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Should I Cave....It's about a Tube


luvtheBU

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Argue.gif Last night we hit the river at about 7:45 pm with 7 kids, (not including the baby) and the only one who could get up and have a little fun was my P.I.T.A. I told them on the dock that we weren't bringing the dang tube. Well the whole 2 hours was spent trying to get the others up and listening to how we should've brought the tube. If we have a whole day that's one thing but "dang". It was so funny they were trying to get me to bring it at the dock so as we were waiting to launch I guess they went up to this guy that had a tube on his boat and was pulling out and they asked him if our boat looked like a tubing boat and he says "Yeah your Mom's just being snooty." I am not snooty I am safe I told them that tubing is dangerous, these kids want to tie the rope to the tower??? Has anyone ever done that and is it safe??? Sideline to that little comment as this "tuber is pulling his boat out of the water he forgets to raise his engine and I am hearing metal grinding on pavement as he is barrelling away, I holler at him "Hey your skag is dragging on the concrete." He stops and then continues to drag on...Duh I was hollering and the kids were chasing him. Anyways should I cave and let them bring it??? Where do I store the dang thing??? Can I tie it to the top of my tower??? Should I let them connect the tow rope to the wakeboard tower??? Help...I want the friends to have fun but I don't want to be dangerous.
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How a boat is operated determines whether or not it's a Wally Boat, not what the boat is or what it's towing. (Notice I said Wally Boat, not tubing boat.) I've seen plenty of operators of $75k wakeboarding boats that more than meet the qualification of Class A Wally. Contrary to what some may think, you can tow a tube safely & you can do it with some semblance of etiquette to other boaters.

I would argue that towing from the tower may be safer because of the technique involved. Most people think that you need a high speed whip to give a rider a good time. With a tower it's a little harder to achieve that, but what you can do is get them to the inside of the wake (DO NOT let slack fall into the line, if you do back off until the rope comes tight & start again), goose the throttle a little as they're coming across the big wake that you just built. This allows you to tow them at a slower speed, & it still gives them a good ride. A good tube ride is all about good throttle control, not whipping the daylights out of them. Remember, be safe. If you ever see slack go into the line, back off until it comes tight again. Be courteous to other boaters & don't head toward the glassy area of the river, but I'm guessing that you know that already. :)

As far as storing it goes, get yourself a carabiner or a quick release hook of some sort, & hook it to one of the transom eyes or the grab rail (one of the eyes is better because it's more out of the way). This gives you quick access to it without having to deflate/inflate between using the skinny stick or wakeboards. Tubing can be a great way of bridging the gap for some people.

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Get an instructional video and watch it over and over. Wakeboarding is just about as easy as tubing it's just a matter of knowing how to describe to the potential rider how to do it in terms that they understand. I got a kid up last summer that said he had tried to wakeboard a dozen times before and had never gotten up. I explained the "get-up" and how it should feel and he was up on his second attempt. I would go so far as to say that, 9 times out of 10, if a boarder doesn't get up it's on the driver/instructor.

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Get an instructional video and watch it over and over. Wakeboarding is just about as easy as tubing it's just a matter of knowing how to describe to the potential rider how to do it in terms that they understand. I got a kid up last summer that said he had tried to wakeboard a dozen times before and had never gotten up. I explained the "get-up" and how it should feel and he was up on his second attempt. I would go so far as to say that, 9 times out of 10, if a boarder doesn't get up it's on the driver/instructor.

Well I am not a wakeboarder....yet, I plan to learn as soon as I get someone I trust to drive, so I am not giving to much instruction what I did say was what I learned when I deep water started slalom and that was to pretend you are sitting in a chair keep your butt down and your elbows to your gut and don't straighten your arms let the boat pull you up. I will find a video that is probably the prob.

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Tell the rider that when they are ready to go they should be in a position similar to sitting in a school chair with it tipped back leaning against the wall. When the boat takes off it should feel like the "chair" is tipping forward to put all four feet back on the ground. I always instruct to have their arms to the outsides of the knees, arms straight. Bent arms lead to them fighting the boat and usually standing up too early. Tell them that they should feel their body come up out of the water before they stand up. Once they feel that, stand up and turn the board so that one end (whichever they prefer) is pointed toward the boat.

Also, be careful telling riders to "lean back". It's more "lean away from the boat". If they lean back while standing sideways they will fall...or turn really fast. :lol:

Good luck. Keep us posted.

You might also search on the word "teach" and/or "teaching" as this topic has come up before.

Edited by NorCaliBu
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To me its all about fun, we dont tube. But if the kids wanna tube ,,, let em tube. Be a much better time for everyone i would think. Maybe you should let them try surfing, just a thought.

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Awwhuhhh so elbows in and lean back wrong gotcha, I am being convinced to go to the lake tonight, (I hate our lake lots of waves) so along with chili dipping the boat some more and freezin my arss off I am sure they will get the hang of it. I will also check out the instructional video. I'm sure I will let them tube I don't worry on the lake there's a little more area to run in.

