Tubes

[Duncan]

Hide the tube! Only skill required is on the part of the driver - where's the fun in that.

I was really shocked at how much focus it took to pull a tube really well. Getting good whip back and forth at 20 mph while not tossing the riders at the terminus was tough.

And it burns gas a like crazy!!

But there is no way I can say no when my little 8 year old niece looks at me and asks if she can go tubing This was the same little girl who was afraid to even get on the boat two days earlier! So tubing has its place. Grumblegrumble.

[jschnip]

But there is no way I can say no when my little 8 year old niece looks at me and asks if she can go tubing This was the same little girl who was afraid to even get on the boat two days earlier! So tubing has its place. Grumblegrumble.

Check out the EZSki - referenced in this post
http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12683

Seems like a great way to make your niece happy and have her progress - who knows, maybe she will be the next Dallas Friday - but we'd never know if she just sits in a tube. I guess it was always tough love for me growing up - so that's what I give my nieces and nephews (I did get a World's Greatest Uncle t-shirt one summer from them tho - not to brag or anything).

[somebodyelse5]

I was really shocked at how much focus it took to pull a tube really well. Getting good whip back and forth at 20 mph while not tossing the riders at the terminus was tough.

And it burns gas a like crazy!!

But there is no way I can say no when my little 8 year old niece looks at me and asks if she can go tubing This was the same little girl who was afraid to even get on the boat two days earlier! So tubing has its place. Grumblegrumble.

Yea, for the sake of everyone else doing boardsports, please just tube in the middle of the day/afternoon when the water is choppy already.

Tubers at my lake drive my crazy, totally kill the water, powerturn and throw huge rollers everywhere, and are unpredictable. cant tell you how many times Ive had to wave people off and keep them from driving up my a$$ while Im in tow because they are just looking back at the tuber. not looking where they are going at all. Makes wakesurfing no fun and makes for a very stressful day on the water.

I know its everyones lake, and they can do what they want, just please dont do it in my cove, or when its morning/evening glass. and we can all be happy

[Duncan]

Yea, for the sake of everyone else doing boardsports, please just tube in the middle of the day/afternoon when the water is choppy already.

Tubers at my lake drive my crazy, totally kill the water, powerturn and throw huge rollers everywhere, and are unpredictable. cant tell you how many times Ive had to wave people off and keep them from driving up my a$$ while Im in tow because they are just looking back at the tuber. not looking where they are going at all. Makes wakesurfing no fun and makes for a very stressful day on the water.

I know its everyones lake, and they can do what they want, just please dont do it in my cove, or when its morning/evening glass. and we can all be happy

99% of our time is pulling boarders and surfers. Power turns are badbadbad and I never pull one unless I need to get between my rider and another boat. And I use my mirror (with angled sides) to watch the rope/tube/rider and the front drive path (i.e., no looking back).

And when there is glass, I will boarding not pulling a damned tube (as if this needs to be said!?!).

I agree tubing has lots of downsides. That said, it plays its part. I see my nieces on the water about once a year and this year was the first the youngest could/would get out and do something. It is far far from my favorite thing to do. But it is an efficient way to pile on three little ones so they get their water/fun/pull time too.

Perhaps some of us can re-examine the condescension towards different activities and remember that all of us use our pull boats to bring a little joy and adventure into other peoples' lives. And where that person is a little person with limited access to water and a pull boat, a tube might be the best and only activity they can enjoy. I know I had a big attitude adjustment when I saw how that positive tube experience completely changed my little niece's outlook on boats and water.

[somebodyelse5]

99% of our time is pulling boarders and surfers. Power turns are badbadbad and I never pull one unless I need to get between my rider and another boat. And I use my mirror (with angled sides) to watch the rope/tube/rider and the front drive path (i.e., no looking back).

And when there is glass, I will boarding not pulling a damned tube (as if this needs to be said!?!).

