New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

[BonairII]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

I found a "like new" Big Bertha 4 person tube(only 2 will be on it) on CL for $70 bucks. I figure a big tube will be more stable. We can always get single tubes down the road.

 

[Philster]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Assume every other boater is an ignorant idiot. Tis a shame this is frequently part of any advice given for any boating situation.

All good suggestions so far. My only advice is to know the area very well. Most tubing accidents are because someone didn't understand turning radius and swung the tubers into a buoy/marker or other craft's path, and this applies to tubers who were 'thrown'. This wild swing can put fallen tubers into a zone outside your play area, so to speak, so that even other boaters who had a visual on ""the area over there where some people were tubing" don't account for them.

Mentally, boaters will form a picture of the area you are in. Tubing is sort of unique because tubers can be swung way out of that area other boats and PWC operators have carved out mentally.

( I know skiing can too, but tubing is more extreme in the g-force and tubers can go flying darn far!)

 

[2ndtry]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Until I'm confident that the kids are good spotters....I'll be doing a lot of neck turning.

I don't always trust the kids either. Rather than the head on a pivot, I use a mirror, like this one (on iboats).

Get a big one, and attach it to your windshield so you can use it like a "heads up" display. This won't interfere with your driving near a s much. Just check every turn to make sure everyone is on board.

 

[southkogs]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

My only advice is to know the area very well. Most tubing accidents are because someone didn't understand turning radius and swung the tubers into a buoy/marker or other craft's path, and this applies to tubers who were 'thrown'. This wild swing can put fallen tubers into a zone outside your play area, so to speak, so that even other boaters who had a visual on ""the area over there where some people were tubing" don't account for them.

... ain't it the truth. Good post Philster.

 

[drrpm]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

My rule is if 1 falls off, the other needs to drop off too. That way they are close together. It doesn't take more than half a minute to turn around and get back to them so if you're not tubing in traffic it shouldn't be a big problem.

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Wow a Water Sports Safet Flag. First thing I did was look to see what state you were in. I presume that flys with the tube but does nothing when it really counts where the kids are floating waiting to be picked up? When my kids were really little and I tubed with them, I'd drop if they did. I simply avoid busy areas or don't tow if I can't with little kids. Teen, I wouldn't have the same concerns but more an more idiots seem to be able to afford boats now days.

 

[BonairII]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Wow a Water Sports Safet Flag.

I saw it when I was buying the tow rope. Never heard of it, but the packaging said that it conforms to laws in AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MO, NE, NM, OR, TX, UT & WA. I assumed that if that many states made it mandatory that there must be something to it.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

I saw it when I was buying the tow rope. Never heard of it, but the packaging said that it conforms to laws in AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MO, NE, NM, OR, TX, UT & WA. I assumed that if that many states made it mandatory that there must be something to it.

In Missouri it's called a skier-down flag, but most people don't know the proper way to use it. It should only be displayed when someone is in the water, not when the boat is actually pulling a skier, or tube. Here's a link for proper use in Missouri. Proper use may be different in other states

http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/handbook/flags.htm

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

In Missouri it's called a skier-down flag, but most people don't know the proper way to use it. It should only be displayed when someone is in the water, not when the boat is actually pulling a skier, or tube. Here's a link for proper use in Missouri. Proper use may be different in other states

http://www.boat-ed.com/mo/handbook/flags.htm

Living in the state where waterskiing and thus tow sports were invented, where we all own boats and ski, I can say i've never seen this in 38 years of boating. I've been scuba diving since I could hold the regulator in my mouth and so the Divers Flag is familiar but never seen a skiier down flag. I think other boaters would question what the heck you are doing waving a flag in the boat.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Here in Utah the skier down flag is a big deal and taken seriously by the rangers. So as soon as people or a rope go in the water the flag is raised until they are up or you are fully underway. The spotter is always the flagger as well i have mine in the bow that way when a rider goes down the flag goes up immediately and i always see it right away. When we come around i have an additional flag i put up high on my tower just to alert people of what I am doing. When i have little ones learning a new activity i just leave the flag up on the tower just for a bit more piece of mind. They are only $5 bucks so I have 3-4 on the boat at all times. We have a few lakes that are the everyone goes the same direction i never boat there its a joke.

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Here in Utah the skier down flag is a big deal and taken seriously by the rangers. So as soon as people or a rope go in the water the flag is raised until they are up or you are fully underway. The spotter is always the flagger as well i have mine in the bow that way when a rider goes down the flag goes up immediately and i always see it right away. When we come around i have an additional flag i put up high on my tower just to alert people of what I am doing. When i have little ones learning a new activity i just leave the flag up on the tower just for a bit more piece of mind. They are only $5 bucks so I have 3-4 on the boat at all times. We have a few lakes that are the everyone goes the same direction i never boat there its a joke.

It's like you are speaking Greek except we have some lakes where all boats must go counterclockwise only.

 

[QC]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Yeah, I knew some places the flag wasn't required, but I assumed it was used universally. Old guys that boat around here even have an acknowledging hand up signal that means "I see your flag, and I know that there is a skier, a rope, or equipment still around you." We keep our hand up until we pass. I love that system, but it is disappearing. Flag is required in CA, AZ and NV. Observer must be 12 or older.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

I thought it was universal as well, seems like a no brainer to me. The ticket wouldn't be in greek

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

I thought it was universal as well, seems like a no brainer to me. The ticket wouldn't be in greek

And I thought we were nannied here in MN.

 

[QC]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Heck, it is so common here that we just call it "the Flag". You'll hear me at the helm bark out a reminder "FLAG UP" if my observer forgets.

It's supposed to be up unless the skier, tube etc is fully underway, or all is in the boat. We even use it, as do many, as an indicator for swimmers in the water. I have a bungee on my Bimini frame that I use to hold it up when we are all swimming. That is very common too. You can even buy flag holders:

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Heck, it is so common here that we just call it "the Flag". You'll hear me at the helm bark out a reminder "FLAG UP" if my observer forgets.

It's supposed to be up unless the skier, tube etc is fully underway, or all is in the boat. We even use it, as do many, as an indicator for swimmers in the water. I have a bungee on my Bimini frame that I use to hold it up when we are all swimming. That is very common too. You can even buy flag holders:

Well today I can say I truly learned something new.

 

[QC]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

So odd. I thought it was probably International it is so common for us. It's at least 50 years old here

 

[jkust]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

So odd. I thought it was probably International it is so common for us. It's at least 50 years old here

Let's just agree to not leak this to MN authorities.

 

[QC]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

Nahhh, I think you guys need this. Do you have the local authority's phone number?

 

[Oshkosh1]

Re: New to tubing....how to keep "rider down" safe when floating in water.

I simply execute a modified "Williamson" manuever.

The Williamson(for those who may not know) is a common manuever used to basically turn to a reciprocal course, or a "180" quickly.
It's used at sea on large vessels (which I navigated for many years) to recover a man-overboard.

In a nutshell...this is the execution:

Put the rudder over full. Throttle UP.

After deviating from the original course by about 60 degrees, shift the rudder full to the opposite side.

When heading about 20 degrees short of the reciprocal, put the rudder amidships so that vessel will turn onto the reciprocal course.

Bring the vessel upwind of the person, stop the vessel in the water with the person alongside, well forward of the propellers

I know you're probably not looking at a compass while doing this...but you get the idea! Practice it a couple of times and it'll work like a charm.

And remember...ANY turn should be made in an aggresive(not reckless!)manner as to leave no doubt of your intent to other boats. It annoys me to no end when pleasure boaters are making long, slow, sweeping, INDECISIVE departures from base course. When executing a turn...TURN!