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How a boat is operated determines whether or not it's a Wally Boat, not what the boat is or what it's towing. (Notice I said Wally Boat, not tubing boat.) I've seen plenty of operators of $75k wakeboarding boats that more than meet the qualification of Class A Wally. Contrary to what some may think, you can tow a tube safely & you can do it with some semblance of etiquette to other boaters.

I would argue that towing from the tower may be safer because of the technique involved. Most people think that you need a high speed whip to give a rider a good time. With a tower it's a little harder to achieve that, but what you can do is get them to the inside of the wake (DO NOT let slack fall into the line, if you do back off until the rope comes tight & start again), goose the throttle a little as they're coming across the big wake that you just built. This allows you to tow them at a slower speed, & it still gives them a good ride. A good tube ride is all about good throttle control, not whipping the daylights out of them. Remember, be safe. If you ever see slack go into the line, back off until it comes tight again. Be courteous to other boaters & don't head toward the glassy area of the river, but I'm guessing that you know that already. :)

As far as storing it goes, get yourself a carabiner or a quick release hook of some sort, & hook it to one of the transom eyes or the grab rail (one of the eyes is better because it's more out of the way). This gives you quick access to it without having to deflate/inflate between using the skinny stick or wakeboards. Tubing can be a great way of bridging the gap for some people.

Cool so towing from the tower isn't a death sentance because I have a fearless child and I do not really want to be heading to the ER if he does something stupid. I will remeber no slack tow slow equals big ol wake. :thankyou:

Edited by luvtheBU
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Get an instructional video and watch it over and over. Wakeboarding is just about as easy as tubing it's just a matter of knowing how to describe to the potential rider how to do it in terms that they understand. I got a kid up last summer that said he had tried to wakeboard a dozen times before and had never gotten up. I explained the "get-up" and how it should feel and he was up on his second attempt. I would go so far as to say that, 9 times out of 10, if a boarder doesn't get up it's on the driver/instructor.

Well I am not a wakeboarder....yet, I plan to learn as soon as I get someone I trust to drive, so I am not giving to much instruction what I did say was what I learned when I deep water started slalom and that was to pretend you are sitting in a chair keep your butt down and your elbows to your gut and don't straighten your arms let the boat pull you up. I will find a video that is probably the prob.

If you're not a wakeboarder and you're doing the driving I can almost guarantee that the other kids aren't getting up because you are pulling them to hard. I'm not criticizing here, I've done this myself. When we switch from slalom to wakeboarding my wife always yells to me from the water... remember I'm wakeboarding now. Your child can probably do it because they have the technique and could get up no matter what the driver does. I know that most of my family is this way now.

A wakeboarding start is very little throttle until the board is on the surface of the water. I'll lay odds that either the handle is getting ripped out of their hands or once they are even slightly out of the water they are being yanked over the front of the board.

With that said, this is what we do. The kids have to try a "real" water sport before they can tube. Once they try (whether or not they succeed) they can tube. The reason we do this is that tubing actually makes the kids tired (fatigued) enough that if they tube first it has drained enought of their strength that they will never be successful on a ski or wakeboard.

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Get an instructional video and watch it over and over. Wakeboarding is just about as easy as tubing it's just a matter of knowing how to describe to the potential rider how to do it in terms that they understand. I got a kid up last summer that said he had tried to wakeboard a dozen times before and had never gotten up. I explained the "get-up" and how it should feel and he was up on his second attempt. I would go so far as to say that, 9 times out of 10, if a boarder doesn't get up it's on the driver/instructor.

Well I am not a wakeboarder....yet, I plan to learn as soon as I get someone I trust to drive, so I am not giving to much instruction what I did say was what I learned when I deep water started slalom and that was to pretend you are sitting in a chair keep your butt down and your elbows to your gut and don't straighten your arms let the boat pull you up. I will find a video that is probably the prob.

If you're not a wakeboarder and you're doing the driving I can almost guarantee that the other kids aren't getting up because you are pulling them to hard. I'm not criticizing here, I've done this myself. When we switch from slalom to wakeboarding my wife always yells to me from the water... remember I'm wakeboarding now. Your child can probably do it because they have the technique and could get up no matter what the driver does. I know that most of my family is this way now.

A wakeboarding start is very little throttle until the board is on the surface of the water. I'll lay odds that either the handle is getting ripped out of their hands or once they are even slightly out of the water they are being yanked over the front of the board.

With that said, this is what we do. The kids have to try a "real" water sport before they can tube. Once they try (whether or not they succeed) they can tube. The reason we do this is that tubing actually makes the kids tired (fatigued) enough that if they tube first it has drained enought of their strength that they will never be successful on a ski or wakeboard.

