How Many Tubes Is Too Many For A Tower?

DLX134 · Criminal Joined: 16 Aug 2003 Posts: 87 City: Nashville

Is it safe to hook more than one tube to the same tower? If so, how many would be too many. Our boat is a 2005 SeaRay 200 Select with a factory installed tower...

Bowen · Posted: Mar 15, 2005 5:23 pm Post subject:

0, if you want to tube, do it from the ski eye...the tube puts too much downward stress on the tower.

Schmo · Posted: Mar 15, 2005 5:58 pm Post subject:

Like Bowen said, I would advise to not tow a tube from the tower.

Buergday · Guest

A college buddy of mine almost got killed when he was a passenger in a boat that was towing two tubes from an extended pylon. The pylon pretty much snapped at the base and a cable almost took his head off. Talk about a stupid idea!

nashvillematt · Addict Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 823 City: Nashville

DLX134, the answer is ZERO.

cwaker4 · Soul Rider Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 465 City: Gilroy

i think everyone has the right idea. theres no reason to tow a tube from the tower, its just safer to to use the pylon or little hook.

Ruune · Posted: Mar 15, 2005 8:42 pm Post subject:

depends on your taste in music and how close you are to me. For example:

if you're ridin' in the same area and you're blastin' raffi for the kids, two cans are too many.

If you're playin' snoop dog and dem hoes gots it goins like a turbo vette, you need more bass- so get more subs... and to send dem hoes my way.

if you're playin' disturbed and tearin' it up, you need to crank it up then toss me a beer.

jayreese · Posted: Mar 15, 2005 8:46 pm Post subject:

Ruune I think you might have missed the intent of the original post, but hey, your spelling was perfect.

But then again, I could have just missed the sarcasm. Wink

hunterjah · Newbie Joined: 07 Jul 2004 Posts: 47 City: Dallas

I'm buying the party tube made by Liquid Force and plan on towing it with...well nothing because I'm going to be hanging on the back of the boat sipping a frosty beverage.

I fourth and fifth what these guys said, don't tow a tube with the tower. Unless you're pulling the person way to fast and they're catching some air, there's no need....wait....there's no need! Shocked

Fishmaster · Posted: Mar 15, 2005 9:47 pm Post subject:

Zero!!! - Good Answer.

Most towers have warning labels, everyone I've seen says dont pull a tube.

Tubes dont let go like wakeboarders do, and tubes are now shipping with 6,000 lb rope. Get that caught on another boat or dock or piling and if it's attached to a tower - then really, really bad things will happen.

Dont pull tubes with towers, and if you see a Griswald doing it, please ask them to stop.

dschock · Outlaw Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 135 City: Bellevue

Personally I don't see it as a huge problem if you are an alert driver. The only time a tube could pull harder than a wakeboarder is if it flips and "snags" in the water. If you're a good driver or if you have good tubes, this won't happen.

We don't tube very often, but occassionally when the water is crappy we throw a couple people back there and watch them get some air, running two tubes from our Titan tower. Honestly, for me, it's just too fun to pass up.

I know I'm gonna catch alot of crap for this, but I love launching someone 15 feet in the air on a tube off of a double-up.

I understand the concerns behind it, but I just don't see what the huge deal is. Maybe someone can straighten me out. Let's hear some logic. I'd be interested to see what Bill has to say. I wonder if Monster tested these forces when designing the tower, or if they have had problems with customers towing tubes?

Ruune · Posted: Mar 16, 2005 4:46 am Post subject:

jayreese, yeah it was meant as a joke... my sense of... "humor" gets pretty dry on weeknights. Razz

MrBlean · Posted: Mar 16, 2005 11:12 am Post subject:

dschock · Outlaw Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 135 City: Bellevue

MrBlean, I understand that scenario, but I never tow tubes near a dock. Any time we aren't using them and they are blown up, they are clipped to the transom. Also, we don't use 6000lb strain rope.

It might be different up here in Washington because the lakes are huge, so anytime you are doing watersports, you are nowhere near docks or logs or even buoys.

What I would like to know is if TUBING itself is bad for the tower?

Ruune · Posted: Mar 16, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:

his point is that a tube puts more strain on the tow point... enough to cause the problems described above.

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

Ruune · Posted: Mar 16, 2005 1:25 pm Post subject:

isnt it a mortal sin to do that anyways? I think I need to go to confession just for thinking of the physics involved! Twisted Evil

for those of you that are sarcastically challenged- the phrase above is indeed sarcasm Razz

jason2454 · Outlaw Joined: 18 Feb 2005 Posts: 240 City: austin

do tubers actually catch more air when hooked up to a tower? Being towed in a tube from the normal tow point it scary enough.. i dont think people need to catch more air. I think more people get injured from tubing that wakeboarding. Especially the multiperson tubes.. those are accidents waiting to happen.

