Tubes? What your pick

[RubberFrog]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

That's rediculous. At 25 mph and 15 feet in the air, it would be like falling onto asphalt. I am amazed every time I see someone defending these things. These things will be off the market before the end of the summer.<br /><br />Think CPSC and strict liability statutes.

 

[michael-lagrange]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

You are rite guys, for the first time i saw one this past weekend and as soon as the guy snatched it up about 10' high that thing fliped back and forth so fast it slung him a long ways. <br />I think I'm a little too old for this as well!

 

[Gone]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

Originally posted by levittownnick:<br /> 6SN7

Err, NO! The grid leak would make it lose buoyancy.

 

[boater56]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

We like our Ninja Blaster. West Marine sells it. Had it for a few years (its a blue and red one, not the current one with the dragon on it) and the material is still in good shape. Both our kids tend to ride at the same time. They have plenty of room.

 

[frroog000]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I got to agree with Studlymandingo all things come with a risk. BUT,there is a reason that they put warnings on all tubes. You can be smart and still get hurt. I can say that the kids I take out with me are to young or stupid to have one of these around. Maybe in a few years

 

[bamadave]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

A 12 year old was killed on the kite tube last week in Kentucky. There's a video here somewhere that a kite went at least 40' in the air. The kite was probably 20' when you see the rider Fly through the air. Sorry, not worth seeing a child or adult hurt or killed. The boat owner will be responsible for any injury. But hell, it won't happen to me attitude will change for those who buy them. I was going to buy one until I realized how dangerous they are. A gust of wind can throw the thing sideways, sending the rider flying thru the air.

 

[John_S]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I used the Bonzai over the week of the 4th. Very happy so far. Two things that improved over the old delta single tube.

1) High Visability. The 45 degree sides and red/white graphics make it highly visable. It can be seen over waves, that would obscure the flat style tubes.

2) Low drag when flipped. Old tube would act like a parachute when flipped. This rides on the 45 degree sides and is less drag than when in normal position.

Comments on catching air: This is a two person tube. When using only one person, you can catch some big air. Hitting the right wave and into the wind can make for some excitement for the teens. On a few occasions the tube completly left the water. The front of the tube had to be 6-8' off the water, and the back 1-2'. That enough air for us. No need for a kite tube.

This tube does take up some good boat realestate, but still can be straped down over the transom. Just have to flip it, and have one 45 over engine cover. Stayed there with just a lead bungee and one across the middle, even at 45mph. Actual straps would be better.

 

[hidust]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

We use the sportsstuff "BIG MABLE"

It is awesome, it holds 2-3 people has a ton of handles and does not flip like most of the circular tubes do.

It also offers muliple ways to ride it. You can sit, kneel or almost stand depending on how big you are.

My kids love it.

 

[cnccustom]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I just read somewhere that they are recalling the kite tubes and taking them off the market because of at least 2 deaths and multiple injuries...if I can find the link I will post it...


http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-13-2006/0004396200&EDATE=

 

[carrotsnapper]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

The guy that was hurt on Lake Powell was my neighbor's SIL. It broke his neck. It was that same kind of injury that Christopher Reeves had, but my neighbor didn't have the nerve damage that Reeves had. He will walk again. Sounds like something to stay away from. Probably why they are going cheap on Ebay. Mark

 

[watered down]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

Yup, Kite Tupe has been recalled and taken off the market. 3 dead and over 35 injuried on them this summer. There is a huge write up about it on Trailer Boats forum. A guy there has been instrumental in getting SportsStuff to pull them. Interesting read should you have a spare hour or so.

So far it doesn't look like the Manta Ray is effected. Seems much more stable....but, you will never catch me or my family flying on a tube!

 

[bamadave]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

How many families lives have changed because someone thought the wego kite was a good idea?
Another example of stupid people not knowing they are stupid until someone's severely injured or dead. Fun and games until someone's hurt, then it's not funny anymore.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I got my tube specially made, cause I just brake the o'brien, connelly etc, ones within a week, I got myself a 18 wheeler truck inner tube and made a canvas out of hypalon (inflatable boat material) and designed it around the tube, added extra strenght handles and pull straps made from safety belt strap, i've had it for about 8 years now and still as good as new ......

 

[jaymasta]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I have never even heard of a tube kite until i read this post and it doesn't sound like something I would waste my money on but with most of these water sports ppl can and will get injured, my friend broke his ankle in 3 places bailing off a tube at 20mph my brother broke his wrist and had 4 pins coming out of it for 3 months wakeboarding, another friend did something to his foot just by jumping off the boat at 15mph and he will never play soccer again and soccer was his life, and I know numerous other ppl who have had semi severe injuries from some of the more common watersports, and i know one person that was my neighbors friend who broke his neck, not a paralyzing injury but scary enough that he will never do water sports, or any sports and he is a changed person now.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

Well some people don't have the best of luck ....... I've done the most outragous things on water at abnormal speeds on everything you can think of on water and never broke any thing before (touch wood) and I am on the water almost every day ... only boating scar I have is when my boat prop chopped my leg lightly when I flipped my racing inflatable ... but 8 stiches later I was good to go, later that day I was doing flips on my wakeboard .... if you have bad luck on the water .. stay away ...

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I think I would need several extra pairs of swim trunks to change into if I ever tried one of the kite tubes. Looks like fun but to dangerous for me. I cheated fate to much when I was young to tempt it now.d

 

[cheshirecats]

Re: Tubes? What your pick



We love the Big Mable 2 person towable. The problem is two (quarter-sized) patches have been made to the innertube, and it's less than a year old. We also have at least a gallon of water inside the cover after a tubing ride.

Anyone else have the water retension problem?

 

[thunder219]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I have (I think super mable) 3 person that now has a hole and a broken zipper with in a year. Not saying its the tubes fault because it was used under inflated and I know that I or someone on my boat was at fault. I will buy another one because it is a great tube for my kids or adults and doesnt beat me as bad as the old round tubes that I used to have so much fun on when I was a kid. The down fall is it takes two people to get it out of the water when we are done because it holds so much water. The other bad thing is the size even deflated storing in the boat but thats just part of having a big tube.

 

[Unarmed]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

blah, face first in jet-ski exhaust going @ 25mph hurts like hell.

 

[EricR]

Re: Tubes? What your pick

I have a triangular "Viper" and don't know who it was made by. Hard to stay on, gives a heck of an arm workout. You basically lay on the thing and your lower body hangs over. I would not attempt to sit on the thing. As you lay in it the prop wash taps you in the family jewels, feels like a real weak person punching ya there.

Now when I was a kid growing up on the farm and all that in the midwest, a tube was a tube. A semi trailer inner tube with a big brass valve stem that would cut ya. Attatched to the boat with a rope, usually some big old 7/8" rope that was all frayed, tied in such a manner it was stranging the tube. You got dragged through behind the boat slowly as the availible boat was either my friend Craig's dad with a 12' Sears aluminum and a green 5 horse Johnson, or later the really fast rig, a 14' fiberglass boat with a 9.2 Sea King. Yeah we ruled that mucky lilly pad filled lake. You had to pick the leaches off later, our trendy swim wear was some cutoffs. Funny how you'd get red bumps all over a few days later too. Must have been the old cabins with the pipe going right into the lake from the toilets.