Let me start by saying that those gigantic tubes (8' across) look really fun until.....! I had bought my first boat just 3 weeks earlier and was going through the "gotta buy cool stuff for it now" phase. Pair of skis, small tube, flag ..you know the drill. Well the tube was so fun I figured a bigger one would be even better.<br /><br /> I got the monster tube and it took 10 minutes blowing it up with an electric pump! It took 3 people to carry it to the water, couldn't take this monster on the boat. It actually covered about half the boat when I attempted it. Got it hooked up to the 4,000lb test rope (should of been a clue that this thing needs more than a 70hp on the back of a 17' bowrider)and loaded up the passengers. Two in the bow, one driver and an observer (safety, safety). Three teenagers in the tube with room to spare.<br /><br /> Two minutes later the boat finally planed up. Now for the real fun. I tried whiplashing the tubers and succeeded in catching a gust of wind under the beast. It actually lifted off and flew. 
Well, all would of been great if only those riders had thought about dispersing their weight so the "plane" would fly level. It flipped everyone out and the boat took off for about 10 seconds.<br /><br /> I am still a little fuzzy on the next heart stopping 5 seconds. The boat comes to a complete stop from full throttle and then proceeds to do a nose dive. I mean full fledge stand up on it's bow, throw the bow passengers out along with the observer over the windshield and me hanging on to the steering wheel. I can hear the engine winding out because it is completely out of the water by a good 6'. Safety saves the day, the kill cord is pulled by my arm as I fell forward.<br /><br />The boat comes back upright and is full of about 18'' of water and I'm the only one on board! I don't know what time zone I am in. I find the missing passengers 20' behind the boat, all conscious and looking stunned. They all had apparently gone under the boat and out the rear. Hard lesson learned: When a giant tube flips over and is drug on the surface of the water the passenger area acts like a large suction cup as all the air is sucked out by the rushing water. It would take a tug boat to pull that drag through the water. My boat acted like a dog at the end of it's leash. Thankfully everyone was okay and all the people on the shore had one wild story to tell their friends. One giant tube retired.
Well, all would of been great if only those riders had thought about dispersing their weight so the "plane" would fly level. It flipped everyone out and the boat took off for about 10 seconds.<br /><br /> I am still a little fuzzy on the next heart stopping 5 seconds. The boat comes to a complete stop from full throttle and then proceeds to do a nose dive. I mean full fledge stand up on it's bow, throw the bow passengers out along with the observer over the windshield and me hanging on to the steering wheel. I can hear the engine winding out because it is completely out of the water by a good 6'. Safety saves the day, the kill cord is pulled by my arm as I fell forward.<br /><br />The boat comes back upright and is full of about 18'' of water and I'm the only one on board! I don't know what time zone I am in. I find the missing passengers 20' behind the boat, all conscious and looking stunned. They all had apparently gone under the boat and out the rear. Hard lesson learned: When a giant tube flips over and is drug on the surface of the water the passenger area acts like a large suction cup as all the air is sucked out by the rushing water. It would take a tug boat to pull that drag through the water. My boat acted like a dog at the end of it's leash. Thankfully everyone was okay and all the people on the shore had one wild story to tell their friends. One giant tube retired. 
