Here's How to Choose the Best Towable Tube for Your Boat

With a wide variety of styles and sizes available in boat tubes, it may be difficult to choose the right towable that meets your needs. Maybe your children are young and new to boating, so you are looking for a stable and easy introduction that will make them comfortable with trying more advanced water sports. Maybe you want to entertain teenagers for an afternoon on the boat, so they forget about their smart phone for a few hours! Or maybe your pontoon often hosts guests who are young, old, and in-between who want to go tubing but also want to lounge and soak up some sun.

Whatever your needs, RAVE Sports has a boat tube to fit. Here’s how to choose the best towable for your boat:

• Choose a tube style that fits the rider(s) ages and skill levels. Choosing the right tube to tow behind your boat is like selecting equipment for other sports such as soccer or hockey for your kids --- the equipment should fit their ages and skill levels. For example, young children who are new to tubing will be more comfortable in a stable tube that probably has seats or a couch back, rather than a style where riders lay down and hang on. In this tube style, they can sit in a little pocket or couch, see the adults in the boat, and won’t get water sprayed on their face. This will make them comfortable and enthusiastic about trying a new water experience. Some good options for young beginners are our Tirade II, Warrior II, or Charger On the other hand, teens who think they are the next “Top Gun” pilot will love the thrill of a thin speedy tube that they can maneuver up and over the boat wake and hang on tight when the boat takes a turn. Good choices for high performing tubing are our Razor, Storm, or Mambo styles.
• Consider the number of riders you typically pull. After considering the tube style that you need, think about how many people you would typically have on the tube. Most of our tube styles have a series of options for 2, 3, or 4 people such as our Frantic and Diablo III You can always pull two people on a four-person tube, but not vice versa, so in this case the bigger truly is the better.
• If you still can’t decide, choose a tube that offers a lot of versatility. If your boaters typically range in ages, sizes, and skill levels, a tube that offers a lot of versatility will provide the most value. In this case, look for a style and size that can be used for slower, stable tubing as well as faster, thrilling tubing. Our award-winning Big Easy tube fits this category, as well as the Epic and Stoked.

After you’ve picked the right boat towable tube for your boat, be sure you have everything you need for a successful day of tubing. The essentials include a tow rope that fits the number of riders on your tube (we offer tow ropes for 2, 4, and 6 riders here), a pump made for inflating tubes (never use an air compressor for safety reasons --- our High Speed Inflator / Deflator is designed for this job, plus it DEFLATES!), and life vests for everyone on the tube.

Spending time together on a boat will be more enjoyable and memorable when you add some boat tubing thrills and laughs to the day. By intentionally choosing the right tube to fit your needs, you will ensure that it is time and money well spent.