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wasilvers

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Last year was my first year with the boat. Tonight I mentioned to the kids that maybe we could do some tubing this year and they got super excited. But now I realize I don't know anything about it - Doh!.

#1 My boat (16 ft with 50 hp) will do 25 mph (gps) with the whole family on board and livewell filled. The motor still has some left at top end as I hit the rev limiter when at wide open - is this fast enough to tow a tuber? Would it be fast enough to tow a skier?

#2 If #1 is a yes, what tube type thingy would you recommend - my kids are 5, 9 & 10 and this summer

#3 Is there any more to it than hooking up a rope to the tube thingy and going? Any thing I should watch out for?

Thanks!
Will
 
wasilvers said:
Last year was my first year with the boat. Tonight I mentioned to the kids that maybe we could do some tubing this year and they got super excited. But now I realize I don't know anything about it - Doh!.

#1 My boat (16 ft with 50 hp) will do 25 mph (gps) with the whole family on board and livewell filled. The motor still has some left at top end as I hit the rev limiter when at wide open - is this fast enough to tow a tuber? Would it be fast enough to tow a skier?

#2 If #1 is a yes, what tube type thingy would you recommend - my kids are 5, 9 & 10 and this summer

#3 Is there any more to it than hooking up a rope to the tube thingy and going? Any thing I should watch out for?

Thanks!
Will
#1. Yes and Yes. Because your motor is hitting the rev limiter, you would have more WOT speed with more prop pitch. But, the fact that you are currently under propped makes it good for water sports. Depending on how much you are underpropped, you may still be able to get the full 25 mph out of that boat, with a tube behind - it will just pull the revs down into a more suitable WOT RPM.

#2. Just a single person donut style tube. Mine couldn't pull a 2 man tube well, but yours possibly could. Your boat is probably about the same weight as mine was, and you have me beat by about 10 - 15 hp, depending on the year of yours). They can be gotten pretty inexpensively. I'd probably stick with a single person tube anyway.

#3. Just make a tow bridle, so you are using both transom handles or eyes. I just tied a 15 ft. dockline to each eye, and then used a climbing carabiner to attach the ski/tube rope to the bridle. Reason being, when turning, the tow rope will slide side to side on the tow bridle, and the biner puts less abrasion on the tube rope. Originally, I just stuck the bridle through my tow rope before attaching to the handles. The Braided nylon dockline had no issue, but the constant sliding, under load was not taken well by the polypropylene tube rope. Carabiner solved that issue, as well as made a simpler quick connect.
 
wasilvers said:
#3 Is there any more to it than hooking up a rope to the tube thingy and going? Any thing I should watch out for?

Thanks!
Will

Sounds like Bassboy gave you good advice on 1 and 2, but I'd add some to #3. Just like skiing or wakeboarding, you really should dedicate one person to drive the boat, and one to watch the person on the tube. If one of your kids is responsible enough to do it, then sure. You don't want to be constantly looking behind the boat while driving. Also, take into consideration anytime you make a turn, the water speed of the tube will increase significantly. When it's you and your buddies, that may be the desired results (as I've had plenty of bruises to account for such times), but when it's a child...take turns cautiously. Also recognize other boat traffic, shore, obstructions, etc..... and your turns will cause the tube to cover a much wider area than would be simply following behind your boat. I've seen guys slammed into beaches, docks, and other boats in the process. Tubing is alot of fun, but you have to be much more mindful of other people on the water than if you were simply running the boat.

I'm sure most of that sounded like common sense, but it bares repeating.
 
Brine said:
wasilvers said:
#3 Is there any more to it than hooking up a rope to the tube thingy and going? Any thing I should watch out for?

Thanks!
Will

Sounds like Bassboy gave you good advice on 1 and 2, but I'd add some to #3. Just like skiing or wakeboarding, you really should dedicate one person to drive the boat, and one to watch the person on the tube. If one of your kids is responsible enough to do it, then sure. You don't want to be constantly looking behind the boat while driving. Also, take into consideration anytime you make a turn, the water speed of the tube will increase significantly. When it's you and your buddies, that may be the desired results (as I've had plenty of bruises to account for such times), but when it's a child...take turns cautiously. Also recognize other boat traffic, shore, obstructions, etc..... and your turns will cause the tube to cover a much wider area than would be simply following behind your boat. I've seen guys slammed into beaches, docks, and other boats in the process. Tubing is alot of fun, but you have to be much more mindful of other people on the water than if you were simply running the boat.

I'm sure most of that sounded like common sense, but it bares repeating.
Bingo. Technically, the law states that you have to have either a wide angle ski mirror, or a spotter at all times. I think the mirror is a nice safety piece, but not a substitute for a spotter in any case, aside from on a private ski lake.
 
Get ya some type rope ladder too.....I pull my stepson no more than 20 mph and he has a blast....Best to have a spotter than a mirror.....JIGGY
 
Thanks for the replies! I watched some youtube videos and saw how wide/fast the tubers took the turns too. I wouldn't have thought of that if it wasn't suggested. The kids and I were looking at tubes on line/ebay already.

:D
 
Make sure to start out slow, 12-15 mph, just enough to get the tube skipping on the water until you get used to driving and the kids get used to being behind the boat. It doesn't take a whole lot to scare youngsters from never wanting to do it again. before you know it the kids will have you looking at new Nautiques so they can do inverts on the wakeboard.
 
25 mph is fast enough to hurt pretty bad during a wipeout, especially if it happens while being slingshotted in a turn.

I would opt for a commercial tow bridle, personally. They aren't expensive and come with a float to keep it out of your prop.
 
Pulling a tube is frustrating for me. The kids on the tube yelling faster, the parents in the boat yelling slower. I'll pull and or teach wakeboarding all day rather than pull a tube, and your boat should do fine for that. The main thing is to have fun :mrgreen:
 
Don't think it's been mentioned yet, and it's really common sense, but make sure the kids all wear PFDs when on the tube. A wipeout at speed can injure and disorient a child. And using a spotter is the only safe way to water ski or tow anyone behind a boat.

That said, you shouldn't have to get going too fast to show the kids a good time on the tube, but for water skiing you might find you'll have trouble pulling an adult up on their feet with only 25 HP. It should haul the kids out, no problem.
 
Here is another tip I think most people don't think about.Last year we were at Lake of the Ozarks Campground.It is right on the lake,and the water is only about 3-6ft deep at the campground.I cruised the shallows noting underwater cover.It was full of laydowns and large rocks and such.One afternoon when I returned from fishing there was a group towing each other around on a tube with a JetSki at Full throttle.Adults and kids alike.I don't think they were aware of all the stuff just under ths surface.I mentioned what I had observedbut they just blew me off.Luckily,nobody got hurt.Be aware of what lies beneath the surface.
 

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