Towing two tubes

Dave R · 08-05-2011, 07:23 AM

Bought a second O'Brien Super Screamer (a great product) a couple of weeks ago and started towing two tubes instead of one. The fun factor was cubed. Kids and adults were all smiles and the spotters were laughing hysterically at the mayhem that ensured. I HIGHLY recommend this approach to tubing if you have not tried it yet. We're going to borrow another and try three tubes the next time we are in Maine. Shame we can't legally do that here in NH.

SAMIAM · 08-05-2011, 11:17 AM

I hear ya' Dave.......I've got a Papparazzi tube which has room for 3......Two sitting and one standing and can only use it with two at a time.

Hermit Cover · 08-05-2011, 12:00 PM

It's amazing how far these guys will go in the name of "safety". Perhaps they should change the law to allow 3 grown adults in three tubes....all that weight banging off each other at 35 mph....I want a picture of that!

Dave R · 08-05-2011, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermit Cover

It's amazing how far these guys will go in the name of "safety". Perhaps they should change the law to allow 3 grown adults in three tubes....all that weight banging off each other at 35 mph....I want a picture of that!

Until you try it, you probably can't envision just how safe it is. The collisions between tubes are constant, but minor, because they are both going in the same general direction (I'd be shocked if the closing speed exceeded 4 MPH). Also, since everyone is basically riding on a big puffy airbag, the bumping is awfully soft. One of my best friends is 71 years old and he LOVES riding the tube with two being towed.

Loony Singer · 08-06-2011, 09:18 AM

Yup, double tubing is a barrel of laughs...we did it for years when our kids were still kids.

FYI, if you have two people on tubes, you need two spotters. We got stopped by Marine Patrol once and warned about this.

But there is one situation to be careful of, from our experience. We were out in a friend's boat with my son in one tube and his in the other. His son, who probably outweighed ours by 50%, was inside the wake and ours was outside. My buddy was at the helm, and he was an expert at making mayhem with the tubes. He took a sharp turn, sending his son careening outside the wake on the same side where my son was. One problem: the tube inside the wake sits higher than the one outside the wake. So when his son's tube came skidding across, it actually sliced across directly ABOVE the tube my son was in. Imagine a hundred pounds or so impacting the side of your head at a high rate of speed.

Somehow, my son saw the other tube coming across at him and ducked down, so the other tube went right over him and no harm was done. In fact, the kids thought it was hilarious. But we adults on the boat were scared serious in a hurry.

SAMIAM · 08-06-2011, 12:19 PM

Don't know for sure...but somewhere in my mind I seem to remember a law requiring the operator of the boat to wear a PFD or lanyard while towing a tube or skier......did I dream that or is it true??

Breakwater · 08-07-2011, 08:27 AM

More personal injury accidents are attributed to tubing than any other type of accident in NH over the years. Discovered that when researching accident data as it related to speeds.

#1 type of accident...damage while docking at public docks and groundings!

clipperqb · 08-07-2011, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Don't know for sure...but somewhere in my mind I seem to remember a law requiring the operator of the boat to wear a PFD or lanyard while towing a tube or skier......did I dream that or is it true??

I couldn't find that requirement in the NH boating law handbook. It only specifies that all persons being towed must wear a PFD.

sent from phone

08-05-2011, 12:00 PM	#3
Hermit Cover Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Hermit Cove Posts: 354 Thanks: 20 Thanked 68 Times in 40 Posts	Amazing It's amazing how far these guys will go in the name of "safety". Perhaps they should change the law to allow 3 grown adults in three tubes....all that weight banging off each other at 35 mph....I want a picture of that!

08-06-2011, 09:18 AM	#5
Loony Singer Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 109 Thanks: 28 Thanked 16 Times in 11 Posts	lotsa fun...but one word of caution! Yup, double tubing is a barrel of laughs...we did it for years when our kids were still kids. FYI, if you have two people on tubes, you need two spotters. We got stopped by Marine Patrol once and warned about this. But there is one situation to be careful of, from our experience. We were out in a friend's boat with my son in one tube and his in the other. His son, who probably outweighed ours by 50%, was inside the wake and ours was outside. My buddy was at the helm, and he was an expert at making mayhem with the tubes. He took a sharp turn, sending his son careening outside the wake on the same side where my son was. One problem: the tube inside the wake sits higher than the one outside the wake. So when his son's tube came skidding across, it actually sliced across directly ABOVE the tube my son was in. Imagine a hundred pounds or so impacting the side of your head at a high rate of speed. Somehow, my son saw the other tube coming across at him and ducked down, so the other tube went right over him and no harm was done. In fact, the kids thought it was hilarious. But we adults on the boat were scared serious in a hurry.

08-07-2011, 08:27 AM	#7
Breakwater Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 43 Thanks: 0 Thanked 57 Times in 16 Posts	#1 cause of accidents in NH More personal injury accidents are attributed to tubing than any other type of accident in NH over the years. Discovered that when researching accident data as it related to speeds. #1 type of accident...damage while docking at public docks and groundings!

08-05-2011, 07:23 AM	#1
Dave R Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 2,974 Thanks: 246 Thanked 736 Times in 438 Posts	Towing two tubes Bought a second O'Brien Super Screamer (a great product) a couple of weeks ago and started towing two tubes instead of one. The fun factor was cubed. Kids and adults were all smiles and the spotters were laughing hysterically at the mayhem that ensured. I HIGHLY recommend this approach to tubing if you have not tried it yet. We're going to borrow another and try three tubes the next time we are in Maine. Shame we can't legally do that here in NH.

08-05-2011, 11:17 AM	#2
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,836 Thanks: 326 Thanked 1,626 Times in 562 Posts	I hear ya' Dave.......I've got a Papparazzi tube which has room for 3......Two sitting and one standing and can only use it with two at a time.

08-06-2011, 12:19 PM	#6
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,836 Thanks: 326 Thanked 1,626 Times in 562 Posts	Don't know for sure...but somewhere in my mind I seem to remember a law requiring the operator of the boat to wear a PFD or lanyard while towing a tube or skier......did I dream that or is it true??