240SD towing Tube/Skier

Correct! Much easy to pull a tube. May want to go out and play with it some. Throw a ball out in the water to practice the getting back to them and pulling the tube to them when they fall off. Some of the tubes are very hard to get back on in deep water. May have to have them get on the swim platform then on the tube.
 
I'm thinking most of the times when I'm pulling the tubes I'm in the low/mid 20+-MPH range. Not sure since most of the times it is a "feel" not a set speed. You would be amazed how fast they go when you put them into a whip turn. Great fun taking my daughters boyfriends on them. (Grin)
 
chuck1 said:
I'm thinking most of the times when I'm pulling the tubes I'm in the low/mid 20+-MPH range. Not sure since most of the times it is a "feel" not a set speed. You would be amazed how fast they go when you put them into a whip turn. Great fun taking my daughters boyfriends on them. (Grin)
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Ok another question reguarding them getting on the swim platform. It may seem like a obvious answer but I'm going to guess once I get close to them where they can get to the swim platform engine should not only be in nuteral but should be OFF.

The only reason I ask this is the Start/Stop wear on the engine/starter. Obviously a starter can be replaced but a limb chopped off by a prop can't but I figured I'd ask anyways.

Thanks for all the great info.
 
I don't think I'm going to answer that one. The politically correct answer would be turn it off.
 
We always use the tow eye to tow our tube. It's not a huge tube, but it will hold 2-3 kids or 2 adults. We've never had a problem using the tow eye with our current boat or our previous boat which had the same tow eye/bar.

We don't gun it when starting out with the tube. We just gently accelerate up speed. I'll pull young kids that might be a little frightened at 10-15 mph which means the boat is not on plane. Those who want a wild ride (or those that I feel should have a wild ride) will see 20-25 mph with lots of wake jumps, S-turns, and tight circles.

Once your boat and tube are up on plane, the tube creates little drag, so you could, in theory, go just about as fast as you could without the tube. It might not be safe to go 45 mph with the tube, but you could.

I ALWAYS cut the engine off before anyone gets close to the outdrive. Yes, it's a little more wear and tear on the starter and battery, but I'd much rather have a starter or battery problem than deal with even the remote possibility of loss of life or limb. A young teenager lost her leg on one of our local lakes last year to a propeller, and that's not something I ever want to be involved with.

Have fun!
 
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Absolutely cut the engine off when someone gets close to the boat.

Just think, your car starter now days can last for about 100,000 miles, no issues.

Think about how many times you stop and start your car during a week, you probably don't stop and start your boat that many times over a weekend. You should be able to due this for years without incident.

Always better to be safe first.
 
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:wow: looks what I've gone and started

I had planned on turning it off I justed wanted to see if there was anyone that actually left it on.
 
also...when I'm on a slalom I like to be towed at about 28 mph...so what I do it look at the tack gauge to see what it reads at 28 mph and have my wife use that as a gauge instead of the mph gauge because there is always some lag in the mph guage and I feel the tack guage is much more accurate
 
When starting out with people on the tubes, make sure you have them lean back some, and you want to accelerate at a decent pace or you will be towing a submarine :grin: DAMHIKT.

I have pictures of a little one I was towing years ago. Before starting we told him to hold on tight. Trying to be nice I was taking off slow, then he leaned forward. Well I glanced forward to make sure all was well, then when looking back to check the tube, he was completely underwater, tube and all (holding on tight as instructed). I let off the gas immediately and he popped right back out of the water. Expecting to hear screams (from him, and his parents in the boat) but was surprised by his giggling and asking that we do it again. Needless to say, we asked that he "lean" back from now on.

-Ryan
 
One thing I would caution you on if you are new at pulling tubes. The tuber is entirely at your mercy so be carefull until you learn how to control the tube. Go slowly at first so you don't endanger anyone. Come up with a good hand set of hand signals for the tuber to use so you will know whether to slow down, speed up, or stop. Without hand signals the tuber has no way of telling you what they want you to do. When you advance to the point of swinging tubes out to the side be very carefull of how hard and wide you swing them. Also watch for waves. If your boat is bouncing over the waves the tuber will bounce too and may fly off. So slow down when that happens. Tubing is great fun but it can also be very dangerous if not done properly.
 
