May 26, 2015 by , Pontoon Guide
Kids love few things more than getting flipped around the lake on a tube, but having the wrong tube can be a very negative experience for kids. I first started my kids out on a traditional donut-shaped tube that required them to lie down on their stomachs and hold on the ropes. That made the tube ride much scarier for them than it needed to be, and I’ve since learned that there are much better ways.
Older or more adventurous kids, however, prefer a towable that will give them a wild ride with more air, so they need a different tube.
I’ll share with you my favorite towable tubes, but first I want to share a few tips on choosing the right towable…
- If your kids are nervous about tubing at all, choose a tube where they can sit down on their bums rather than lying down
- Nervous kids will also do better on a tube that has two people on it so they can go with a sibling or friend
- If you plan to go fast and whip the boat around for more adventurous kids, please consider the dangers of multi-rider tubes. The risk is always increased when there is the possibility of heads smacking into each other.
- Get a tube with a good quick release. It’s no fun to have extra work when you’re trying to enjoy the day out on the boat.
- You’ll end up spending much more on your tubes over the years if you don’t have a high quality, high capacity pump! A regular air mattress pump will not work! If the tube is under inflated at all, it will wear out much faster. This is the pump I recommend.
- Even if your own kids are very confident in a tube, keep in mind that they will bring their friends and cousins who may be riding for the first time. Don’t get an adventurous tube and expect it to work for everyone.
- Don’t think you’ll buy one towable to use for every situation. It’s nice to have 2 or 3 towables in the garage so you can change things up to make it more fun for the kids, or to use a different towable if you’ll be bringing newer riders out with you.
- If your pontoon boat has issues getting up to speed when full of people and towing a tube, then I highly recommend buying a booster ball. I was skeptical before I bought mine if it would make much of a difference, but it was a HUGE improvement. The booster ball just gets the rope out of the water, and it was excellent for getting the rider outside the wake and going much quicker. So if you have a slower boat but want to use it for towing tubes as well, it’s a great buy. You can get one here.
I’ve broken down 15 of the most popular tubes available by my rating and which group of kids (little kids, intermediate, or more adventurous kids) they are best for…
5 Best Towable Tubes for Younger or More Timid Kids
Posted by Scott Freerksen “The Lake Guy”