached to the more solid transom.

Getting hurt on a tube is really only caused by a couple things.....

Freak accident (eg. hitting something floating in water)
Excessive speed
Driver error

Obviously you don't have control over the first one. Freak accidents can happen anywhere/anytime so tubing is no more a risk than anything else.

The last two are completely within your control, so pay attention when driving and go have fun!!

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

DO NOT use a ski pylon to pull tubes. In fact most of the manufacturers have a warning advising against doing so. If the tube digs into the water (it does happen), you have basically pre-loaded a giant slingshot. Get the tow harness, and the line-float if necessary to keep the rope out of the water.

I'll add from personal experience, one BIG (like 4-person) tube is not as much fun as a 2-person tube.

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

DO NOT use a ski pylon to pull tubes. In fact most of the manufacturers have a warning advising against doing so. If the tube digs into the water (it does happen), you have basically pre-loaded a giant slingshot. Get the tow harness, and the line-float if necessary to keep the rope out of the water.

I'll add from personal experience, one BIG (like 4-person) tube is not as much fun as a 2-person tube.

+1 on not installing/using the pilon. They're for waterski activities and not recommended or rated for use with a tube.

Definitely use the transom eyelets with a self centering harness.....safer and cheaper.....

http://www.iboats.com/Airhead-Self-...26470324--**********.953968808--view_id.38991

 

[SeanT]

Re: Tube'n Teenagers

Yep, use the transom harness and stay out of the shallows. There's a lake in my area that I keep hearing stories about stumps in the water (we call them dead heads - which is really creepy).

So....I don't go on that lake. At all. It's a crappy lake anyway.

I use the transom mount on my ski boat to pull tubes. I've been thinking about getting one of those floating balls, but it just hasn't been that much of an issue. We either bring the giant three person tube out, or we bring the donut and and the biscuit so the kids can rid head-to-head against each other (in a "see who can hold on longest" contest, they aren't allowed to grab or push each other and the spotter).