Towing Towables

[sysinu]

Nobody likes tubing behind the boat because the wake is too big so I have jet ski for pulling tubes and I use the boat for skiing and wake boarding

First time I've ever heard that said. The people I usually pull on tubes are 12+ Y/O most in the 16-21 Y/O range and they love getting air off a big wake. That said, I purchased a Mollecule tube (the 5 person one) and as I understand it just kind of blasts through wakes like they aren't even there.

 

[Julian]

Many tow tubes from the tower....I don't have one, but would probably tow from the tower if I had one.

 

[Marvin willis]

Growing up we weren't allowed in the tube unless you were prepared to be thrown out. For a while we had at least one person that had to go to the hospital every vacation. So now that I'm older I've wised up a little and try to give people a good ride but anytime I see danger ahead instead of speeding up ill slow down until it passes. It's better for my marriage if I slow down

 

[rkluck]

I have never had a problem pulling from the tower. The ride is much better. I add rope to get the riders behind the spray. Everyone likes the ride much better with the rope up high. The turns are much better and the wake is part of the fun. If the weight is large (three or more large adults -lots of weight) I have used the tow hook. I do check for any stress cracks or anything that may indicate an issue and have yet to see anything on the boat that would worry me even after four years. I also pull two skiers/wakeboards at the same time from the tower.

 

[Marvin willis]

This year on vacation I pulled my sisters 500 lb husband behind my jet ski and on the turns I had to slow down to 6 mph to keep him from flying out. The big ones are easy to throw. The only problem is getting them back on.

 

[Marvin willis]

We will call this a before and after pic

 

[rkluck]

500 is a lot of weight! I have never used those sit up kind of towables. Are they less stable than the regular kind? We recently started pulling multiple tubes at the same time sometimes with two people on them and everyone really likes that. They bump into each other and just adds another element of adventure!

 

[Marvin willis]

It's great. Very stable. It's like sitting on a air mattress with sides to hold you in. Most the people that I pull are 28-60+ and I can sling the hell out of them when it's not so ruff without them cartwheeling across the water. I have 3 other tubes both the big mable is what most people prefer

 

[rkluck]

Good to know thanks so much!

 

[sysinu]

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=HO-Sports-Molecule-3-Person-Towable-Tube&i=711058

Best tube for towing fat people! I don't tow too many fatties, but I got this because it's SO EASY to re-board and it's pretty stable. That and it tows really well requiring less gas.

 

[4x15mph]

That's the most expensive towable that I have seen so far but I also haven't seen anything like it. Looks cool

 

[Pewaukee Dave]

I will add that you should make certain the tow point on the stern is not loose. There are self locking nuts on the backside that will loosen up when towing tubes. Mine did and it caused cracks in the gelcoat. There is a suprising amount of clearance between the hole and the tow hook. I machined a SS esctucheon plate to center it and hold it tight. I also used a generous amount of sealant.

 

[maboat]

My tower came with a warning that it is not to be used with towables. If the tower comes down because of any stress point, it could be a disaster for anyone on the boat. If the boats that come equipped with a tower have any cautions, I would pay some attention to that.

Your profile says you have an LS model which didn't have a factory tower.
My boat has a factory tower and the warning sticker says 250lbs max but no restriction about tubes. I've been towing tubes from my factory tower for over 9 seasons and no problems at all. Funny, the newer factory towers are thicker but I think they do have a warning about tubes (not sure). All the more reason to keep my "Classic 230" and not go new

 

[KXCam22]

I would be worried about the FG at the tower mounts, not the tower. I have seen some non-yamaha boats where the FG mount area around the tower feet is mush. I think with some inspection a guy could tell early if damage is happening. Cam

 

[maboat]

The tower puts less stress on the boat than a single-mount tow point. The tower distributes the load across 4 mount points instead of all the force on one spot.

 

[96Pirate]

My tower came with a warning that it is not to be used with towables. If the tower comes down because of any stress point, it could be a disaster for anyone on the boat. If the boats that come equipped with a tower have any cautions, I would pay some attention to that.

I wonder why that is? Is there a difference in stress between a towable and a skier/wakeboarder? I would have thought a slalom skier would add the most stress carving out wide.

 

[96Pirate]

Growing up we weren't allowed in the tube unless you were prepared to be thrown out. For a while we had at least one person that had to go to the hospital every vacation. So now that I'm older I've wised up a little and try to give people a good ride but anytime I see danger ahead instead of speeding up ill slow down until it passes. It's better for my marriage if I slow down

Boy, you ain't kidding. I got the evil eye this past weekend for throwing my daughter out. She came out crying. I tried slowing down in time but a large cruiser was putting out a large wake and they just hit it awkwardly. Legs went up and she still held on until she flipped over. She ended up just being scared.

 

[maboat]

I wonder why that is? Is there a difference in stress between a towable and a skier/wakeboarder? I would have thought a slalom skier would add the most stress carving out wide.

Its because a skier will (should) let go of the rope when something is wrong. A towable device can't let go of the rope if it gets in danger or entangled.

Towing per se is not the problem. Its a caution for when something goes wrong with a towable, like going submarine or wrapping around a buoy or other unfriendly object. The towable can't let go of the rope like a skier can.

 

[96Pirate]

Its because a skier will (should) let go of the rope when something is wrong. A towable device can't let go of the rope if it gets in danger or entangled.

Towing per se is not the problem. Its a caution for when something goes wrong with a towable, like going submarine or wrapping around a buoy or other unfriendly object. The towable can't let go of the rope like a skier can.

Ahh ha! Thanks for the knowledge transfer!

 

[KXCam22]

This pic was on the way up. The ending was not pretty. On my large diameter towing ropes I use a short section of weak rope that is intended to break if something happens. In our first season I learned that if you do a full lock turn, full acceleration from stop pulling a 3-man tube, you can generate enough G forces to break a normal tube rope quickly. Not a good thing. That got me thinking. Also had an instance where the 3-man tube submarined and my weak-link rope broke. I was towing from the tow point. The full lock turn thing got me as I didn't understand what I was doing wrong at first. Cam.