New law for tubing???
 

Hey guys, heard a rumor and haven't been able to confirm or deny yet so figured I would ask here.

I heard there was now no limit to the number of riders you could tow on a tube, and that you need only 2 spotters regardless of the number of riders.
Is there any truth to this? has it already passed and been signed into law or just in process??

If I posted this in the wrong section, sorry, please feel free to relocate if needed.

tubing
 

Last I heard there was a proposal in Concord to allow up to 6 on a tube with two spotters at least 13 and physically able to render aid if needed to the folks on the tube. I was told this was proposed to help the summer camps on the lakes out but have not heard if it was approved or by any legislative body yet or not.

SB317 - Tubing Bill
 

Safe Boaters of NH was approached by The Marine Trades Association to assist in this bill's passage.

The bill had been tabled by The House after being voted out of committee unanomously. Luckily SBONH was able to have a meeting with the Speakers office and gain their support to have Rep. John Hikel pull it from the table before sessions end. The Bill was then approved on a voice vote last week.

It is currently with the Governor's office and expected to be signed off on. Luckily it goes into effect upon its passage so there is no waiting period. So that should be later this month.

Last I heard from the Marine Patrol is the bill was amended to allow 4 people total to be towed on one or more tubes (not skis). there must be 1 observer per 2 people being towed. So if you are pulling 4 tubers you must have a minimum of 2 spotters.

I will get a copy of the final bill soon to confirm the amount of tubers.

I hope this helps.

Thank you to all SBONH members for the help on this bill's passage as well as all our supporters here at Winni.com.

Tubing
 

Personally that is too many people being pulled at once. :eek:


Is this the same goverment body that says we cannot exceed 45MPH?:confused:

Thanks for the info, I hope it passes, my Grandkids like to ride on the tube, but I only allow them to ride with an adult on the tube with them, it has always been a lot of swapping back n fourth to keep em happy. If it passes then I would be able to tow 2 or 3 at a time with an adult still on the tube with em.
I still disagree with the spotter regs, I think 1 spotter per person if towing 2 skiiers/wake boarders, or 2 separate tubes is a good idea, BUT if all are being towed on a single tube then 1 spotter should be fine, as they would only need to focus on the 1 tube, they would easily be able to spot anyone falling off the single tube.
But I'll take any improvement i can get, even if it is a small step at a time.

I agree
 

There are way too many boaters out there already that do not have the common sense to be pulling one person not to mention more.
Many actually believe they have they right of way when they are pulling someone no matter what direction they are taking.
I think this is an accident waiting to happen.

http://www.towablesmart.com/ps/8/pap...ater-tube.html

That's great news...I've got one of these puppies and it's a blast. Much more fun with 3 aboard with one standing to steer and two laying down.
Can't believe government actually restored one of our rights instead of taking another one away.

We towed 7 teenagers on 3 tubes for awhile last year (not in NH). That was a riot to watch. They were jumping from tube to tube and just having a blast. The new "normal" for us is 2 tubes with 2 to 4 riders in total. My kids are looking forward to this change in the law.

Does the driver count as a spotter? It would seem to me that on a busy summer day the boat operator has enough to do dealing with other boat traffic.

Absolutely not.

No Driver
 

J.P.

Driver cannot be a spotter in NH. Spotter must be someone not operating the boat.

Thanks. I've never towed anything other than a couple of broken boats and a jet ski. I'm glad to hear that

So right now, if you have 2 ppl on a single tube, does the law require 1 or 2 spotters (obviously not including the driver)?

Two spotters required...

Reread sb317 tubing bill above. I read 1 observer for up to 2 tubers.

The NEW bill will allow this. The current law as written is one spotter for every person in the tube with a max of two people allowed in the tube.

Gotcha. Thanks!

Another things to take into consideration:

• The towing vessel must have the capacity to carry everyone on board including the tubers. If you have 6 tubers, 2 observers, and an operator, your boat must have the capacity for 9 persons.
• Though it may be an extreme circumstance, if multiple people are thrown from the tubes and possiblly injured from coliding into each other, who will you rescue first or last?
• Remember the tubes you are towing are considered an extension of your boat and must follow all the navigation rules including Unsafe Passage.

