78 PERSONAL WATERCRAFT ILLUSTRATED • OCT/NOV 2008

Going Down the TubesTE X T B Y JU S T I N STA N N A R D

PH OTO G R A P H Y CO U R T E S Y O F AI R H E A D WAT E R S P O R T S

Hot Dog

Yes, the “water weenies” are still around.And yes, they are stillawesome. While anyone who’s ridden one will attest to thedifficulty in balancing an occupied weenie, there’s no doubtthat being pulled on one is great fun. Deep-water starts maytake some practice and patience, but the waterweenies cut through the water and remainplanted very well. The only setback isthe almost impossible featof staying onboard ifeven one personfalls off.

Open Top

These infamous tubes are the classics –owing their conception to intrepidadrenaline junkies using the bouncyinner tubes of commercial trucktires. Only nowadays, there’s noneed to duct tape down thevalve stem to avoid surpriseinjuries, and built-in handlesprovide a safer way to hold on.Open-top tubes are still themost popular towable , anddi f ferent sizes accommodateanywhere between 1-4 riders.Their bouncy, albeit unstable, naturemakes them a blast for tubers of all ages,from kids to adults.

Cockpit

Cockpit tubes are one of the best bets for those with small chil-dren. Although different models of cockpit tubes can accommo-date up to four riders, the single-seaters (as pictured here withAirhead’sViper F1) make for a fun, secure ride for those who maybe a bit apprehensive about bouncingacross the water at speed.Riders remain seated andtucked into the tube, whilethe bottom’s boat-hullshape keeps the tubeplanted and stable inrougher waters.

Deck

Designed to situate ridersin the prone position, theflat-topped deck tubescarry a lower center ofgravity and won’t capsizeas often as traditionalopen-top tubes whenskimming outside thewake.The absence of a holein the center does limitthe number of possibleriding stances, but thetapered back end (as demonstrated here by Airhead’s Big Slicetube) makes for easy reboarding after a spill – which is especiallyvaluable when Dad gets vaulted for the third time in a row andneeds to climb back aboard for one more run.

Iremember being 6 years old, in tow behindour 26-foot SleekCraft Ambassador onLake Havasu, clinging for dear life on an

old-fashioned “injure-tube,” screaming at thetop of my lungs. My dad would get a sadistickick out of watching me wrestle with thetube as he powered through the turns andsent me careening over the wake at seem-ingly supersonic speeds.

Even now, grown up and mature (well,“mature” is open to interpretation), we stillenjoy inflating a couple of tubes and havingour classic “Tube Battles of Death,” where

two combatants mount different tubes andtry knocking their opponent into the drinkwhile under way – eat your heart out,“American Gladiators.”

But even in the PWC world, inflatablesoffer tons of fun for the family seeking tobroaden their watercraft’s versatility. Whendeflated, the towables’ dimensions are com-pact – meaning they can easily be stored inthe bow or under the seat of the watercraft.Battery-operated air compressors are eco-nomical and reliable, allowing quick inflationtimes and touting reversible motors for easy

deflating at the end of the trip.However, several states enforce boating

laws requiring the tow craft to accommo-date seating for the driver, the spotter andevery person in the water. What this meansfor PWC owners is that, legally, only three-seater PWC can be used for towing – andonly one person can be towed behind thevessel at a time. However, for the sake ofoutlining the many options available in inflat-able gear, we used Airhead’s tubes to explaina few of the most popular towables. Checkout Airhead.com for the full lineup.

78 Wakeup_PWI7 8/7/08 4:42 PM Page 78