Was looking at getting a tube for towing my kids around the lake this summer. There seems to be alot out there to choose from. What do you guys think is good for towing young kids around. My kids are 5 and 9.
Keep in mind i will not be towing them during prime fishing times or areas. 
I was just talking to my kid (12 yrs.) about that. He prefers the ones that have the “HOLE” in them. Like a regular tube except it has a bottom on it. He say’s it’s too hard to hang onto the others where there flat on top.
I have a few tubes and do agree, the large flat ones are harder to hold on to if the driver is aggressive and swings the tube from side to side. If the driver is mellow and doesn’t turn as sharp the large flat tubes are real comfortable and fun for 2-3 kids or 2 adults. The smaller, traditional tubes with the “hole” and bottom fabric are fun for young kids as they can sit inside, they feel more secure. The photo is this style, my 6yo nephews first time tubing, he felt secure, had a blast! Great style for getting young kids started. Check out Sportsstuff. I have a few of their tubes, good quality and a fair price.
BIRDDOG
I do not have a suggestion just a “Damn people can be stupid” story.
we were on pool 4 on Memorial weekend. In a back channel with pretty good current we were next to a person pulling 2 9ish year old girls. As they were pulling up to their dock the girls accidentally flipped the tube. No one in the boat saw this as they were negotiating the dock. One girl was trapped under the tube and the other was loosing ground because of the current. I would say that neither were in great danger but they were beginning to panic when I took the boat over and picked them up.
I also saw several YOUNG kids on tubes in the main channel. Now the wind was pushing up 3footers and all the traffic over the weekend was really pushing some monsters. With all the traffic, current and high waves if one went over the side they could easily be struck by someone who really could not see them until it was to late.
Some peoples Parents! 
Get the “MABLE”………you sit in it like a recliner. It is a blast!!!!! Yet is is also very stable to, for the younger kids!!!!!
They pull nice and you can get some good speed due to the loew drag…….Even pulled my big 
up to 45 mph…….you do kinda “skip” across the water a little when you crash, but it is a riot!!!!
My buddy’s 9 year old wants to go tubeing. Do you think a 50hp would pull a smaller tube good?
Mike,
I am only going to say this once so listen up.
I agree with Birddog and Chappy 
The tube with the bottom is secure and fun. If you can get them to sit Indian style in it, their center of gravity is lower so less chance of falling out.
Ron
Quote:
My buddy’s 9 year old wants to go tubeing. Do you think a 50hp would pull a smaller tube good?
It shouldn’t be a problem. The hardest part will be getting the tube on plane. Once it’s out of the water, they’re not that much work to tow, especially with a kid on them. You don’t want to drag them that fast, anyways. We had a 125 on a Skeeter that had a heck of a time popping my buddy and I out of the water (okay, 2 tubes with 2 guys who were college defensive linemen is a lot of weight), but as soon as we got planed out, it was no problem.
I like the regular tube (hole in the middle, with the bottom covered with canvas). I’ve done a lot of this, but haven’t tried some of the newer styles, yet. The most durable and comfortable tube I’ve been on is the Le Tube. I think it’s made by O’Brien.
Once you get the hang of it, you can do some pretty fun things. I’d like to try the Big Mable, but they’re pricey. I’m thinking of trying the Sumo Tube this summer. It looks like a blast.
I just bought one for $30 at Wal-mart. So far no problem, it pulls my kids (12 and 14) up on plane right away.
I’d like to try one of those inflatables that flies! That looks fun.
I can not believe how stupid some people are, one thing I would never do is tow kids on the river on the weekend or anytime for them matter just to many things that can go wrong, the main problem in my mind is kids and current not a good idea. I will stick to the small lakes on a week day when taking kids tubing.
Quote:
I do not have a suggestion just a “Damn people can be stupid” story.
we were on pool 4 on Memorial weekend. In a back channel with pretty good current we were next to a person pulling 2 9ish year old girls. As they were pulling up to their dock the girls accidentally flipped the tube. No one in the boat saw this as they were negotiating the dock. One girl was trapped under the tube and the other was loosing ground because of the current. I would say that neither were in great danger but they were beginning to panic when I took the boat over and picked them up.
I also saw several YOUNG kids on tubes in the main channel. Now the wind was pushing up 3footers and all the traffic over the weekend was really pushing some monsters. With all the traffic, current and high waves if one went over the side they could easily be struck by someone who really could not see them until it was to late.
Some peoples Parents!
I picked up a tube at FF with a skirt on it, hence a bottom for the kids to sit in. It’s not a big tube so you have to sit back on it or it starts to nose down and drag i think it was around $40.
Kids current and weekends DO NOT MIX.
I was just boating around the Kinni on Friday and in the no wake zone there was a guy pulling his kids on a tube.
There was a lot of traffic, Houseboats, cruisers, personal watercraft The channel narrows there so it’s like a two lane
HWY.
I asked my wife why? Why would you put your kids in harms way like that?
Yeah, Fleet Farm has 20% off all of their towables now, so you can get a good price on them.
I recently bought the “Sumo Tube” due to their sale price. If you’ve never seen one, think of a big, inflatable tank top that fits over you (head hole and two arm holes). Then, you lay on your belly and hold a ski rope and get dragged around. It’s pretty fun, but I would not recommend it for kids. Teenagers/young adults that are daring, though, will get a kick out of it.
I saw some flying tube thing in Scheels a few weeks ago. The thing is about 8′ across. you get up to speed and it flies in the air. A friend of mine has one and I want to take it for a spin. Looks fun as all can be… 
Plus now it the time to buy.
You know that hurt !!!
Yep that is the thing I was talking about. I think it would be fun anyway…but I’m a [censored]
“It left Kladivo face down in the water with a ruptured aorta and two collapsed lungs.”
Thats a little extreem for me
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