Best "low effort" towable?

ratdude747

ratdude747

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 30, 2023
Messages
354
Last season I tried tubing with my boat... and well, for me (and my wife) things didn't go well.

We started with an old SportsStuff 4-person donut that came with the boat (and despite being 12+ years old, still worked great). While it was fine for some teenage guests (who were fit athletes) and thier mom (who still was in decent shape), my wife and I got whooped by it due to a lack of core strength (butt fell in tube, then waves against the cover beat our butts up badly). On a later outing near the end of the tubing season, we then tried a "biscuit" type tube (SportsStuff Hamburger, found at a local liquidation store)... my wife didn't have the strength to hang on, and I didn't dare try it.

My thinking is that for the upcoming season, a seat-type towable will work better. The problem is that I'm a large guy (350lb) and most seat-type towables rated for my weight (or close enough to such) assume two people are riding, which puts the handles in awkward position if I'm riding solo. I'd prefer a tube that would tolerate such, since there have been outings with only three people (and Indiana law doesn't allow mirror spotting, not to mention my boat doesn't have provisions for such a mirror).

Speaking of the boat itself, it has plenty of brunt to pull things (using a transom-loop bridle); 188 HP (stock, might be around 200 in current form) with a 4-bladed lower-pitched prop. Other than there not being a ton of space for the inflatable itself when not being towed...

10 Alex.jpeg
(One of my guests hanging on to the 4-person donut on one last season's outings)
... the boat isn't a limitation. Clearly tube management is an issue with current towables, so such is a separate issue.

Any suggestions on towables to try next season? I had a blast other than my sore butt!
 
briangcc

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,429
I have something similar to this...

wowsports.com

The WOW Max 3P

Share an exhilarating inflatable ride with friends on this WOW Max three-person towable. Front and rear tow points provide different riding positions for versatility and fun. The couch-style position lets passengers sit with straightened legs while leaning on the secure backrest and holding onto...
wowsports.com wowsports.com
 
C

ChooChooSnakeMan

Seaman
Joined
Dec 11, 2023
Messages
70
A Super Mabel will handle 510 lbs (rated) and will probably handle a bit more than that but I didn't say it. I purchased a Super Mabel last year and our grandkids love it. The Super Mabel is for 1 to 3 riders and the handles are set up so that a single person could ride in the middle and be fine. It is a very comfortable ride but if pulled aggressively with tight turns it can get exciting. I pull it with a 380 hp 26 1/2' bowrider and I will say that when I have (3) people on it and I'm in a steep low speed turn the drag is pretty big. It takes a lot of horsepower. Straight line towing with gentle curves require much less power. We love the Super Mabel but the drawback is that it is a really big tube. It takes up all the room across the swim platform on my boat and my boat is fairly wide. Another issue is that it is so big and heavy that to inflate it on the boat and be able to handle it to get to all the inflation points is kind of a pain. For this upcoming boating season I'm going to try to pre-inflate it at home, strap it in the back of my truck, take it to the boat storage place (I trailer the boat about 5 miles to the lake) and strap it on the back of the boat. I'm not sure how that will work but that's the plan. I'm tempted to purchase the Big Mabel which is for 1 or 2 riders because it is lighter, easier to handle in the boat, and will give us room on the swim platform to get on and off the boat without having to step on / over a tube. One drawback to the Big Mabel is it is rated for only 340 lbs. Good luck.
 
ratdude747

ratdude747

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 30, 2023
Messages
354
Reviving this...

I scored an old AirHead "Race" tube second hand on a vacation in Missouri a month or so ago...

1752074085637.png

and other than a sore butt, it was a winner:

View attachment 192ca274-1798-4a9f-a0c9-42b638384b7c.mp4

(My wife on it, I rode it too but the video didn't turn out)
Sadly, the cover ripped in two separate places (age or being stepped in, it's hard to say) and from what I can tell this is long out of production... but it was a notable improvement. The backrest and the elongated shape did help. I wonder if anybody makes a modern version?
 
ratdude747

ratdude747

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 30, 2023
Messages
354
sangerwaker said:
Or the Mach 1.....

www.airhead.com

Airhead Mach 1 Inflatable Single Rider Towable Tube

This Airhead Mach 1 is a family-friendly inflatable tube that's perfect for long days at the lake. Order this single rider towable tube today to ride in style.
www.airhead.com www.airhead.com
Click to expand...
Yeah except both appear to be smaller single rider tubes... weight capacity no good. There wasn't a capacity listed on the race tube (other than suggesting a 2400lb rated tow line), but being a two-person tube, figured it'd be close enough to hold me (it didn't have issues other than the skin ripping).
 
sangerwaker

sangerwaker

Commander
Joined
Jul 29, 2004
Messages
2,068
Didn't realize the old one was a 2 person. All the 2 person tubes I've seen have the riders sit side by side, not one in front of the other like your old one.

Agree with Scott. Can't hurt to ask.
 
ratdude747

ratdude747

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 30, 2023
Messages
354
Nope, as of yesterday, Airhead says parts for that tube are no longer available.

This is on the back burner due to the boat having mechanical issues that'll has it off the water and my boating budget locked out. Unless I stumble upon a deal or something.
 
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