MrBlean · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 12:20 am Post subject:

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

acurtis_ttu · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 499 City: Houston

dschock,

I sure the guy who almost had is head ripped off by a stray guy wire off an extended pylong that broke while tubing NEVER thought that would happen either.

Your an adult, you can make your own decions, but because your an adult your responsible for them.

joedirt00 · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 9:21 am Post subject:

Heres the video that goes against everything here. I wouldn't recommend trying it although it does look like a hell of alot of fun.

I know it was posted before but the link is dead now so I Googled this one up.

http://burnum.com/downloads/Extreme-Tubing.wmv

Enjoy

Schmo · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 9:36 am Post subject:

Call me a wuss but those loud slapping noises don't sound to "fun" to me.

Liquid*Force*Rider · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 9:58 am Post subject:

I think for the little difference it is going to make in the tube ride. I would rather have a crappyer tube ride then have to re-fiberglass my boat because the tower riped it appart. Neutral

Ruune · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 10:00 am Post subject:

plain and simple... if you want to go tubing, get a Glastron.

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Liquid*Force*Rider, I agree.

Hey, what kind of boards do you like to ride?

Liquid*Force*Rider · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 10:04 am Post subject:

[b]cameraboy[/b], If your talking to me, I just got a 2005 Liquid Force 134 Team with Sphynx. (I got Limited Edition Sphynx so I don't have them yet.)

Bullcrow · Newbie Joined: 29 Apr 2003 Posts: 32 City: Georgia

For some reason I don't thin khe was serious when he asked you that question? But I could be wrong.

tball · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 3953

maybe a reference to all the signature links?

Alter Ego · Posted: Mar 17, 2005 11:23 am Post subject:

i dont care what anyone says that looked like fun...

ohdoor · Soul Rider Joined: 02 Mar 2005 Posts: 281 City: OKC

Whenever a tube flips over to where your in between the surface of the water and the tube it is very easy to break your neck. At that speed and with your body at that angle when your head hits the water it can be snapped back good enough to break it. My dad is a neck/back surgeon and he had a patient that had that happen to him and he was paralized throughout most of his lower body. If thats a risk your willing to take then go ahead but if I were you I wouldn't tube from a wakeboard tower because the chance of the tube fliping over is much greater because of the greater amount of air you can get.

BelmontWake · Soul Rider Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 278

I wish I were in charge of my family's boat, things would be such much different.

My dad insists on pulling tubers, sometimes TWO at a time, but it is somewhat justified. What do we know about tubers? They are usually young kids, whiney, and untalented. That pretty much sums up the kids that come just for the tube, include my sibbling which I have to watch destroy the tower everytime we go. Anyways, the reason for tubing from the tower is pretty stright-forward, however insignifigant. Firstly, they do it because they do not understand the concept of "leaning back" to avoid the tube from going underwater when you first startoff, and secondly, it prevents the rope from dangling in the water, and splashing water into their poor little eyes.

Yeah, like I said, I can't change the way my parents think, we disagree on just about everything. There is so many things I would change about the way we operate if I were in charge, seriously. But hey, what can I do?

Sorry for the vent.

holdsworth · Posted: Mar 18, 2005 5:31 am Post subject:

:::HINT:::

don't bother tubing

OR

hook it up to the lower pole so it's not fkn up your tower

Steve · Criminal Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 63 City: Denton

Here's another link to the flying tuber
http://www.santoalt.com/videos/extreme_tubing.php

Probably the best way to see how much more stress is on the tower by a tuber as opposed to a boarder would be to try to hold the rope that the tuber is on. Come up with a safe way to do this so the rope won't rip your arms off. The boarder can only exert as much force as he/she can actually hold with their hands; beyond that amount the handle will just slip from their grip. I'm guessing that there is no way that anyone can hold the tuber rope. My boat won't be de-winterized 'til next month so if someone else can try my experiment let us know the result.

When I show the video to friends only 1/5 want to try it. I don't think it's that dangerous, once I got a friend up to 54mph on a tube before he fell off (it was his idea-too much testosterone) and all he got was a bruise on the thigh.

marlinempress · Outlaw Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 112 City: Murray

come on people....water is water, not concrete. You can be going 90 mph and fall off and be fine.. (I've gone 75 and it's really not that bad when you fall off). Unless you let your limbs flail all over the place, then they could get hurt I guess. So far all there's been is speculation on this issue though, no real facts. I'm willing to guess either way the person would have a really hard time holding on because of the unpredictability. The rider has a much better idea of what to brace himself for than someone would holding on to the other side of the rope. Someone get a hook scale, attach it to the line, then do both. I'll bet most naysayers here would be surprised by the result....