Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

[hibbert6]

My transom hooks are mounted pretty low on the stern of my boat, so the tube tow rope drags in the water. Is it safe to pull a tube from a tripod-type pylon?

Dave

 

[DBreskin]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

That depends on how well it's mounted. The tripod manufacturer probably makes a recommendation with regard to the tripod itself, but only you can determine if the tripod is mounted securely enough to handle the stress of pulling a tube.
It would be terrible if a strong tripod ripped the deck off your boat while pulling a tube.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

The answer is no. You can get a rope float to get rid of your drag issue though.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

I used a tripod on a bayliner for 10+ years, towing sometimes multiple tubes. As others mentioned, it all depends on how well it is installed. If I can do it that long on a bayliner, ANY boat should be capable of having one installed properly and pulling a tube.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Why would a pylon (mounted properly) NOT be OK for pulling a tube??? Does a tube have that much more drag than a skier?

 

[fintek9]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

One friend of mine had to take a strap to the bow on the same lines of a "skylon" type setup. It does'nt sway as much now but it's used for wakeboarding also and boarding puts much more stress on a "pole" type setup than a tube will anyday. Putting the rope on the tower knob of my X-star gives my kids some real fun from wake to wake jumps on a tube run by getting that rope off the water.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Why would a pylon (mounted properly) NOT be OK for pulling a tube??? Does a tube have that much more drag than a skier?

YES, and most of those poles specifically say not to be used to tow a tube.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

One friend of mine had to take a strap to the bow on the same lines of a "skylon" type setup. It does'nt sway as much now but it's used for wakeboarding also and boarding puts much more stress on a "pole" type setup than a tube will anyday. Putting the rope on the tower knob of my X-star gives my kids some real fun from wake to wake jumps on a tube run by getting that rope off the water.

Wakeboarding doesn't put more stress on it than when a tube subarines. The danger isn't as much the ripping backward as it is the projectiles coming foreward. It'll act like a sling-shot. Get an inflatable tow line ball and use the transom hooks.

 

[45Auto]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

boarding puts much more stress on a "pole" type setup than a tube will anyday.

LMAO!! Hopefully you don't really believe that? If you do, maybe you could email the tube manufacturer's, Iboats, and the WSIA (Water Sports Industry Association) with your vast knowledge and let them know that all those extra-strong heavy duty tow ropes specifically made for towing tubes are really not needed.

http://www.iboats.com/Sportsstuff-H...82873026--**********.287679618--view_id.49394

A submarining tube will put a huge load on a boat, but what rips out the ski pylons is when the rope gets snatched tight after getting some slack in it from whipping the tube to the side. The tube will temporarily out-run the boat, causing slack in the line. At that point the tube slows down drastically due to the water drag, while the boat continues at 25-30 MPH. The amount of slack will determine how much of a running start the boat gets before snatching the line tight again. The huge moment arm provided by the height of the rope above the mounting points rips the bolts right out of the hull.

 

[ufm82]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Agree with 45 auto- pulling a tube is MUCH harder than a board or skier. Once the boarder or skier is up, there is very little drag exterted. A tube drags all the time, even when "up". Try to pull in a tube by hand when someone is in it. I can pull up a ski rope by hand when someone is behind the boat. (It's mean but fun to pull in a couple of feet and then let it go- people tend to wipe out then.) Try doing that with a tube. And as for submarining, I've broken two "tube" ropes when taking off with an empty tube and not paying attention to what it is doing. It goes down and it feels like the anchor is out. Then the rope snaps and launches itself back at the transom. Had it been higher up it may well have hit someone.
Physics alone will dictate drag- compare the surface area, friction coefficient and weight of a tube versus anything else. Nylon covers are much rougher than any wakeboard, kneeboard or ski surface, they are 3-10 times the "footprint" and weigh much, much more. Water is a very dense media and exerts a lot of drag on anything moving through it. Ever wonder why a 150 hp car will run 100mph but a boat may hit 50-60 with the same power?

Pylons ALWAYS state they are not to be used for tubing. However, that is not saying a tow point cannot be engineered to work- strength is the ultimate goal though. Liability dictates no tubes on towers.

 

[fintek9]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Well heck yea if you sub the tube, (that was never mentioned) any drag like that is a big load on a boat. But we don't get any subing action due to the tubes front is tied at an upward angle of the tower & or pole and any whip should be controlled by the driver by slowly throttling out of it while the tube is skipping out there anyways.
And a running start with slack line?...That's just stupid, one can get hurt with that move. And you can bet that can pull a pole out.

Plus I don't know how any of you board but when we cut out and load a zero stretch rope for the cut back in we can make the skiboat feel it big and a tube does'nt do that to the boat I'll tell you that much.
And truely there is a big difference between an outboard, I/O and inboards on how they react to different toys being pulled.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Plus I don't know how any of you board but when we cut out and load a zero stretch rope for the cut back in we can make the skiboat feel it big and a tube does'nt do that to the boat I'll tell you that much.
And truely there is a big difference between an outboard, I/O and inboards on how they react to different toys being pulled.

You are apparently no physics major. Seriously, the tube will exert more force than a slalom skier, much less a wakeboarder. You try and tell me a wakeboarder loads up more drag than a slalom skier coming off the ball and I'll laugh you right out of this thread. Seriously, the tube has more mass in the water, especially with a couple hundred pounds of people on it. You just wait till one of those tubers is sitting too far forward on the tube before you take off; the tube will submarine despite the minute difference in angle from the tripod. The warnings are there for a reason.

 

[fintek9]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

I'll go this route! You want to tow something....Get a frigin boat that is made to tow!~

Now one has to defend another topic that was never in the talk about this topic? who said anything about a skier? and on a tower or pylon to boot????? (is what were talking about) My gawd people.

You just reminded me why I HATE frigin forums!!!!!!

Trash talk all you want, HAVE FUN, GROW THE F UP AND GET A F'ING LIFE! geeze.................

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Ski tripod OK for pulling a tube?

Amount of moderation this thread requires > its worth. Closed.