Current Spotter Law
 

is the big reason you no longer see those spectacular water ski shows, the ones with a human pyramid or the weaving in and out of water skiers. I am hoping for a return of the water ski shows!

Waivers
 

I am sure that if someone wanted to put on a waterski show on Winni, and have a 15 person pyaramid with 8 across the bottom, the marine patrol would be granting waivers. :)

Does the Back Bay ski club still put on a show in Wolfeboro Bay?

Driver/spotter
 

.


I have seen too many drivers watching the tubes and not looking in the direction the boat is going:eek:. It may be the law but....

What about the distraction of the driver arguing with the spotter?

Is there a new law that says the spotter has to be your wife?

One more thing about the spotter...
 

All good stuff folks!

One last thing to mention about the spotter. He/She must be physically able to assist the person in the water back into the boat. Great grandma may not do.

So with the new law, one spotter for two tubers, how many spotters for three tubers?

Misty Blue.

Under the new law, two spotters is the most you need to have.
See final version of bill:
http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legi...12/SB0317.html

Am I reading this correctly? "This bill allows up to 6 persons to be towed on one or more inflatable tubes by a motorboat." "One or more inflatable tubes?" "Up to 6 people?"

According to the way I'm reading this, 6 tubes could be behind a boat...? Who thinks this is a good idea? The same people who think it's a good idea to only allow 2 waterskiers? Where is the logic here?

The bill also does not say "no towing during a lightning storm". Sometimes common sense must prevail. Some things simply can't be legislated!

You can't possibly be serious? Do you honestly think it's okay for some weekend boater who's not familiar with the area to put two or three tubes behind his boat and go out in my bay on a busy Saturday going in circles just outside of the six-pack?

LOL...come sit on my dock on a Saturday in July. Common sense? The lack thereof is why our boats don't leave the dock at such times. So I guess, yes, common sense does prevail.

(You didn't address the somewhat rhetorical question of why it's okay to tow multiple tubes with multiple people on them, but one can only tow two waterskiers.)

W.M.;

Just an fyi...I am not certain the new modified version of the law allows for six tubers. Hopefully someone will clarify. But when do we stop writing laws for idiots?... Do we really need a law that says it not safe to tow six tubes behind a boat?? Really?? It's completely unsafe to drive a car on 1" of ice, do we really need a law to state that??

I say enough with the law making!

Absolutely correct!! but unfortunately, there plenty out there that think every move we make should be legislated/regulated.

So to be clear...

You need a minimum of four people to tube.
Operator
Tuber
Spotter one
Spotter two

Does anyone have a link to the current law?

According to the text of the bill in the link that Knomad provided, you only need one spotter if you are towing less than three tubers.

I think it's a fun idea. I don't have 6 tubes to tow though.

I think its great. We pulled three to six tubes all the time when i was growing up. It's a blast...

Chase1

Signed?
 

Has it been signed into law yet?

Perhaps you and I never finished growing up... :D

No, but I'm sure you could find some help... :D

I was about to put my 4 person capable tube up for sale, but I think I'll wait, if this law passes, I might get to use it after all...

Put it between my matching pair of two-person tubes, get 6 kids to ride them, and you've got a great recipe for fun. I wish I had pictures from the time we did that with 7 kids last year, but we felt taking pictures was not as important as 100% attention to spotting...

Have you tried two basic flat tubes at once yet? If not, you are welcome to borrow mine. We have not towed a single tube since we got the second one. Two at once is much more than twice the fun of a single tube, and it's been legal here all along...

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._3684333_n.jpg

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._2692779_n.jpg

Checked with the Marine Patrol today. It has not been signed into law as of yet.

that is scary!! Most people don't pay attention pulling ONE tuber never mind a bunch of kids!! Experienced boaters would be fine but a guy up for a week never having driven a boat before..........not gonna end well!!

LOL..."that is scary...!" Ya think? Which Saturday afternoon in July or August would you like to come and sit on my dock and watch? Please pray that it only ends well, in spite of the fact that it's gonna be sh*t show.

Tubes
 

If you don't want to do it, don't.
If you want to do it, do it.
But don't put your fears on me

The thought of 2 Tubes with 2 tubers on each sounds Awesome!!!!!! Let's do it!!!!!!:)

Well said, too many people out there that want to run everyone elses lives for them.
Live and let live, LIVE FREE OR DIE.

