I see that most all makers of wakeboard towers or ski pylons all say "not for inflatables"..... are they afraid of their product breaking apart? or the mounting brackets of the tower being riped out of the boats fiberglass,, what are some of the real reasons for not recomending towables from a wakeboard tower?
The reason is that the elevated tow point of the Tower will lift the tube off the water and cause potential injury to the tube riders whom are usually children . Obviously a prudent boat operator can do it safely . Tom Foley... posting from Claytons puter on big Pine Key .:thumbsup:
It is a lot of fun! Just be careful when pulling the not so daring! :cheers:
Inflatable??? LMAO a guy I worked for fat Leonard decided to go water skiing one day anyway he got some sucker with a inflatable to pull him and with the Whale on the tow rope they pulled and pulled anyway Leonard was not getting up on the skies he got tired instead and just let go of the Tow line which the deformed inflatable now freed of the burden shot out from under the driver like a huge rubber band. I would be careful of anything that would have a mechanical advantage like rope tied to an elevated tower on an inflatable.
I think we talking about a boat-fiberglass-with an ACME install it yourself wake board tower. And it says on the directions DO NOT TOW INFLATABLES. Because your Bayliner, Glastron, whatever, will tear out some ugly holes when the tower rips off becouse the Big Bertha you were towing flipped over and tried to submarine. Some of these tubes hold 4, 5, 6, people and need a 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 pound rated tow rope. If the boat manufacturer will not warranty a tower installation, they do not install one at the factory, or void everything if you put one on, find somebody that has put one your exact model. Stick to skis and wake boards.
Backfire ;)
I have seen the ski pylons bend on ranger boats and they are solid aluminum. Towing tubes puts huge stress loads on the boat and whatever it's attatched to.
We had a guy that tore the rear 2 cleats out of the boat, he was trying to tow tubes from them, it didn't work.
Tubing loads can be a lot higher. I only tow tubes from the transom eyes, never with my pylon. I know a guy who has repaired a lot of boats due to pylons pulling out while tubing.
Tubes pull a lot more compared to a skier or wakeboarder. I've broken a couple ski ropes using them to pull double tubes. I wouldn't use the pylons to pull tubes!
It's not so much the load of the tube, as it is the force the tube exerts once the rider is thrown off and the tube lands upside down, causing it to make a suction immediately, therefore acting like a gigantic anchor yanking on the pylon.
Couple of good reasons have been grought up here.
1. The lift it provides on the tube being dangerous to riders.
2. The added force to the fiberglass.
3. What hasn't been mentioned is the added force actually being enough to pull a boat over onto it's side unlike a wakeboarder doing so because the wakeboarder is predictable, where as if you ahve one or two or more towables behind the boat, with a driver going in cirlces and whipping tubers back and forth the loads on the pylon are less predictable and can cause a roll-over.
Exactly what the last two posters said. A rider in a flipping airborne tube is a broken neck waiting to happen. I will not let people ride inside a tube, they must lay on them.
Check these out :eek: Chris
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...ying+tube&aq=f
When I'm pullin' a tube with the pylon, I only go about 20, with the livewells full and the engine overtrimmed so I make a big wave. I pull 1 tube, with 1 kid. Any other setup can be dangerous for the kid. I do give em a ride, though. I don't see how it is any more stress on the pylon than an adult skiier working a slalom like it should be worked.
Best day on the lake we had was when 3 of us, 2 boats and a PWC were pulling tubes, and we'd make circular wakes for each other. What a riot. Actually wore out the kids for a change.
If you miss a pin, or a retainer, or the pylon and bracing is not installed corectly, you can really mash yer cowling with it. (Seen it happen.)
my 02
John
Those are cool!:thumbsup:Quote:
Originally Posted by cb541
This one looks like it hurt.... alot...:eek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1IPn...eature=related