www.iFourWinns.com

Had all the kids out on a Houseboat last week, with lots of tubing...well...they decided it was fun to find wakes, and make our own wakes, so they could catch some air on the tube.

Well.....I started to figure out how to get them some decent waves, and were all having a blast, until......made too many figure eights, got the really big wake waves in the middle, took the tube towards the waves and just at the worst time, lost tension in the rope, went slack, tube dipped right to the bottom of the wake, rope snapped tight, and skyrocketed the tube a good 15 feet or so into the air. One poor kid goes flying off the back, the other two hang on, but of course, when the tube hits the water again, their heads smack onto the tube, and put a good ringing in between their ears.

Needless to say, Dad no longer liked the "Bumps Game", and the rest of the tubing for the last day or two was much more on the tame side.

We did however find a fun game that got all the kids on and off the tube really quickly after that....decided that they were not allowed to hang onto the handles on the tube. First one off, comes to the boat and is replaced by a new rider. New rider always gets the middle. This made for great laughs, never had to go fast, and all the kids got a ton of turns!

_________________

2012 H210--First Boat! Woo Hoo!
2013 Ford F150 Eco-Boost V6

I had my Nephew's army buddies out a few weeks ago. A friend was driving, and one of the tubes got going a little too fast on the inside as he slowed down it nearly hit the boat. I was safely on the other tube watching as I nearly made the same mistake only minutes before as driver.

Kids can get rattled, and right back on.... "Faster, daddy, faster" isn't too far behind.

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

We call it the "Circle of Death". Get the tuber outside the wake as you do a 360 then pull them back through the center of the circle for some nice wave action!

_________________
Seth




2005 210 Horizon
5.0L GXi
"Don't Think Twice"

Ah, that's just going fast on the outside. What WE call the "Circle of Death" is keeping the tube in the middle (stationary, rope taught) and run about 15 mph in circles around it until the waves are really big, then turn the wheel in the opposite direction so the tube goes from stopped to full speed instantly, across huge waves! Takes plenty of driver skill, but if the tuber survives, they'll want to go again!

_________________
Walt B
"Debt-Charged"
Black '07 H210SS
6.2L Bravo One turning a 21P HIFive
Wakeboard Tower with Perfect Pass Stargazer version
Missouri River; Kansas City, Mo.

The good ole circle of death, Yes we love that one as well. Went out a couple weekends ago and we pull two tube and have duel matches and see who can stay on the longest or who can jump from tube to tube. Well old dad here wanted to go play with the kids and the admiral decides to make a quick turn and dump one of us off. Well Dad hangs on and now I am getting beat do death by a flying tube. Nearly taking my head off. Had to inform the admiral as soon as one dumps off cut the throttle back quickly . I was almost afraid of the rope getting caught around someones neck. I dont think it would reach me but it makes ya think.

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

Uploaded with ImageShack.com

_________________
1997 Horizon RS 180
5.7 GL Volvo Penta /SX drive. (1.60)
2018 Ford F-150 super crew 4x4

We call it "putting them in the washing machine" LOL

I do have to confess that my family placed me on tube-driver probation for an entire year...

_________________
2007 Meridian 341
2008 SeaDoo Speedster 200 "Caliente"
1994 Larson Cabrio 280 "Liquid Asset"- Sold

I'm glad to hear all of the previous posts resulted in no injuries..........

In early August while camped on Mission bay, San Diego for a week we almost suffered a tragedy......while pulling my youngest daughter of 14 she got outside the wake on a turn and flipped fast and hard.........I circled around to pick her up only to find her floating face down in the water not moving........I came back in on her hot.......I had just turned the boat off and was ripping my shoes off to jump in when the wave action got to her.....it must have jostled her a bit and she popped her head up........thankfully she was OK other than a bad headache........we figure she suffered a slight concussion.........later that night it had gone away.........


Needless to say, we dialed it back a bit for the rest of the trip...........we were doing rides in a straight line only with no more fast turns..........

Since that day I've woken up several times in the night thinking about the "What if".......

_________________

2005 Four Winns Funship 214 VP 5.7/Duo Prop

I do agree that I like the idea another poster had of doing tubing without holding on. First one off just lets another rider on & no insanity needed with the driving. Sounds like a lot of fun with a lot less danger...

_________________
2007 Meridian 341
2008 SeaDoo Speedster 200 "Caliente"
1994 Larson Cabrio 280 "Liquid Asset"- Sold