Oops.gif Yep...I'm guilty I always put my elbow on the armrest and push the throttle down till it hits about 20 to 25 mph for just seconds to pop them up which my son and one of his friends always pop right up then I back it down slowly to about 16 to 18 depending on the thumbs up or down. So how easy should I throttle it up? Just gradually? The engine does sound pretty low in those videos. I'm probably just killing his friends, I'll work on that tonight at the river. Boy do I feel bad...poor kids!!

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Get a tower-mount boom to teach those kids how to get up on skis, wakeboards, etc. Don't cave! :)

Hey I do have a boom, I got it with the boat. I have no idea how to use it. I will look on youtube. I didn't know you could use that to teach a wakeboarder. Why does it make it easier just out of curiousity?

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....

A wakeboarding start is very little throttle until the board is on the surface of the water. I'll lay odds that either the handle is getting ripped out of their hands or once they are even slightly out of the water they are being yanked over the front of the board.

Unless you are 225 and impatient, then its throttle down. I want to be up as quick as possible :lol:

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Here's how to teach using a boom.

One thing I gotta say is, if the boom came with the boat and you really don't know how to install it, use it, and drive with it, get someone to show you.
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I personally prefer tying tow rope to back of the boat. Now when my kids were smaller we always seemed to force them to wakeboard because that's what "we" wanted to do, so thus the kids weren't having any fun and later stopped wanting to come on the boat, so if that's what brings them fun on the water, "tube"! Now I am not a fan of tubing, but wished I had allowed it more and maybe they would have had more fun on the water and started wakeboarding more later. So enjoy your kids while you can! Just my two cents!

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Let them tube, it's about having fun.

I would not do it from the tower, lots of load when a big tube is being pulled through the water...

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MalibuNation

Here's a good post on getting up on a wakeboard. Of course it's good I started it ... back when I was a wally trying to get up Whistling.gif

Gettin' Up

I've also put it in Word and cleaned it up a bit - if you or anyone else wants it ... pm me with your email address.

Edited by MalibuNation
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Let em tube...I spent the weekend in 65 degree weather and lots of rain...not exactly nice weather for skiing and boarding so why not let the kids tube. Plus, we sure as hell weren't pissing anyone off since we were the only boat on the water, well except for the warden...another story.

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Remember its all about having fun, if they want to tube let em. I tow the tube from the ski pylon, not the tower. I will not break out the tube until everyone is done wakeboarding.

As far as getting up, our kids range from 50 to 90 lbs and I can tell you I use very litle throttle for them and they pop right up (I doubt I even get past 1/4 throttle, maybe 1/2 for the 90 pounders). Even the wife at 115 pops up quick with only moderate throttle. Also, the increse in throttle is very smooth, never goose it. For beginners I believe slower is always better, allows them to obtain the feel of being dragged in the water and coming up on plain with greater control.

I'm at 185 lbs and I like the throttle hammered, but I'm not a beginner either.

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Also, once they do get up you will want to go slow until they get more experienced. I use to tow my kids at about 15-16 MPH but recently even slowed to about 13, at 15-16 the wake is antimidating to them but at 13 it is mostly washed out and they are able to get outside the wake with less fear. I do the same with the wife.

I ride anywhere between 19 and 23 MPH, depending on what I am tring to accomplish for that particular run and depending on what rope length I am riding at. I go faster if I am riding with longer rope for sure and I go slower if I am trying new surface tricks that might result in catching an edge.

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I read some of the above, and this may have been touched on. If you can teach them to get up on a board, ski, skate, surf then do that try to avoid the tube at all cost but thats just me. As far as getting some one up on a wakeboard its easy. This is how I teach people to get up and it never really fails. Have them sit on there butt with their knees bent out in front of them. Take the handle in your hands (both hands) and put it out in front of you. The inside of your elbows will be on the outside of your knees. By doing this it keeps your upper body slighly behind the board. Here is the big one allow the board to go about 6" or so under the water and keep it at about a 30 - 40 degree angle. This can't be done until the boat is dragging you slightly. So the boat driver is key on this maybe 1-2 miles or slower just enough tension to allow the board to creep under the water and it allows your butt to come up to the back of your legs. Once they look like they're in the right position just roll into the throttle nice and easy. If you hammer it you will more than likely snap the handle out of their hands. You can ride around in the knealing position for a long time!!! Once the board is planning then pull the handle to either your right or left hip the board and boat will do the rest. More than likely this part will happen on it's own. Just remember to keep a little heel pressure and keep the handle relatively low to your hips because the rope is your center of gravity. If it is high you risk the chance of a face plant! One other thing once their up, you don't have to be doing 18-19 miles an hour immediately, have them work up to it start at 10-15 and gradually get higher as they look more comfortable.

Good luck and if all else fails just go enjoy the water with the tube but drive in a straight line, I know no fun.

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Let them tube as long as they try to wakeboard or ski first. Remember it is about having fun so they want to continue to get out on the water.

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