1993 SN, tubing off rear tow location

Nice Team Red Boat.

My lovely bride of 24 years is a Critical Care Trauma Flight Nurse. Each summer, they have to take the helicopter to pick up a victim of two on a tube or two tubes behind one boat. When the kids heads hit together at speed it is like two water melons hitting each other. Two summers ago, on Lake Norman, a doctor's 15 year old son was driving the boat pulling two tubes with his two younger brothers . The two boys on the tube hit heads. They were flying into the downtown Charlotte hospital talking to the emergency room doctor on the phone about how critical this one kid was. The doctor had no idea that his kids were on the lake that day. However, they were allowed to take the boat out alone. When they rolled the kid into the Emergency Room, the doctor noticed it was his son. Another doctor had to step in to start working on him. It made a bad scene even horribly worse. .

Tubing is one thing, but two tubers greatly raises the stakes.

Donald80SN wrote: Nice Team Red Boat. My lovely bride of 24 years is a Critical Care Trauma Flight Nurse. Each summer, they have to take the helicopter to pick up a victim of two on a tube or two tubes behind one boat. When the kids heads hit together at speed it is like two water melons hitting each other. Two summers ago, on Lake Norman, a doctor's 15 year old son was driving the boat pulling two tubes with his two younger brothers . The two boys on the tube hit heads. They were flying into the downtown Charlotte hospital talking to the emergency room doctor on the phone about how critical this one kid was. The doctor had no idea that his kids were on the lake that day. However, they were allowed to take the boat out alone. When they rolled the kid into the Emergency Room, the doctor noticed it was his son. Another doctor had to step in to start working on him. It made a bad scene even horribly worse. . Tubing is one thing, but two tubers greatly raises the stakes.

Donald, I have a few thoughts on your comments. Back in the mid 1970's I was a high level tuber, had many endorsement offers, for example from Acme Rubber Tube Patch and FinestKind Valve Stems. So, more seriously, we used a few different tractor tubes, stem down, rope tied on and protected by some old dungaree material. I prided myself on almost never being thrown off. Ok, I'm the same as everyone else here in all points of this story, but my point is this. We were behind a 40 HP, then a 50 HP, then a 70 HP outboard. That was it. Yes, we got going fast and whipped at scary speeds but with 3 or 4 in a boat and 50 HP there's only so much you can do.

On this thread we are talking about a 240 HP inboard ski boat pulling a tube. The mayhem and havoc are nearly unlimited if the driver wants it to be that way. On my boat I decided some years ago that I pull kids at modest speeds, smaller kids at low 20's, bigger at mid 20's to 30 max, whip them pretty good but don't begin to use the boat's real power. I see people cranking up 300 HP boats and if you whip someone hard starting at 36 mph you've got them exiting the tube at (I'm guessing) 50 plus mph. Lots of bad things can happen.

So, I'm a wimpy tubing driver, but everyone has fun and no casualties yet beyond water up the nose.

omg get a pair of skis already

All you need to do is Google "tubing accidents" and the shocking injuries and even deaths come up of the mindless activity. Notice I did not say "sport"!

Don't be dissatisfied. Your 1st response warned you what was going to happen. There's got to be some useful info in your thread. Have fun with your kids doing whatever you want to do. The good thing about Correct Crafts is they were built with those heavy duty lifting rings which are great for attaching all sorts of things to.

We only encountered two boats with skiers, and we promptly moved our stuff a lake away.   Trust me, if I had kids of my own (I am 52 and wife is 46, and we ain't starting now), they would learn to ski. I learned behind an early 70's Nautique on Yellow Birch lake in Eagle River in the late 70's. I have too many messed up cervical disks to start in on it my self these days.

And to answer the last question, no.

63 Skier wrote: [QUOTE=Donald80SN] Nice Team Red Boat. On this thread we are talking about a 240 HP inboard ski boat pulling a tube. The mayhem and havoc are nearly unlimited if the driver wants it to be that way. On my boat I decided some years ago that I pull kids at modest speeds, smaller kids at low 20's, bigger at mid 20's to 30 max, whip them pretty good but don't begin to use the boat's real power. I see people cranking up 300 HP boats and if you whip someone hard starting at 36 mph you've got them exiting the tube at (I'm guessing) 50 plus mph. Lots of bad things can happen.

I agree with your point here. I spent the last 10 days with lots of family on a boating vacation. 9 kids from 8 years to 23 years. Tubing age appropriate speeds and always head up watching what is happening on the tubes. Generally 20 - 25 mph for the older tubers; but, always conscience of the speed of the tube on turns and throttle control to slow that down. No teenage drivers and mayhem whips! No one gets hurt and everyone always has fun.

I have been towing kids in the tube this month from my extended pylon. It works well because the tube has less chance to submarine due to up-pull. The kids are so light that driver can control the ride better than when the rope is low and dragging in the water.

Anything can be dangererous. Always be careful with tubes. I think they are inherently more dangerous than skis. It's a little ironic.