Ski Tube Pictures: How To Tow An Inflatable Boat Tube

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SKI TUBE PICTURES: HOW TO TOW AN INFLATABLE
Action Photos Showing Techniques Used To Pull Towables

Now that you've readied your equipment and prepared your riders it's time to tube. This page contains several pictures that illustrate basic techniques for towing a water ski tube with your boat.

WARNING: Towing people behind boats is dangerous. There is risk of drowning, collision, propeller contact and injury from snapped rope. It is your responsibility to be aware of such risks and communicate them everyone aboard your boat.
This site is for general information purposes only. You must read the specific instructions provided with your towable and your boat. This information is provided on an as-is basis with no warranty regarding its accuracy, use or suitability for a specific purpose.

Note: This page contains several high resolution, large size photographs. These pictures were taken to be instructive and give you the best possible feel for tubing. As such this these pictures may take extra time to download, especially with a dial-up internet connection.

Ski Tube Towing Picture - Copyrighted

Picture of typical water ski tube pulling equipment in action. Note the yellow heavy duty tow harness immediately behind the tow boat. The harness is attached with closed end hooks to the boat's transom D-rings (tie down U-bolts.) The harness is 12 feet long. It easily clears the propeller area. The harness floats because it is constructed of nylon rope and includes a float.
Attached to the harness is a white/blue heavy duty ski tube tow rope. This particular tow rope is 60 feet in length. This allows riders plenty of smooth water between the boat's "V" wake.
Know your tube's maximum number of riders and weight limitations. Know the strength rating of your tow line and harness. Do not risk breaking and "whiplashing" your tow line by overloading it. Multi-rider tubes require special heavy duty towing line and a heavy duty tow harness.
To prevent CO poisoning, make sure your tow line is at lease 20 feet long. Carbon Monoxide is omitted by all engines. Riders who breath in exhaust fumes will get sick, pass out, suffer impaired judgment or become extremely fatigued.

Boat Tube Picture - Copyrighted

This photo was taken while towing a water ski tube at slow speed. When riding slowly it's important to keep the towable's nose up.
Your inflatable water toy should slow at the same rate rate your boat slows. Insure that the water tube isn't "sneaking up" on the boat when the boat slows or stops.
Make sure everyone aboard the tube and the tow boat understands hand signals. Hand signals are the only way you will be able to communicate.
When towing young children, drive the boat at slower speeds and use a shorter tow rope. Children under 6 should not ride any type of ski tube. Children older than 6 should only ride with careful supervision.

Boat Towable Picture - Copyrighted

This photograph shows a properly inflated tube being pulled across the water. Notice how it skims on the water's surface. This is how an inflatable should look when being towed at fast speeds.
Poorly inflated tubes sit low in the water and "plow." This creates resistance that strains the cover fabric and deforms the innertube (putting the tube at risk for damage.)
As seen here, the safest and easiest way to tow is to simply keep the towable directly behind your boat, in the "flat" area between your two wakes. The "flat" area is in the middle of the wake "V" pattern.
Be aware of riders' perception of speed. Once riders get off the boat and away from engine noise, their perception of speed will change. Riders may want to go faster than is safe.
Under normal conditions, a safe towing speed for adults is about 20 to 25 mph. Safe speeds for children are less than 20 mph, depending on the age and physical capability of the child.
Most towables will come up on plane at 10 to 25 mph, depending on the weight of the riders.

Water Toy Picture - Copyrighted

This pictures shows how riders can turn the tube by shifting weight to one side. Riders should remember that towable tubes have no brakes and no reliable steering mechanisms.
When crossing your boat's wake, keep in mind the "multiplying effect" that boat wakes can have one each other. A boat's wake is a sine wave moving through the water. When combined with another boat's wake (or naturally occurring swell or chop), the resulting wake can be the sum of the height of both wakes. This is the multiplying effect of naturally occurring sine waves.
For example say your boat makes a 2 foot tall wake while on plane. Another boat traveling next to you makes a 3 foot wake. At certain points the sine waves will meet and the resulting combined wake will be 5 feet tall!
This is critical for your riders. If a rider is used to jumping 2 foot wakes, a 5 foot wake will launch them much higher with much greater force. It is difficult to remain safely in control when this happens.
At least one family has been devastated by this effect. A boat towing children was traveling at a safe distance from nearby docks. Then two boats wakes combined. The children lost their grip as they were launched off the giant wake. They flew much farther and much faster because of the unusually large wake. They kids hit their heads on a dock (that under normal conditions was a safe distance away.) One died and one is permanently brain damaged.