(1) I usually go into neutral, but y'all have convinced me to cut the engine. I have a carb (1992), so the restart is sometimes a pain, but why take the risk, you're right.

(2) I always accel over about 10 seconds just to make sure I don't strain/overheat the engine.

(3) I've found if you do a 'circle' (to cross your own wake and add some fun) but do it at slow speed, you can set up some standing waves and get the same 'submarine' effect. Make sure your tuber does NOT wedge their knees into the bottom of the tube- EVER! Use the handholds only!

(4) Most tube instructions say 15-20 mph only. I try not to go over 20.

(5) If you haven't bought the tow rope yet, some have a short (2') length of bungee cord at the end to take off the tight jerks.

(6) If you really want to toss them off, go in slow S-curves to whip them far out left/right (don't do with other boats around), then once you have that going, do a 180 and cross your own wake. Tosses them every time if you keep the throttle up. (grin).
 
I also want to add that I use a 'skier down' orange flag with tubes and toys as well as wakeboards or skiis.... Our lake isn't usually that busy but it's just another one of those issues of I'd rather be safe and give a good heads up ( specailly waverunners ) Plus it's just a good habit and teaches the grandkids safety early in life.
 
Larry&Leisa said:
I also want to add that I use a 'skier down' orange flag with tubes and toys as well as wakeboards or skiis.... Our lake isn't usually that busy but it's just another one of those issues of I'd rather be safe and give a good heads up ( specailly waverunners ) Plus it's just a good habit and teaches the grandkids safety early in life.
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I've actually never seen this done so I'm really not sure what your saying. Is it a flag you wave, throw in the water???
 
Dave_S brought up some good points. You can get hurt with a tube. The slack in the rope is very dangerous when starting. I go a fast idle when starting to make sure the slack is gone then depending on the weight or age I will speed up accordingly. Just doing S turns will keep the kids happy. Be careful with sharp turns - I thought I heard that when you whip the tube that the tude speed is double the boat. I don't like boaters following me nor do I follow close by when someone is being pulled. Its too easy to have a near miss if the person falls off the tube.

Just start out slow and be careful. You just need some practice or have a friend show you.
 
An orange flag on the boat signals that you are towing a tuber/skier and therefore have 1) a human riding a good distance behind your boat and 2) restricted maneuverability. Other boats need to be aware of both issues!

This is like the "black ball" you are supposed to fly when anchored in daylight. I have NEVER seen anyone fly the "black ball", but people in my area routinely use the orange flag. They cost like $10, and come with a stick and suction cup for mounting.

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As for shutting off the engine. . . . 'ya think?

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If you have carbs and trouble restarting. . . you need to get the carbs fixed! I have carbs, and only have an issue on the first start of the weekend (takes 10 seconds of cranking)

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I have towed tubers. But always at 25mph+. My boat don't run between 12mph and 25mph. Between 9mph and 12mph, it is plowing pretty severely. At 25mph, the stern is REALLY trying to sink down and drag the boat off of plane.
 
When I, or others that pilot the boats in our groups, pull tubes, lot epends on the age of the person gettin on. Little ones get a nice slow ride around the lake inside the wake. about 9 -12 get to choose what kind of ride they want, but even if they ask for a wild one its pretty much just some slow curves, enough to toss them over the wake a bit, but not over 12mph I would guess. No the Teenagers, they get what ever they ask for. 20-25mph, lots of whips out of the wake and rides over cross wake. Unless they ask for a more subtle ride.

As far as starting off, yes, pull rop tight at idle speed, then give a smooth throttle up to get going. The rest depends a lot on your boat and engine as to what you have to do to gie the rider the ride they want. I spend most of my time messing with the trim to maintain speed in corners and straights more than having to mess with the throttle, my buddys 4cyl bayliner is lighter and has less power, he has to use more throttle and less trim.

Though, for most of us adults, and out orlde children the fun is trying to hang on for a rough/wild ride. We mainly only do this later in the evening with the lake pretty much empty and in a cove off the main channel that is pretty open. Actually its two ajoining coves off the main channel that are open and deep.

Always safety first. When pulling have a spotter so you can concentrate on manuevering the boat and avoiding the other boats. If you are using a 60' rope, you have to remember that now your 20' boat is taking up 80' of length and about 30' of width (or more) that you have to keep safely from anythign else in the water.
 
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