Tubing Speed?

[FreeBayliner4Us]

I have seen a wide range of speeds that people tow their inflateables.

What is an apropriate and safe speed for towing a tuber? My daughter is chomping at the bit to get out on the tube and I am being a nervous Daddy.

Thanks!

 

[xxxflhrci]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Safe speed for your child? Probably at most 20 going straight and even slower on the turns. For my buddies? 40 into the turns.....Probably 65 or so for the tube at the end of a 50 ft rope.

 

[ck85abc3]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Start out as slow as you can go were the tube is on top of the water (About 15-20 miles per hour). Then let them decide how much faster to go.

Turns greatly increase the speed of the tube.

 

[mrainey889]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Your tube should have a max safe speed on the label. I personally would follow whatever instructions were on the label. If no speed is listed, I would have to wonder if your tube is meant to be towed at speed behind a boat.

Just my two cents,
Mike

 

[45Auto]

Re: Tubing Speed?

20-25 MPH is a good towing speed for most kids. You can swing them back and forth across the wake and they have a blast! That'll leave you enough power in reserve on most boats so if you swing the tube too wide in a turn you can quickly accelerate to 30-35 MPH to keep the rope from going slack. The tube will be going 10-15 MPH faster than the boat if you swing it in a turn. Then the water drag will slow it down real quick, the rope will go slack, and it will rip the rope mounts off the cover when the boat snatches the slack out of the rope. So watch the rope and use the throttle to keep it tight. As the tube swings back behind the boat come back off on the throttle back down to 20-25 MPH.

If you have some 15-16 year old daredevils who think you can't throw them off the tube, pull them at 30-35 MPH. Cut a few tight figure eights to get some good wake interactions going and watch them launch!!!

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tubing Speed?

I don't think even I'd want to go much over 30 or so. Ever bounce across the surface at 65mph? It's like bouncing down the road without the road rash. I came off of one of those tow behind ski things that look like a water bike at speed, I passed the boat before I stopped bouncing and rolling and ended up in some lily pads. The final mouth full of silt and mud was the worst part. It ripped off my vest and jerked it up over my head. I was sore for a month after that. I was just lucky I didn't face plant into a stump when I hit the bottom as I slowed down. I started out in 20' of water, I landed in about 3'.

 

[alamosaddles]

Re: Tubing Speed?

I was just lucky I didn't face plant into a stump when I hit the bottom as I slowed down. I started out in 20' of water, I landed in about 3'.

Yea, it's never a good idea to go tubing ANYWHERE near shallow water like that. The driver of the boat should of known better.

 

[204 Escape]

Re: Tubing Speed?

What tube are you pulling ??

Soes the rope you are pulling with have a bungee built into it ?? (They are the best in my book)

My boys are 15, and 12 NEVER over 30 mph on a good day. Tube recommends 20-25, if my memory serves me correctly.

We use a Speed Zone 2 tube, It allows the kids to set down inside the tube, provides a small headrest, and seems to be well built.

 

[FreeBayliner4Us]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Thanks for all the fast respomce!

To answer some of your questions:

1. I will be pulling her with a 17' Bayliner Capri with a 85hp Force outboard.
2. I have not bought a tube yet so I will watch for recomended tow speeds on them. Anything I should watch out for while shoping?
3. My daughter will be 6 when I get the boat in the water after some minor repairs. But she is almost a foot taller than the rest of her friends.

Thanks again.

Mike M.
Richmond, VA

 

[Jerico]

Re: Tubing Speed?

I use a tube something like this for kids: http://www.iboats.com/Zip_Ski/dm/**...14323958--**********.654906556--view_id.40038

I would strongly recommend looking for one with a bottom in it, not an open hole in the middle. Kids can get pulled through the open hole ones too easily.

As everyone has said, I stick with 20-25 max with kids and bump it up to 30-35 for the bigger kids or adults.

 

[amynbill]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Look at the Airhead Stingray 2 seater as a great tube for kids. VERY stable unit, no matter what conditions you drive in. They also have 3 and 4 seaters in that model (we have the 2 seater). It glides across wakes easily (there is a video for it http://www.boatwatersports.com/videos/AHSTR-2.html)

I had a very hard time giving adults a wild dump ride even at a good speed and turning in a circle to bring them back into the wake (I DID get the two of them off though in convergence finally!)

Speed for the kids on this tube was around 20 on a calm day on the lake, for the adults I was around 35 or so.

 

[Woodnaut]

Re: Tubing Speed?

We also have an Airhead Stingray - the single seat version. It great for kids and beginners because you just sit down on it, lean back a little and hold on. Tons of fun and very stable. We keep boat speed in the 18 - 20 kts range - tube speeds go way up once you cross the wake and get into a turn. One adult driving, and another adult with their eyes glued to the tube. We also have a good quality collapsable boarding ladder that we hang over the side for getting out of the water. Everyone wears water shoes because of the bottom where we tube. Engine off when changing riders. Be careful, have fun!

 

[Nandy]

Re: Tubing Speed?

You have good advice here. I also agree about 20mph being the max I would tow a small kid. Get a tube that they can sit on it or lay on it. A 2 rider might be better as someone can ride with the kid until everyone is comfortable. Good luck!

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Teach your daughter the signs:

Thumbs up, faster
Thumbs down, slower
Thumb sideways, speed OK
Cut across the throat, Stop

Do what is comfortable for her, she will not want to go faster than is safe at 6 years old. The flat tubes are the hardest to stay on but the most fun. At 6 years old you might want to get one of the ones you can sit in. Look around, some of the sites rate the tubes as "wild" or "mild".

 

[reelfishin]

Re: Tubing Speed?

Yea, it's never a good idea to go tubing ANYWHERE near shallow water like that. The driver of the boat should of known better.

There's not much deep water around here, the whole river is only about 12' on average and stumpy the whole way. The curves and bends are the worst areas, lose it on a bend and eat dirt.
My last time out on one of those things was a long time ago, a lot younger and a lot dumber I guess. I did go out last year with a buddy and a few friends on his twin engine speed boat from which we were dragging a few brave souls down the river at probably way too fast a speed. They had one tube or tube/board looking combination that would bounce and dive if it got out of control. It looked like a knee board with an inflatable body on it. It would run fine till it got sideways or hit a big wake wrong and the tube and rider would submarine into the muddy bottom or throw the rider wildly as the boat rounded a bend in the river. I pretty much couldn't believe none of them got hurt. A few guys bit the bottom at well over 50mph, one guy took a tumbling bounce after trying to jump and do a back flip at over 70 mph. He balled up and rolled and bounced across the water forever then finally skipped into some marshy area and came up standing covered in thick black mud.
Of coarse ithat was the same guy that bailed out at high speed several times on the way out just to see what it would feel like to hit the water at that kind of speed. I pretty much just took it that rational thinking commonly escaped him. He'd jump up and roll out of the boat over the gunwale every few miles while traveling at near full speed making the driver turn back to pick him back up. I got the impression it was par for the coarse with him. He either had a thing for pain or just like bouncing down the river at high speed. I was waiting for him to find the prop on his way out. I think if I were the driver, after the first few times, I'd leave him behind.