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View Full Version : Pulling tubes - how fast?



bjames
06-07-2011, 05:37 PM
What is the average speed pulling a tube behind the boat? 20 mph or less?

Regularly my wife and I wake surf and wakeboard, but never tried tubing. We are thinking of picking one up and giving it a try.

skylar18
06-07-2011, 05:44 PM
20 mph max for safety reasons pulling people on the tube. Plenty fast enough if you know how to drive properly. Anything higher and you can really hurt somebody.

Of course I am sure there are people that pull much faster and no one got hurt. I just remember doing some research afther I hurt a kid (concussion) on a tube and found the 20 mph recommendation.

Of course this is an alleged response as I would never admit doing something as uncool as tubing behind a wakeboard boat.

bjames
06-07-2011, 05:51 PM
Thats what I was thinking. Not only for safety, but also thinking of stress to the rear tow pylon at faster speeds.

you da man
06-07-2011, 06:00 PM
Under 20mph but In smooth water pull it as fast as you can until it pops. In less than ideal wakeboarding conditions where there are no wakeboarders you can do all the power turns and figure eights you want.

lsvboombox
06-07-2011, 06:27 PM
speed always depends on whether i like the person on the tube and if that person is going to pull me on the tube I am nice to him.. I pull kids at 20 or less, adults faster

bjames
06-07-2011, 06:44 PM
Whould it be a bad idea to fill the ballast bags? Thinking of making some good double ups:D

zabooda
06-07-2011, 06:51 PM
Whatever it takes to get some huge standing waves. For those who hate the tubers, it is payback when they see someone being launched.

skiyaker
06-07-2011, 07:08 PM
my goal is that if somebody asks me to pull them tubing they only do it once. I try not to hurt people but I want them to say it was terrifying and that they never want me to tube them again. I'll go less than 20 if I'm whipping them around- hell if you make a tight turn you only need to go about 5 or 10 and you can still send them flying- but I'll have some times when I go in a strait line and just gun it- I want them to hear the engine screaming. It works well if you can get them hanging half off the tube then gun it so they can't get back on- they'll lose their shorts and you can joke about their tiny tube.

Also- apparently on our lake the proper way to pull a tuber is to ignore all boating laws, common sense, and safety considerations. Just last night my neighbor had a guy pulling a tuber back and forth across his wake while he wall pulling a boarder. boarder fell, tuber didn't stop, and my neighbor got to perform a massive power turn in his 24 ft boat.

bergermaister
06-07-2011, 07:10 PM
Whould it be a bad idea to fill the ballast bags? Thinking of making some good double ups

I've pulled with a 750 filled in my basement - can almost get a big 3 person tube (like a queen air mattress size) to go wake to wake if you give them an S-turn with a little slack and then whip them. I burned a hell of a lot of gas towing the tube with ballast though...

Usually run 18-20mph for the younger or more nervous riders, 20-25 for the teenagers with big mouths.

c.rix
06-07-2011, 09:21 PM
I keep her just under 50....... well only because my boat will only do about 48 :)

kaneboats
06-08-2011, 10:09 AM
I think everybody pulling tubes should only do it at idle-- this will conserve fuel for wakeboarding and surfing.

KG's Supra24
06-08-2011, 10:16 AM
20'ish seems safe for the kiddos. When I'm pulling in a "contest" (me vs the rider) I usually don't go more than 30 for fear of it just being too fast. Get them out in the flats and 30 feels pretty dang fast :D

I actually haven't pulled with the wakeboat but if you are using the pylon, i doubt there is much to worry about stress wise.

saskie99
06-08-2011, 10:23 AM
I think everybody pulling tubes should only do it at idle-- this will conserve fuel for wakeboarding and surfing.

This is a very true and honest statement,tubes should be only for kids under the age of 5

pmoomba
06-08-2011, 10:28 AM
When we first got a tube (probably almost 20 years ago at this point), my uncle would be driving people (adults) over 34 or so. Some of the huge welts they got on crashes were legendary.

They realized pretty quickly that was a little too fast.

Lake Bound
06-08-2011, 12:44 PM
Quick question does anyone tow a tube from the tower? Would depend on the weight on the tube I would imagine. With a direct drive it would allow people to sit in the back just curious.

KSmith
06-08-2011, 12:54 PM
Quick question does anyone tow a tube from the tower? Would depend on the weight on the tube I would imagine. With a direct drive it would allow people to sit in the back just curious.

Not generally accepted as a towable tow point, the stresses can cause some major damage and possible injury depending on what failed.

harmsway
06-08-2011, 01:01 PM
I think everybody pulling tubes should only do it at idle-- this will conserve fuel for wakeboarding and surfing.

LMAO.... This is the exact same response I had.

We out last weekend and there must have been 15-20 tubers in our ski-wakeboard cove. I was going to fill the surf ballast up and surf but my wife wouldn't let me.

skylar18
06-08-2011, 02:35 PM
Quick question does anyone tow a tube from the tower? Would depend on the weight on the tube I would imagine. With a direct drive it would allow people to sit in the back just curious.

Nooooooooo!!!!!

Probably be the same force as getting a larger guy up on a slalom ski......

Not worth the risk in my opinion.

c.rix
06-08-2011, 06:32 PM
This is a very true and honest statement,tubes should be only for kids under the age of 5

thats why I do 48 for anyone with balls enough to tube behind my boat will not do it twice!!! Just ask my buddy tyler that swore up and down I couldn't dump him within 5 minutes

he made it 12 seconds

Mikey
06-08-2011, 09:03 PM
5 minutes? Wow that took you a long time to dump him. Once you know how to pull a tuber to give a gentle or wild ride they plain and simply are at the mercy of the driver. I'm not a betting person but i WILL Take ANYONES money that bets i can't dump them. I HAVEN"T LOST YET. Its also not just about speed,Double ups etc can do the trick just as well. Just be courteous to other boaters and do it well away in open water away from shore as yes your gonna churn up the water pretty good doing it.

papou
06-09-2011, 08:12 AM
I pull up to 5- 54"tubes at a time the speed depends on age and experience usually 18/25 MPH when I'm pulling adults it could be fun to watch.