Riding the Tube

[Flipside]

We can talk about perfecting the wake here, but I'd prefer to ask a very serious question:
When riding the tube, where is the best place to tie-off the rope? On the top of the tower, or the ski pylon?

[SkiTower]

RE: Riding the Tube

Personal experience, single rider tube I like the tower. Tube goes out of the wake easier and it gets the rope out of the water. Rope spray on the rider get's rough.

Don't want to stress the tower with anything bigger, though. Tubes pull more than you think...

I skied off my tower once, but the boat did a bad impersonation of a porpoise. I am a tad heavy, though.

[niagararob]

Another place to tie-off the tube rope is a tree on shore. You'll find it won't float away and its a pleasure to sit in and enjoy a beer after a good ski, barefoot, or wakeboard run. But if it must be attached to the boat, the children (usually the guilty ones), must have already performed some kind of "skiing"(my personel rule). Then I'll just use the pylon.

[raygunclan]

I use the tower. Get the kids in the air more at pretty slow speed. I used the ski pylon to secure the tub when running between lakes or from thunder storms

[Kevin_B]

Another place to tie-off the tube rope is a tree on shore. You'll find it won't float away and its a pleasure to sit in and enjoy a beer after a good ski, barefoot, or wakeboard run. But if it must be attached to the boat, the children (usually the guilty ones), must have already performed some kind of "skiing"(my personel rule). Then I'll just use the pylon.

Perfect Response~~ I have the same rule except I don't have kids, only lazy friends with no desire to pursue a real watersport.

As a former member of the ATB (Anti-Tubing Brigade) I strongly discourage tubing at all cost. Best thing my dad ever did for me was purchase a Nautique when I was 4 and ban tubes from behind his boat. Made me who I am today. HA

I've dealt out enough grief for one day. Who ever said be careful about too much stress on the tower is right on the money. I have seen some pretty nasty flex on a tower running 2 or 3 tubes from it.

[SkiTower]

When the water's nice, no tubes. But holiday weekends (NOT at 7am) you can't get acceptable water. And last week at Whitelake the wind NEVER died...It actually got too rough to tube one afternoon!

[Mikeski]

Another place to tie-off the tube rope is a tree on shore. You'll find it won't float away and its a pleasure to sit in and enjoy a beer after a good ski, barefoot, or wakeboard run. But if it must be attached to the boat, the children (usually the guilty ones), must have already performed some kind of "skiing"(my personel rule). Then I'll just use the pylon.

Well said! As a current card-carrying member of the anti-tubing brigade I just don't find the need for the tube other than as you describe above. We had a golf tournament last weekend up at Tahoe then did some boating afterwards. I taught a couple guys to wakesurf (one was in his 60's) in some very ugly water conditions. Neither of them had been on anything besides a tube behind a boat previously. Both of them talked more about surfing behind the boat than anything else. It is just so much more rewarding to than dragging people around on the boob-tube. Foiling is another great rough water sport, but the learning curve is much steeper than surfing. For the little ones, I take them on the front of my 5'6" surfboard, with me. Any weekend I can teach somebody to enjoy one of my favorite sports is a good one regardless of conditions.

[BKinSoCal]

I'm not big into tubing myself and I would prefer to take people wakesurfing when it's rough, but there are times I'm asked to pull the tube. I will never do it if the water is even remotely decent. And it's always guys who have already wakeboarded and/or wakesurfed at least once that day.

The benefit to ME for pulling the tube is the laughter. I get to beat the crap out of these teenagers and they keep getting up and wanting more while I along with everyone else in the boat laugh out a$$es off.

[jlpowe1]

I would like to join the ATB if that is possible! I've also started an anti-pontoon club here at my home lake. We are on a pretty small waterway. The funny thing is the lake will be traffic free and calm, and as soon as you take a wakeboard out of the rack, it looks like a herd of cattle comes mosying toward you. I made anti pontoon decals for my boards and underside of my rear hatch that is a pontoon with an x through it. just like a no smoking sign.

[wake4life6]

Seriously story of my life get out their water looks great get my first foot in the binding look up 3 tubers out of no where it never fails. I don't know how they can just have no respect. Is it that hard to wait a little while till were done riding or you got to love the hot lappers just doing circles for no f ing reason then you get the waterworld sea doo crew from who knows were coming to bounce off our wakes I need to get rich and build my own lake asap .

[BKinSoCal]

I couldn't agree with you more!!! The joke on my boat is every time I start to put my boots on, the waverunners come out of nowhere and carve up my butter. Respect...not enough of it on the water!!!

[redmondforsale]

I don't let any skiers, or wakeboarders on my 216. It is purely a tubing boat, a fantastic one. I run 5 or 6 tubes off the tower, it is fantastic.

Seems some should likely up a little, all watersports are fun...

[Nautiquehunter]

The lake is there for everybody guys. We used to get up at dawn for bare footing. I'm sure the fishermen started a anti bare footing brigade because of us.

[raygunclan]

I go on the water to have fun and make sure everyone in the boat has fun. I have 3 wakeboards - 1 wakesurf - 1 or 2 tubes - cooler of juicebox/soda/water - seperate cooler of beer - 2 dogs - many kids. We go with the flow. Hang in the middle of the lake and tube/eat, then run the shore to wakeboard/surf.. sure sometimes I annoy someone, dont try to. Sometimes people annoy me, that is when I open the beer cooler and try to relax oh yea - sure people dont always like the music i have to play... blasting Hanna Montana for my 3 girls

[MHayes]

oh yea - sure people dont always like the music i have to play... blasting Hanna Montana for my 3 girls

So true on that raygunclan.....we typically have the Go-Go's blasting for my niece and she always has the biggest smile on her face, that's what matters!