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Old 07-01-2015, 12:09 PM   #1
thinkxingu
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Default Pontoon Tubing Tips

Hi! Posted asking for info on buying and connecting a tube to a pontoon--well, I called my dealer and was told the ski tow bar thingie would be fine, but I bought the harness just in case. Also bought a Big Mable, which I think will be good for my little kids (on sale for $220 at towables.com).

So, any suggestions for a first-time pontoon tube driver?!

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Old 07-01-2015, 12:19 PM   #2
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Take it slow, depending on the age of the kids...they will have a ball!
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Old 07-01-2015, 12:26 PM   #3
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Smile 1st time tubing

Insure you have people spotting, you have to concentrate on driving the boat
Go slow so the tube riders have an enjoyable ride and you don't scare the #### out of them
Key point if the tube is outside of your wake it is a smoother ride, but the tube is basically traveling faster than the boat , some people have referenced 2x as fast so if your going 20 on plane, tube is going 30-40
Smaller kids, have an adult or older child ride with them, so they have fun and are safe.
If they fall out of the tube teach them to raise their hand, and the spotter keeps spotting them
Drift up to them and make SURE the boat is in neutral and off to be safer, remember their is a prop on the stern
Go in the evening or morning before the boat traffic picks up, find a nice area where there is not a lot of boat traffic
Safety 1st and have fun
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Old 07-01-2015, 01:27 PM   #4
Dave R
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Get another tube and tow rope that are identical to the ones you have and use them at the same time. Two tubes are much more than twice the fun of one tube. Wish I'd done it years earlier.
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Old 07-01-2015, 01:48 PM   #5
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Also would be interested in beginning tuber locations west of Moultonborough Bay--we're in Hanson Cove.

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Old 07-01-2015, 02:17 PM   #6
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I second Grove84's suggestions. When approaching anyone in the water, turn the engine off. Do not just put it in neutral.

Langdon Cove or 20 Mile Bay is a good place to tube.
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Old 07-01-2015, 02:18 PM   #7
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Default Please tube responsibly

I have seen too many people tubing in front of heavy traffic areas such as the Weirs Channel, LI bridge etc. Please tube where you won't disrupt traffic and endanger others as well as your party.

I've actually seen people tubing through the no wake zone with traffic!
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Old 07-01-2015, 02:44 PM   #8
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Smile Tubing Locations

Top 3 in that area in my opinion

19 Mile Bay
20 Mile Bay

A little ways away Winter Harbor.

My daughter and friends began tubing at 8 and she is 19 now and still tubes. A valuable lesson when she was 15, she was on a Connolly Dually ( out tube and I was driving with a spotter) , her girlfriend decided to roll of the tube, while going outside the wake. The tube caught the wake just right and my 15 year old was suddenly 12 feet off the water like a kite. Her solution ( a good one) was to roll out. Lesson learned , if they want off the tube, raise a solid fist in the air, it means stop!! Either thumbs up ( just right on the speed), or thumb down ( meaning slow down). Tubing is a lot of fun and we love the lake and have many videos of tubing safely. Happy 4th and have a great time on the lake
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Old 07-01-2015, 03:24 PM   #9
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Fist = stop, thumbs up = all good, thumbs down = slow down. Any other hand signals I should teach these little guys (and accompanying wife)?

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Old 07-01-2015, 04:10 PM   #10
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Wait, was just looking up hand signals and found thumbs up = faster, thumbs down = slower, open hand = stop, patting head = wanna go home, and OK means... OK.

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Old 07-01-2015, 04:28 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkxingu View Post
Wait, was just looking up hand signals and found thumbs up = faster, thumbs down = slower, open hand = stop, patting head = wanna go home, and OK means... OK.

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These are more common. We also use hand across the throat for SHUT DOWN NOW..

also please tell them that if one falls off to stay on the tube.... You will go back and get their sibling or friend. ( won't you?).

Most important. Have fun, be safe. Not necessarily in that order.
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Old 07-01-2015, 04:37 PM   #12
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Default Tubing

Couple of thoughts:

-Agree with tubing in a safe location with low traffic - That said, be conscious of people trying to ski/wakeboard. Tubing in rough conditions can be fun (more challenging), but skiing/wakeboarding when it is rough is not a good time. Skiers/Wakeboarders try to wake up early or stay late looking for calm water. I suggest tubing mid-day in an open part of the lake with low traffic. Please don't be that guy that ruins the calm water!

-Frankly, I don't really understand tubing - It's boring when it's calm water and doesn't really take much skill. When it's challenging it has to be rough, but then it beats the heck out of your body.

-You have the hand motions correct. Thumbs up mean speed up - Fist in the air means rock on! - Open hand in slashing motion across the neck means cut or stop.

