A day of tubing isn’t complete without a little water spray, but when the spray becomes excessive it can become a nuisance to riders. In most cases, If you find your riders becoming blinded by water spray while tubing, it’s probably because your tow rope is dragging beneath the wake. Thankfully, there’s an excellent solution to this common problem.
Common Causes of Rope Drag
There are a variety of reasons your tow rope might drag through the water. No matter the reason, it’s an unpleasant experience for riders and can have damaging effects on your boat if not corrected. Here are a few of the most common causes of rope drag when pulling tubes:
- Low tow point - If you’ve got a boat with a low transom, your tow is going to be low too. The lower the tow point, the more likely you are to experience rope drag and water spray.
- Using the wrong tow rope - Ensure that your tow rope is sized properly for the tube and riders you’ll be pulling. Additionally, using a rope that’s too short will significantly increase the water spray experienced by your riders.
- Pulling lighter loads than anticipated - Lighter loads put less tension on the rope causing it to drag (for example, pulling small children on a tube when you’ve sized your rope to pull adults)
The Best Way to Prevent Rope Drag
To prevent rope drag and water spray on your riders you’ll want to do two things: ensure you’re using the right equipment and raise your tow point.
Choosing the Right Tow Rope
When you’re selecting a tow rope there are a few requirements you should be mindful of. First, per the Water Sports Industry Association (WSIA), tube ropes must be at least 50 feet in length but not exceeding 65 feet. Short ropes cause riders to be pulled into the heaviest part of the boat’s wake and encounter excessive water spray.
Second, check the strength of the rope you’re considering. At a minimum tube ropes should have a breaking strength of 2,000 pounds. Depending on how many riders you intend to pull, you may need up to 6,000 pounds breaking strength.
And finally, look for a rope with a high strand count. Tow ropes with lower strand counts and smaller diameters have more stretch and flexibility. When tubing, this puts unnecessary stress on your boat’s tow point and creates an unpleasant ride.
At TurboSwing, we aim to make sure you get exactly the right rope for your tube. When you purchase a towable tube from us you’ll have the option to add on the recommended tow rope.
Raising Your Tow Point
By far, the best thing you can do to improve your rider’s experience when tubing is raising your tow point.
IMPORTANT: Never pull tubes from a wakeboard tower or a ski pylon! These products may seem like easy solutions for raising your tow point, but neither are tube-rated. Both carry manufacturer warnings that tubes cannot be safely pulled from them.
Instead, use a TurboSwing - the only tube-rated towing product on the market - to raise your tow point and provide a better tubing experience! TurboSwing’s patented technology elevates the tow rope above the wake safely and without using up valuable real estate inside the boat.
For your convenience, TurboSwing mounts directly to your boat’s outboard motor and allows you to adjust the height of the tow bar to ensure the proper positioning for a great ride. And, in addition to raising the tow point, TurboSwing’s EZ Pulley™ system ensures smooth, consistent pulls and improves the boat’s handling when pulling tubes.
Towing with Inboard-Powered Boats
Although most boaters pulling tubes will have an outboard-powered boat, some may prefer inboard-powered boats. Unfortunately the TurboSwing ski tow bar is not designed to work with inboard motors, but there are products on the market that can help you alleviate some of the rope drag you might experience.
Booster balls are tow rope alternatives that feature an inflatable buoy attached in the middle of the rope. This buoy floats across the surface of the water to reduce drag and keep the rope above water. Although a booster ball will not raise your tow point, it will alleviate much of the drag experienced when towing from inboard-powered boats. For boats that will not accommodate a TurboSwing we highly recommend using a booster ball to improve your towing experience.
Ready for a Better Towing Experience?
TurboSwing is the best solution for creating a fun and safe experience for tubers, wakeboarders, and more. Use the Configurator below to find the right TurboSwing tow bar for your boat:
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