I agree tubing has lots of downsides. That said, it plays its part. I see my nieces on the water about once a year and this year was the first the youngest could/would get out and do something. It is far far from my favorite thing to do. But it is an efficient way to pile on three little ones so they get their water/fun/pull time too.

Perhaps some of us can re-examine the condescension towards different activities and remember that all of us use our pull boats to bring a little joy and adventure into other peoples' lives. And where that person is a little person with limited access to water and a pull boat, a tube might be the best and only activity they can enjoy. I know I had a big attitude adjustment when I saw how that positive tube experience completely changed my little niece's outlook on boats and water.

Glad we agree

I do agree that there is a time and a place for everything. and way glad to hear you are not powerturner

There are yahoo's at my lake who have BU's and MC's that I have never seen do anything but tube, just makes me sad

I think the condescension comes from those that are inconsiderate and endanger other boaters at the expense of having fun in a tube.

I highly doubt you pull your niece at 30mph in a full turn, whiping her into rollers and in the path of other boats..... so you are one of the tubers I would not mind haha.

[jwanck11]

...remember that all of us use our pull boats to bring a little joy and adventure into other peoples' lives.

You get an A-Men!

[chpthril]

Can someone explain the real difference between a boater doing a "power turn" while giving his tube riders a good ride and a boater driving a double-up for his wakeboarder?

[Dave S]

I believe my Alpha Z tower has a sticker that says weight limit of rider should be no more then 300lbs. So I will never tow doubles off of the tower, one on tower and one on pylon.

I can't think of the source right now, but I saw somewhere that when wakeboarding the load applied to the tower portion of the boat is fairly minimal, the weight of the rider or a little more when starting, cutting hard etc. The weight or drag of a tube is immensly higher, and especailly if you cut a corner and the tube goes underwater nose down (which I have seen plenty of times) bye bye tower, it could rip off and down and possibly injure anyone sitting behind the driver where the tower would fall. I will look for this source. I think it was one of the wake9 vids because I have been watching a lot of those lately on surfing. Can someone 2nd this?

[thtrog]

Can someone explain the real difference between a boater doing a "power turn" while giving his tube riders a good ride and a boater driving a double-up for his wakeboarder?

We typically drive the same course for boarding with a double-up at each end of the run. When you drive a double-up correctly you enter back into the same path you came from. I guess if you drove them randomly there would be no difference...when you powerturn to pick up a fallen rider you've just messed up your own water with rollers.

[Dave S]

We typically drive the same course for boarding with a double-up at each end of the run. When you drive a double-up correctly you enter back into the same path you came from. I guess if you drove them randomly there would be no difference...when you powerturn to pick up a fallen rider you've just messed up your own water with rollers.

If I can add to this, the double up power turn would be done at the end of your run where you can not go any further so powerturning and the wave going away from you will not affect your riding water down stream. One of the instructional DVD's (i think it was "The Book") explains this very well.

[thtrog]

We pulled kids on a tube for the first time with our new boat at the Wake the World event a couple weeks ago. We towed from the ski pylon - when finished my son pulled the rope in onto the platform and I idled over to speak to some friends....sucked it into the prop. First time for that in over 500 hours seat time....lesson learned.

[Dave S]

I saw this thing in another post here (the things I learn here,lol)

might be a good safety device to not overload your tower when towing a tuber if that is your only connection point.

http://www.skyski.com/node/98

[thtrog]

Did I mention these kids had a blast!!! We tubed again the next day after everyone was given the opportunity to wakeboard. Fortunaltly the rope just caught on the blade and we were able to get it off in the water after cutting it.

[jwanck11]

Yeah Ed - that is an excellent point! The driver should always know where the rope is. I never trust anyone and will check for myself before getting underway - every single stinkin time.

[NICKYPOO]

Get them surfing...or wakeboarding...... just please stop the tubing.

That right there is the source of the problem. Just don't bring the tube. Craigslist that thing and get that kid on a stick.

Trick release is the way to go. no matter what you tow. Ha!