-S turns are the best way to have fun on a tube. Half the fun of tubing is for the driver really.... Get the tuber on the one side of the wake by turning one way, and then whip them all the way across by turning in the opposite direction. Speed up at the apex of the second turn for optimal results.

-Dave R is spot on with the Double tube fun

Enjoy the lake!
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Old 07-01-2015, 06:37 PM   #13
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Avoid going in reverse if possible.
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Old 07-02-2015, 05:12 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkxingu View Post
Fist = stop, thumbs up = all good, thumbs down = slow down. Any other hand signals I should teach these little guys (and accompanying wife)?

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These are our hand signals: Thumb up = Fast.....Thumb down = Faster....and waving your hand across you neck in the cut motion really means I'm having an awesome time let's keep going........JK

Just use common sense where you tube.........stay out of congested areas and AWAY from the shoreline and your neighbors places
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Old 07-02-2015, 08:03 AM   #15
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Never heard of the fist as a stop signal. Hand across throat is an international signal to shut down ....used in the military, at airports, construction sites.
Also, when towing young kids, be careful when approaching an oncoming wake especially if you are turning. The whiplash effect can cause injuries if you're going too fast.
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Old 07-02-2015, 09:23 AM   #16
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Thanks, all--thinking speed won't be much of an issue as peak is about 20 without towing!

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Old 07-02-2015, 04:58 PM   #17
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Default one more thing

when picking someone up from the water always approach keeping person in the water on same side of boat as driver so driver can see person at all times.
So, if circling back to pick someone up, we go clockwise around keeping them in middle of the circle. Does that make sense?

Also be sure to let the rope out slowly from inside the boat. Once we weren't paying attention and rope wound around the prop.
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Old 07-02-2015, 07:52 PM   #18
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Don't get them going too fast, keep in mind that the tube can be going much faster than the boat when it is whipping. Above about 10 or 15 mph the water is not soft. Voice of experience here, I gave out a few concussions before I figured it out, the two who got them were each begging to go faster. Don't do it. I keep it under 20 when tubing, I do turn in accelerate them, but I let up long before they are about to fall off, one of the concussions was at 20 doing a turn.
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Old 07-09-2015, 11:55 AM   #19
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Isn't the whole point of tubing to scare the living (ahem) out of whoever is on the tube, and making them crash hard? Well that is short of putting them in the hospital of course!
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Old 07-09-2015, 12:24 PM   #20
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^ Not 5-year-olds!

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Old 07-09-2015, 12:28 PM   #21
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Talking Tubing Fun!

And it's really fun to go in a fast, tight circle. It sucks the tube under the water! Scared the heck out of our son the first time that happened.

My hubby liked to have a windshield mirror. It was a real bummer when someone stole it while we were in Wolfeboro, so I reccomend removing it when not in use.

Have fun!
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Old 07-09-2015, 05:23 PM   #22
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Quote:
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Isn't the whole point of tubing to scare the living (ahem) out of whoever is on the tube, and making them crash hard? Well that is short of putting them in the hospital of course!
That's what I thought until the concussions..... in fact the crashes weren't even that hard.
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Old 07-09-2015, 06:26 PM   #23
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Default Tubing

I do not know the current laws concerning tubing, so you might want to check so that you have the right number of spotters, and that you don't exceed the allowable number of people off the boat. Check the ages for the spotters, too.

Remember, safety is always first, second, and third, and there is nothing else.
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Old 07-11-2015, 08:50 PM   #24
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Took the Big Mable out for the first time today with some friends and it was AWESOME! We found that the open area just outside Hanson Cove was perfect as it was fairly quiet, but some boats came through, leaving good wakes. MP came by and waved at us, too. Afterward, we anchored out for a swim and used the tube as a raft.

Thanks for all the advice, but one more question: does anyone have a pic or link to directions on how to hook the tube up on both ends (with a ski bar). What we did worked, but I want to see if it's right.

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Old 07-12-2015, 02:24 PM   #25
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Lark's head at both ends works for me.
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Old 08-02-2015, 06:52 AM   #26
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Exclamation Hand Signals / Concussions...

Quote:
Originally Posted by thinkxingu View Post
Fist = stop, thumbs up = all good, thumbs down = slow down. Any other hand signals I should teach these little guys (and accompanying wife)? Sent from my XT1528 using Tapatalk
The New Hampshire Boater's Guide lists these hand signals:

Faster: palm pointing upward.

Slower: palm pointing downward.

Speed OK: thumb and index finger forming a circle, remaining fingers extended.

Left Turn: arm outstretched, pointing left.

Right Turn: arm outstretched, pointing right.

Return to Drop-Off Area: arm to 45-degree angle from body pointing down to water and swinging towards area to be dropped off.

