Are inflateables killing our sport?

[DanielC]

First, a little background. I learned to waterski in 1978, Bought a boat that year, and went to my first camp in 1992, teaching youth to waterski. I have gone to many waterski camps since then, and have taught many youth to ski, and and in the last several years, wakeboard.
In the last few years, some of the camps I have gone to have an attitude that dragging youth in tubes is a more valueable use of time, because you can pull two or three tubes, with several youth at one time.
Yes, riding on a tube is fun. I will not deny that. But it is just an adrenelin rush, where the thrill is mostly forgotten a short time later.
I believe that learning a skill, stays with you much longer, and these youth that learn to ski, or wakeboard, are the ones that are going to buy tow boats in the future.

[KPNautique]

RE: Are inflateables killing our sport?

I got my kids adjusted to being towed behind the boat in a tube. Now (age 5 and 7) they both kneeboard and ski and have not been in the tube.

[gn6027]

RE: Are inflateables killing our sport?

To answer your question, YES, they are!!! Seeing all of the weekend joy riders out there dragging 1, 2 & 3 tubes around and screwing up the water for everyone else is a crime. I think they get included as 'skiers', and give all of us a black eye.

Sure, they are fun for the kids, but they have their time and place. It goes without saying that the middle of the afternoon in a busy boating area is NOT the time or place!!

It drives me crazy when someone driving a boat is spending more time turned around looking at the tubes they are pulling rather than where they are going.

The large 'wings' are an accident (lawsuit) waiting to happen (if it hasn't already happened).

[DanielC]

RE: Are inflateables killing our sport?

I have taught 6 year olds to ski, on a boom, and wakeboard also. With very young children, I have seen parents just give a young child a kneeboard as a beach toy. After the child gets comfortable with it, the parent pulls them along the beach with a 5 foot ski handle. Then it is a short transition to being towed by a boat. A word of caution, do not strap the child in a kneeboard until they know how to get out of it when it turns upside down.

[MarkP]

RE: Are inflateables killing our sport?

I was out one afternoon when a person pulling a tube looking backwards at the tube came up on me not more than 2 feet.With the quick response of the 206 I got out of the way and went after him.His response was I will worry about my boat you worry about yours.WRONGE ANSWER! I got out a paper and pen and wrote down his numbers, come on dude don't turn me in Too BAd I did the very next day the fish and game got him for the same thing.

[khaz]

I agree with KPnautique, I have two young ones, and they are getting used to being pulled behind the boat by using the tube. It seems to me that the posts above have more to do with the drivers, than what is being pulled.

gn6027, Would you rather the tubes are pulled early in the morning, or later in the evening when the water is nice, than the middle of the busy day? It seems to me that the middle of the day, when there are a lot of boats on the water, would be a better time since the water is already messed up. The drivers should however pay attention to what they are doing rather than watching what goes on behind them.

[MarkP]

khaz Wrote

I agree with KPnautique, I have two young ones, and they are getting used to being pulled behind the boat by using the tube. It seems to me that the posts above have more to do with the drivers, than what is being pulled.

I agree it has to due with the driver,but most tubers are pulled by I.O's and I HONESTLY believe the inboard boaterz are our more respectful to other boaterz just m.o.

[CHassmann]

I agree with KPnautique, I have two young ones, and they are getting used to being pulled behind the boat by using the tube. It seems to me that the posts above have more to do with the drivers, than what is being pulled.

gn6027, Would you rather the tubes are pulled early in the morning, or later in the evening when the water is nice, than the middle of the busy day? It seems to me that the middle of the day, when there are a lot of boats on the water, would be a better time since the water is already messed up. The drivers should however pay attention to what they are doing rather than watching what goes on behind them.

Ditto. I've always wanted to declare an "unofficial" rule at our lake of no tubing before noon!

Unfortunately, with novice boaters buying inboards now, it doesn't appear that the inboard people are always the most courteous to skiers, boarders, footers, etc.

[Andrew]

i vote for banning weekenders :twisted:

[clubmyke]

depends on the driver in regards to conditions.

as a whole , i kinda see tubing as a entry into boating (thats how i got started.... tubing off my brother in laws boat...man that was a fun summer !!!). this actually sparked my wife and me into boating (didnt plan on buying a nautique for a first boat but we did)...

when we surf, we get chase boats, onlookers, and a lots of questions (most i/o's but some wakeboard boats)... the i/o owners are really bummed when they find out they cant surf behind their boat)....

[Mikeski]

I hate tubing. I almost refuse to let a tube anywhere near my boat. My sister in-law, husband, 4 and 7 year old boys came to visit this summer. After lots of effort my wife convinced me to bring a tube for our lake outing. The kids didn't even really like the tube. What they enjoyed the most was riding on the fronts of my skis or riding on the wakesurfer with me. Start them when they are 3 or 4 then they take them out with some 6-8 year olds that already have the skills, you will be much more proud of that skier/boarder than your young tuber.

[clubmyke]

all smiles !!! it is great to see the kids faces..awesome pics mike !!!!

[Fast351]

That's a great set of pictures!

I currently own an I/O. (Don't worry, I'm looking at a 07 211). We wakeboard and ski exclusively, but my wife had her cousin and her family out with us this summer and their two kids (4 and 7) had never been on a boat. I pulled out the tube that hadn't been inflated for three years and grudgingly brought it with. I felt dirty just hooking the thing onto my boat.

Anyway, it was the weekend, middle of the day, quite a few boats, and the water was already choppy. The kids had a great time! Of course I'm probably a better driver than most tube-pullers since I usually pull skiers or wakeboarders. The two times a ski boat was in our area I simply moved to a different section of river. I never got close to running into anyone.

I think the biggest problem with tubers is not what's hanging behind the boat but instead what the driver is doing. Too many times the driver is also acting as the spotter. Train someone else to watch the tube and pay attention to what's going on in front of you and we'll get along just fine.

The next time the kids are out though, the 7 year old is getting up on a set of skies, whether it requires help like in the pic above or by themselves!

[03Air210]

When I bought my boat this past June and told my 3 kids (ages 7,9and 13) what I did the first thing they said was "Can we get a tube?" I told them they all had to learn to waterski and wakeboard before I would buy a tube. Well mission accomplished. They all learned and they have not let me forget what I said. I hate to buy a tube and I keep avoiding it. I am affraid they will not want to ski anymore. Has anyone had this problem?

[boatech]

teaching kids to ski has been a great part of being on the water. i also have used the tube as the first step they felt much more at ease on a tube. then we move on to a knee board then wakeboard. im not a tube purist by any means but its a great way to get the kids behind the boat. 03air210 tuff spot to be in but if you dont hold to your word it might turn them off from going in the boat at all. but i understand you concerns and i had a friend the same situation the kids got the tube they were 7-9 yrs old and they both could ski and wakeboard but took the the tube and for three yrs thats all they wanted to do. now they are older and are back into wakeboarding and have really got into the surfing.