4 Person Towable

[sastocky]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good 4-person towable.

I was looking at the Airhead Great Big Mable
Amazon

I also saw the HO 4G $389
Amazon

They all look awful to pack around all day…especially the Mable. Too many kids and need to get them on the water all at once. Just thought there may be some good examples and experience out there on this.

 

[sastocky]

Also, any experience with the “hot dogs” and “bananas”.

 

[buckbuck]

Unless you have a compelling reason I would suggest you not buy one. Our 3 person is a pain to handle after being in the water. We will go back to a 2 person Mable when this one dies. A 4 person just sounds incredibly difficult. Just be willing to accept that. Your pleasure of seeing 4 kids having fun may outweigh the struggle with the tube. So send pictures on what you decide.

 

[Babin Farms]

I agree with @buckbuck. We had a 3 person and it was only used on certain occasions because it was so big. We’d use it and when done take it back to the dock so we didn’t have to deal with it the rest of the day. We prefer the 2 person cockpit style due to the size and the riders sitting lower than the in the Mable.

 

[Be O Be]

I agree with @buckbuck. We had a 3 person and it was only used on certain occasions because it was so big. We’d use it and when done take it back to the dock so we didn’t have to deal with it the rest of the day. We prefer the 2 person cockpit style due to the size and the riders sitting lower than the in the Mable.

Yeah I had the 3 person also. Everything about it was a pain in the a**. It was like half the size of the boat when it was blown up. Went to the 2 person and it is a lot better for sure.

 

[Shookie]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good 4-person towable.

I was looking at the Airhead Great Big Mable
Amazon

I also saw the HO 4G $389
Amazon

They all look awful to pack around all day…especially the Mable. Too many kids and need to get them on the water all at once. Just thought there may be some good examples and experience out there on this.

I've got a 4 person tube you lay on, not the sitting style. My boys love having a ton of friends on the boat so it gets plenty of use. Something like this....

 

[Joshua Miller]

Get this.. Sportstuff Paparazzi




I have this and it fits way more than three people. It’s lasted about six seasons, needs aired back up after awhile but it was worth every penny. Sam’s Club also carries them and you may be able to get a good deal if you have one local.

I had one of the hot dog tubes but the bladder shifted inside the canvas and after that it would inflate lopsided and wouldn’t ride on plane.

 

[Joshua Castillo]

We had the mable. It will fit behind the driver seat on our 230. Only problem or complaint I have is they don't last long. About season and a half just over warranty. I've had at least 4 of the 4 seaters. The tube inside get hard and just cracks. We got a 3 seater as well. It is easier to handle etc. seems more nimble and a lot less stable. Think my kids still prefer the 4 seater

 

[Ronnie]

I have had and used a wide variety of tubes. At this point, we only always have tubes on the boat, no boards. Currently we have a 4 person Mable that can be towed from the front or the back, a four person disk that riders lay down Superman style on and a smaller 2 person disk that shaped so it can be steared, at least a little. none of these are difficult to control and all are easily put out of the way on the boat while inflated. I either let one sit on the swim platform and tie it to the tower or store it on top of the deployed bimini.

I stay away from the hot dog like tubes since I find them to unstable even in long, wide turns at slow speeds. I had two poparzzis (one was free, the other I took a huge loss on just to get rid of it), the tower collapsed with any weight on it so it was useless as handle to stabilize yourself on. It also sometimes subbed making it very hard to control the boat. I had a 6 person rock star tube once (imagine a hot dog centered on a flat piece of bread), that thing was awesome.

one thing to consider before going with a 4 + person tube is its that many people you have to watch out for which can be challenging if they all fall off but not at the same time, close together.

 

[gthorson]

Also, any experience with the “hot dogs” and “bananas”.

We have a large 5 person in-line towable. They are a blast. Lots of people and the style allows riders to have a more interactive ride vs just hang on as they can steer a little. Downsides: They can be tough to get onto. Also, crashes tend to have more injuries as the back riders go forward and hit the front riders. Side by side has less injury in my experience.

 

[drewkaree]

My favorite 4-person towable is my neighbor's. It's rarely used, so having him buy and store it is a great help. He has often volunteered to give it to me, but I like the current storage system for it. Our 3-person tube gets blown up on the water, and the Ryobi inflator we have can also deflate it in short order simply by swapping the nozzle to the intake hole (it's designed for that purpose). IF you plan on something other than the neighbor's, I'd suggest making sure you have an inflator that can be swapped to deflate as well. If you're in the neighborhood, there might be one available for free, but knowing my neighbor, he'd want you to pay him in beer so he could tell his wife he got an offer he couldn't refuse for it.

 

[Ronnie]

@drewkaree , I agree with everything you stated but don’t like it because I’m the neighbor that bought and stores the tube(s).

another practice I’ve found helpful is to have the tube riders, usually kids, haul the tube from the locker to the swim deck, inflate it, top it off if needed, deflate it and put it away, while I sit in the captain’s chair and supervise.

The things I do myself every time are limited to making sure everyone has the correct sized life vest on, connecting the tow line to the boat, designating the chicken / signal rider and assuring that they know the hand signals.

 

[Rodder77]

Airhead Mega slice (4 person) 100' diameter, very stable almost as wide as the beam of the boat, folds up nice to fit in the ski locker- best tube weve ever owned for kids and adults. Amazon ~$265 (going on the 4th season with it)

https://www.amazon.com/Airhead-Slice-Rider-Towable-Boating/dp/B01NAFVW1Z/ref=asc_df_B01NAFVW1Z/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3103047335008221650&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014927&hvtargid=pla-2281435178618&mcid=6384b645c28630399b0d34489835f381&hvocijid=3103047335008221650-B01NAFVW1Z-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1&th=1&psc=1

 

[Marvin willis]

 

[sastocky]

Against my better judgement. I bought the 4-Person Great Big Mable. This thing is huge. We will give it a shot. Might only get used a few times a year. Looking forward to getting it on the water Labor Day weekend.

 

[Ibeflyinhigh]

Anyone have a recommendation on a good 4-person towable.

I was looking at the Airhead Great Big Mable
Amazon

I also saw the HO 4G $389
Amazon

They all look awful to pack around all day…especially the Mable. Too many kids and need to get them on the water all at once. Just thought there may be some good examples and experience out there on this.

You can also get 2, 2 person mables to tow at the same time. It can be like bumper cars at times, which adds to the fun. I have a super Mable that holds 3 and it is difficult storing in the boat. Ski locker works best for us when tube is dry. After we're done on the lake we just fold it up in the cabin. Make sure to lay it out when you get home to properly air dry or you'll get musty mildew smell.