Cut Motor: finger drawn across throat.

Stop: hand up, palm facing forward policeman style.

Skier OK after Fall: hands clenched overhead.

Pick Me Up or "Watch Out—Fallen Skier": one ski extended vertically out of the water.

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Quote:
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Don't get them going too fast, keep in mind that the tube can be going much faster than the boat when it is whipping. Above about 10 or 15 mph the water is not soft. Voice of experience here, I gave out a few concussions before I figured it out, the two who got them were each begging to go faster. Don't do it. I keep it under 20 when tubing, I do turn in accelerate them, but I let up long before they are about to fall off, one of the concussions was at 20 doing a turn.
My own concern regarding tubing concussions is that these concussions will happen in pairs, as collisions with one-another's skulls are very likely the cause. (Hence the previous RSA limit on the number of tubers being towed).
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Old 08-02-2015, 06:44 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ApS View Post
The New Hampshire Boater's Guide lists these hand signals:

Faster: palm pointing upward.

Slower: palm pointing downward.

Speed OK: thumb and index finger forming a circle, remaining fingers extended.

Left Turn: arm outstretched, pointing left.

Right Turn: arm outstretched, pointing right.

Return to Drop-Off Area: arm to 45-degree angle from body pointing down to water and swinging towards area to be dropped off.

Cut Motor: finger drawn across throat.

Stop: hand up, palm facing forward policeman style.

Skier OK after Fall: hands clenched overhead.

Pick Me Up or "Watch Out—Fallen Skier": one ski extended vertically out of the water.

________________



My own concern regarding tubing concussions is that these concussions will happen in pairs, as collisions with one-another's skulls are very likely the cause. (Hence the previous RSA limit on the number of tubers being towed).
The ones I have seen were single riders impacting the water.
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Old 08-10-2015, 04:09 PM   #28
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So we also purchased a Big Mable tube and have had a lot of issues with it submarining/sinking when slowing down or just going slow in general. Anyone else have these issues? A lot of reviews online say the same thing so it's not us or our tube. I'm usually much better about reading reviews but missed the ball on this one!

Wondering if one of those float balls for the line would help?

But a bit of caution to anyone looking at new towables as this one definitely can be a bit dangerous. Really scary this past weekend when it completely submerged with two little girls on it who were terribly frightened afterwards and we hope we didn't scare them off of tubing for life!

Also, the website ultimatepassage.com was horrible to deal with when asking them about exchanging this for a different tube. I was willing to pay the shipping back to them and use the money I paid for this tube to exchange it and they didn't care at all just said I was 'past the return policy dates'...by a whole month.

I see this tube out on the lake a lot lately and would hate for something tragic to happen...
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Old 08-10-2015, 04:36 PM   #29
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Yea,My neighbor has one. with young children it's an issue, especially if it's front loaded, Usually not an issue with older riders. They also create alot of drag compared to other styles. Those may be the most popular model, I see them everywhere but don't really like them.
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Old 08-10-2015, 04:39 PM   #30
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The only time we have an issue with this submarining is if we tow it empty too close to the outboard (moving from one area to another). Otherwise, it's been perfect towing our 5-year-old by himself or with my wife, and a bunch of friends.

Couple suggestions: 1. Use the ski bar if your boat has one, 2. Make sure passengers stay towards back of tube, 3. Make sure the quick connect goes through the strap on bottom before connecting to rope, and 4. Keep the tube inflated to where it's hard.



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Old 08-11-2015, 06:11 AM   #31
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Smile Tubing Entertains Those on Shore, Too...

Quote:
Originally Posted by znh View Post
So we also purchased a Big Mable tube and have had a lot of issues with it submarining/sinking when slowing down or just going slow in general. Anyone else have these issues? A lot of reviews online say the same thing so it's not us or our tube. I'm usually much better about reading reviews but missed the ball on this one!

Wondering if one of those float balls for the line would help?

But a bit of caution to anyone looking at new towables as this one definitely can be a bit dangerous. Really scary this past weekend when it completely submerged with two little girls on it who were terribly frightened afterwards and we hope we didn't scare them off of tubing for life!

Also, the website ultimatepassage.com was horrible to deal with when asking them about exchanging this for a different tube. I was willing to pay the shipping back to them and use the money I paid for this tube to exchange it and they didn't care at all just said I was 'past the return policy dates'...by a whole month.

I see this tube out on the lake a lot lately and would hate for something tragic to happen...
The ball definitely tames the towed craft, including "Big Mable". If "Big Mable" isn't big enough (or orange enough) here's a "Great Big Mable" available.

For those who haven't seen the above mentioned float ball, this is what it looks like:



There's no telling what you see around here, including yesterday's newest orange safety device:





.
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