How to Pick the Best Tube for Your Boat:
Buying a tube to pull behind the boat can be a pretty personal choice. Based off of preference, tubes range from a variety of shapes and sizes. There aren’t any strict guidelines on how to best buy a tube, but here are a few things to keep in mind.
Younger kids prefer more supportive towables that will may accommodate their parent. They like a tube that they can actually sit in, as opposed to something they have to lie down on top of. Most of the time parents will buy a towable that fits multiple kids. There are many multi-rider tubes available that have seating for 2-3 people. Some of our best selling tubes for young kids are the HO 2G, Radar Chase Lounge 2, and Radar Chase Lounge 3.
Older kids like to get a little crazier on their tubes. They usually like to have a towable all to themselves and prefer to ride it laying down on their stomachs. Sometimes boaters will pull three separate tubes behind their boats so the riders can battle it out by bumping into each other as they fly across the wake. Check out our 1 Person tubes for those wild riders.
If you have kids who want to get a little crazy, but still want to share a towable with a couple of friends, there are a lot of great tubes for that, too. Tubes like the Connelly Ninja 3, HO Mavericks, and Radar Orion will fit 2+ riders laying flat on the surface of the tube. The shapes of these towables allow for extra hang time when hitting rough water and thrilling whips outside of the wake.
For the most wild tube ride, we recommend the Radar Galaxy. It’s in a class of its own.
For the adults who are looking for a more lounge style experience, there are a lot of great tube options that focus on what’s really important – comfort and drink holders. The Radar Chase Lounge is a great option for young kids and adults alike. It fits three and can still be towed behind the boat, but offers a lot of back support and drink holders. We also recommend the Mission Reef Hex or the Mission Reef Mat for floating and lounging with your friends.
Essential Tube Accessories:
The biggest thing to remember when buying a tube, is to make sure you have a proper tube rope to go along with it. If your rope isn’t thick enough it will snap and may cause injury to the riders or boaters. Radar makes excellent tube ropes to accommodate the newer style tubes and multiple rider towables.
If you have an I/O or outboard motor boat, you might want to look into a tow harness. Tow harnesses are great for I/O or outboard motor boats because they allow you to get the rope away from the prop. This is a great safety and precautionary benefit, but will also make the towing process easier on your boat.
Tubes come deflated, so you’ll want to make sure you have something to blow them up. These aren’t water wings, so human lungs won’t cut it. It might be a good idea to invest in an electric pump to inflate your towables. When buying a tube pump, you’ll want to take note of how the pump draws its power source. Most tube pumps will attach directly to your boat’s battery or the auto outlet.