towing question

[mraz72]

I just ordered a sup do more 1.5 board. It seemed like a good first board to get a taste of a few different aspects of water sports. I also have 2 tubes.

My question is, the tubes should NOT be towed from the tower tow point correct? The SUP board SHOULD be towed from the tow point regardless of if someone is laying down, knee boarding or standing?

Is that correct?

 

[Bill D]

Sounds like a good plan to me.

 

[fireflymedic]

I have a zup you got this 2.0 and i tried high and low. The low point gets them out of the jet wash better. We had no issues with towing from the lower so don't be scared to try it.

 

[mraz72]

Will do! Towing tubes should be done from the boat tow point, not the tower correct? I believe I read something about the high tow point doesn't work well for tubes?

 

[haknslash]

The manufacturer of the tower states to NOT tow an inflatable from the tower.

http://www.xtremetowers.com/content/frequently-asked-questions

What can I tow behind my wakeboard tower? Either (1) Skier or (1) Wakeboarder. No inflatables are to be towed from your wakeboard tower!

 

[mraz72]

The manufacturer of the tower literally states to NOT tow an inflatable from the tower.

Thanks, I remember reading that somewhere. Seems like a super easy mistake to make...

Does the tube exert more force than a human (especially being that high), therefore you risk potential damage where the tower meets the boat?

 

[GoVols01]

Manual states you shouldn't tow greater than 350 lbs from the tower and never a tube. Tube exert a lot of drag + some of those things have 4+ people on them. I've read horror stories of people capsizing their boats while towing large tubes from the tower, but that's unlikely to happen. The extra stress to the tower's mounting points are more likely to cause stress cracks to your get coat or fiberglass.

 

[haknslash]

If you look under the tower in the storage compartment you'll see it is not all that reinforced so that's a lot of stress over a small surface area.

 

[biffdotorg]

Where is that beating a dead horse emoticon when you need it? I think it has been agreed upon that the statement of not towing from the tower was put in there for liability purposes. Yamaha actually had a photo of towing a tube from an AR tower in their brochure.

For those that truly enjoy tubing, and like to be able to monitor the status of the rope at all times, the tower is the way to go. We have many years of towing a single tube and two tubes from the tower with no stress cracks. And I would love to see someone post a link of an actual incident of flipping a boat from towing a tube. The physics on that statement alone debunk that myth.

On that note, do what makes you comfortable.

 

[Julian]

I tow 1 and 2 person tubes from the tower and bigger ones from the lower tow point.

 

[haknslash]

When you compare the single backing plate of the lower tow point versus the tower's two small square pieces this is why I wouldn't personally tow a tube from the tower. Having a single plate made to fit both bolt holes would be better as it would spread out the stress loads across a greater surface area.

 

[Julian]

When you compare the single backing plate of the lower tow point versus the tower's two small square pieces this is why I wouldn't personally tow a tube from the tower. Having a single plate made to fit both bolt holes would be better as it would spread out the stress loads across a greater surface area.

There may well be less support on a 19' model tower, but a 242X has a MUCH bigger tower and supports. Everyone's tolerance for stress cracks is different...but I can put way more pressure on a tower pulling a board out to the side than a couple of small kids on a tube...so just consider how much weight you want swinging out there.

 

[haknslash]

I thought I had seen someone post pics before from underneath their newer 240 tower and it looked similar to mine with two small pieces. I might be mistaken though. Maybe its larger on the X and E models only since the tower and bimini is so much larger?

 

[mraz72]

I like the idea of keeping anything 3 people and above for the low tow point. Kids with a single or double tube (kids weight) than we can go tower.

Sounds good to me....

 

[scokill]

There may well be less support on a 19' model tower, but a 242X has a MUCH bigger tower and supports. Everyone's tolerance for stress cracks is different...but I can put way more pressure on a tower pulling a board out to the side than a couple of small kids on a tube...so just consider how much weight you want swinging out there.

You could never put as much stress holding on to a rope with two hands as a rope tied to a tube connected to the tower. The force would be limited to your hand strength. A tube on the other hand even with nobody on it could have it's front end submerged and the limit of its force would be the strength of the rope or the tube construction which would be multiples of your hand strength. It's not really the weight on the tube swinging, it's the risk of sudden submersion.

With all of that said, we tow from the tower

Here are some guys who tow from the tower...

 

[Julian]

You could never put as much stress holding on to a rope with two hands as a rope tied to a tube connected to the tower. The force would be limited to your hand strength. A tube on the other hand even with nobody on it could have it's front end submerged and the limit of its force would be the strength of the rope or the tube construction which would be multiples of your hand strength. It's not really the weight on the tube swinging, it's the risk of sudden submersion.

With all of that said, we tow from the tower

Here are some guys who tow from the tower...

Never sub'd a tube...ours are all too floaty! So yes...dragging a tube underwater would be more stress than dragging my fat ass underwater!!! Tow from your tower....with smaller tubes for sure....some even pull big tubes!

 

[Bob27]

We subbed our 3 man once, not on purpose. Made me add a weak breakaway rope section so the rope would break rather than stress the tow point. Cam.

 

[buckbuck]

@scokill that video has left me inspired!
Don't worry. My kids are young, they will heal fast.

 

[GoVols01]

Here are some guys who tow from the tower...MEDIA=youtube]9P6lkNXKdAU[/MEDIA]

So that's what the guy from LMFAO is doing now. LOL!

 

[GTBRMC]

If anyone has any question about the relative stresses imparted upon a given how point, check out the cross sectional difference between a 4 person tube rope and wakeboard how rope:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Airhead-Super-Strength-Tube-Rope/14701452 7/8" x 16 strand, 6,000 lb
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rave-Spo...board-with-EVA-Swirl-Grip-Elite-Blue/22962077 1,800 lb

(just two random examples)