On my list
 

On my list is to get 2 of the same deck tube. It's a big list, so I might borrow yours (Dave R) to give it a try.

Thanks!

...Jim

Passed.
 

Completed Legislative Action
June 8 2011 - House Signed by Governor 06/06/2011; Effective 07/01/2011; Chapter 0129

But if you do it....

Please strive to act in a way and exercise enough common sense that the risk of hurting me and mine is very low. Then I don't care what you and your's do.

I don't need to "strive" I do it every day of my life! And you should not assume that I don't.

Leave formula alone!
 

RG. I'm ashamed of you. Why were you directing your diatribe at Formula. You should know how hard Formula strives to be a friendly and positive poster. That attitude must transfer to how he boats on the lake. How dare you do such a thing. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

According to the final version of the bill (http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legi...012/SB0317.pdf) the change is effective June 7, 2012.

New rule on how many can be towed on a tube?
 

Is the rumor I just heard true, up to 6 people can be on a tube now on Winni?

Read the link above, looks to be true. Also found it interested that only 1 observer is needed for 2 ppl on a tube. Bump it up to 3 and above on a tube you need 2 observers.

6 people is true. We picked up a new 5 person tube on the 30th and absolutely love it. It's called The Jumbo Dog and the kids and their friends have been having a blast!!!!! :):):)

Two was the right number for Winnipesaukee tubers—IMHO.

This lake has 256 islands. Surprises happen in its countless coves, and we've seen what :yawn: inattention :sleeping: and texting has added to our headlines. :(

As I see each day I'm out in The Broads, tubers are towed through heavy "chop" from town to town. If you are towing 5, 6, or 7 kids, be sure to count heads when you arrive! :eek2:

Also quoting:

I couldn't help imagining a kid stumbling off the front end of a towed tube while horsing around. Going off the side or rear - well, he just gets wetter. Going off the front and having part of him practically stop dead in the water while the rest of him is driven forward by the tube makes me shudder.

It would be really hard to stumble off the front. The G-forces, wind and angle of attack make it very unlikely.

Am I over cautious or am I the only one who thinks this is dangerous. I think if one of those teenagers was one of mine and I was not aware of it you and I might have a discussion on this.

You would have to see it to understand how mellow the ride is. All parents were aware. One parent of two of the kids is a Pediatrician that's well known for being over-protective. Another is an Actuary who obviously understands risk; it was his idea.

New Law anmd Dogs
 

Does the new law apply to dogs, also, and can the spotters be dogs? Is towing a dog behind a radio controlled boat legal, with no spotter on the boat?

Dave can take my teens tubing anyday:)

Maybe I am wrong and it was a mellow ride and I do not have a problem with the number of tubers as I do with them switching tubes. In my opinion at any speed whatsover it would be too easy to bump heads which could cause an injury.

Heh
 

Sounds mellow compared to the stuff my buds and I used to do as teenagers...

Me as well, but just because I did it does not mean I want my kids to do it.

About an hour ago, in a heavy chop from the north, I watched as four little kids in tubes were getting a spectacular ride. This was something I'd never seen before, so I was transfixed by the sight. :look:

In a 26-foot I/O boat, two adults were doing dozens of circles around the four little kids. The kids were getting tossed around roughly—which I guess is the "Spirit of Tubing". :rolleye2:

After getting dizzy watching this, I realized the circles were less than 150-feet in diameter! :eek:

Safe passage?
 

So he was too close to himself?:laugh:

I was out in my boat between 6:30 and 11:00 last night (Alton Bay to a great dinner at Canoe and back). We did not do any tubing, but I'd say tubing conditions were pretty poor. Not many boats out either. We saw only two other boats on the trip from CH to Alton Bay.

I know off topic

HOw far and time wise is the walk from the Center Harbor Public docks to Canoe's

7-10 to get there, 15 minutes to waddle back after eating Canoe's Lobstah MAC n' Cheese:)

They'll send a van to pick you up at the dock if the walk is a problem. It's not a great walk.

Yup.

But there was no Marine Patrol seen all day, so he would have to turn himself in! ;)