Tube S-Turns Picture - Copyrighted

This picture show riders being towed at fast speed. They have moved "outside the wake" after a series of S Turns made by the tow boat. You can see the boat's path (S-Turns) by looking in the distance beyond the ski tube.
As seen here, the boat captain puts riders "outside the wake" by maneuvering the boat through a series of s-turns. The sharper the s-turns, the greater the lateral movement of the tube. Note that excessive speed or sharp turns can cause the tube to flip over abruptly.
If you are towing at fast speeds, note how the towable tube can move much faster than the boat. When moving in a straight line, the boat and tube move at the same speed. When a ski tube makes a sharp turn, tube speed can suddenly become twice that of the boat. For example, a boat towing at 15 MPH can easily have a towable moving 30 MPH from side-to-side. If you would like to know more about towing a tube at fast speeds, click here for some excellent information, including diagrams and a tow course.
At fast speeds, be aware of how Centrifugal Force affects your riders. Centrifugal Force is most apparent after a ski tube jumps a wake and makes a sharp turn to come back over a wake. Centrifugal Force acts on the rider during the turn, making it natural for the rider to fall off the tube away from the boat. This is known as the "slingshot effect." The boat captain has the responsibility to control boat speed, Centrifugal Force and the "slingshot effect."

If a rider falls off the water ski tube, pick them up immediately. Fallen passengers are not easily seen by other boats. The boat captain should slow down immediately. The observer should maintain visual contact with the fallen rider and provide directions to the boat captain. The observer should look for hand signals from the rider indicating that he/she is okay.
Move towards the fallen rider with the boat at slow speed. The boat should be pointed into the wind or current, whichever is stronger. Turn off engine and remove the ignition key when approaching the fallen rider.
If the rider is hurt but able to grab a rope, throw them a line and gently haul them in.
If the injured person can't grab a rope, let the boat drift towards them with the engine off. Always keep the boat operator's side toward the victim. Retrieve the rider from the water when your boat gets close. Put a swimmer in the water to retrieve the rider only as a last resort (you don't want to risk having to retrieve two people if you don't have to.)
Remember that it's much harder to retrieve people from the water than most people think. You may wish to practice this technique in advance of an emergency.

TOWABLE SKI TUBE MAINTENANCE
At the end of your day on the water, rinse down your towable with fresh water. If it's real dirty you can clean it with soap and water or mild detergent. Never use talcum powder or strong solvents. Once clean and dry your ski tube can be deflated and stored in a cool, dry area out of direct sunlight. To deflate, simply unscrew the entire valve from the base. Do not store a ski tube on the beach, dock or boat full of air! Heat will expand the air inside and cause over-inflation.
Avoid storing your deflated towable in places with extreme temperatures. Protect your ski tube from insects and rodents.
The bright colored fabric covers used on towables may bleed and fade when they get wet for the first time. When your tube is new, protect your boat's surfaces from possible staining.

Tube Tow Rope Picture - Copyrighted

Properly selecting and using the towable equipment helps insure a fun day on the water. Click here to see pictures basic water ski tube equipment and tow lines.

You've reached the last of several photo pages that illustrate water ski tube basics. From here you may:
Click here to start with the first ski tube photo page,
Click here to return to the ski tube tips home page.

RETURN TO
SKI TUBE INFORMATION HOME PAGE

WARNING: Towing people behind boats is dangerous. There is risk of drowning, collision, propeller contact and injury from snapped rope. It is your responsibility to be aware of such risks and communicate them everyone aboard your boat.
This site is for general information purposes only. You must read the specific instructions provided with your towable and your boat. This information is provided on an as-is basis with no warranty regarding its accuracy, use or suitability for a specific purpose.

WATER SKI TUBE PICTURES
This site features nearly two dozen instructive pictures of ski tube equipment and use. Click the links below to see these original photos:

    Ski Tube Tow Ropes And Tow Harnesses

    Ski Tube Valves & Inflation Tips

    Ski Tube Action Pictures: How To Tow Inflatable Water Toys

    Ski Tube Tips: Comprehensive Tips & Advice On Purchasing, Using and Maintaining A Towable

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