SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

DONE PROPERLY, INFLATABLE WATER TUBING CAN BE ONE OF THE MOST FUN EXPERIENCES YOU CAN HAVE WITH A POWER BOAT. HOWEVER, LIKE ANY OTHER WATER SPORT, TUBING CAN BE DANGEROUS IF IT NOT DONE WITH PROPER SAFETY IN MIND.

NEVER CONSUME ALCOHOL OR RIDE WITH A CAPTAIN WHO HAS BEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL. ALCOHOL WHEN COMBINED WITH TUBING AND BOATING CAN HAVE DISASTROUS EFFECTS. ALCOHOL IMPAIRS JUDGEMENT, COORDINATION, MOTOR SKILLS, VISION, AND CAN DEHYDRATE THE BODY. REFRAINING FROM DRINKING ALCOHOL IS THE EASIEST WAY TO PREVENT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

ALL RIDERS, AS WELL AS EVERYONE ON THE BOAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE EQUIPPED WITH A SAFE, FITTING LIFE JACKET. IF A RIDER IS THROWN FROM THE TUBE AND BECOMES UNCONCIOUS, A LIFE JACKET MAY BE THE ONLY THING THAT SAVES THEIR LIFE. FURTHERMORE, IT IS THE LAW ALMOST EVERYWHERE THAT ALL RIDERS WEAR LIFE JACKETS.

ACCIDENTS ON INFLATABLES ARE MOST COMMON WHEN RIDERS LOSE CONTROL WHILE JUMPING WAKES, MAKING FAST TURNS, AND "SLINGSHOTTING" FROM ONE SIDE OF THE BOAT'S WAKE TO THE OTHER. THIS "SLINGSHOT" EFFECT IS CAUSED BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE AND WILL ACCELERATE THE RIDER TO SPEEDS MUCH FASTER THAN THE BOAT ITSELF. THE BOAT CAPTAIN MUST CONTROL THEIR SPEED AT ALL TIMES IN ORDER TO NOT CAUSE THE RIDER TO GO SO FAST AS TO LOSE CONTROL.

MOST FATAL ACCIDENTS ON SKI TUBES OCCUR WHEN RIDERS STRIKE ANOTHER OBJECT ON THE WATER SUCH AS A DOCK, PILINGS, ROCKS, OR ANOTHER BOAT. EXTREME CARE AND CAUTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE OBSERVED WHEN THERE ARE OTHER OBJECTS NEARBY THAT COULD POTENTIALLY AFFECT YOUR RIDERS.

WHEN TOWING RIDERS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF THE "MULTIPLYING" EFFECT. THIS OCCURS WHEN THE TOWING BOAT'S WAKE COMBINES WITH ANOTHER WAKE, OR NATURALLY OCCURING SWELLS. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO WAVES PRODUCES A WAVE EQUAL TO THE SUM OF THE HEIGHT OF THE TWO WAVES. AS AN EXAMPLE, IF YOUR BOAT PRODUCES A TWO FOOT WAKE AND THAT WAKE COMBINES WITH THE 4 FOOT WAKE OF A BOAT TRAVELING ALONG SIDE YOU, THE RESULTING WAKE WILL BE 6 FEET TALL. AS A RIDER, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 2 FOOT WAKE AND A 6 FOOT WAKE CAN BE DEADLY. THE FORCE FROM A WAKE THIS LARGE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LAUNCH A RIDER, ESPECIALLY A YOUNG ONE, WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SERIOUSLY INJURE THEM.

IF SOMEONE DOES BECOME INJURED WHILE TUBING, IMMEDIATELY STOP THE BOAT TO ASSIST THEM. IF THE RIDER IS HURT BUT ABLE TO GRAB A ROPE, THROW THEM A LINE AND GENTLY PULL THEM TO THE BOAT. IF THE INJURED PERSON IS UNABLE TO GRAB A ROPE, BRING YOUR BOAT CLOSE TO THEM AND RETRIEVE THEM FROM THE WATER ONCE YOU HAVE DRIFTED CLOSE ENOUGH. ONLY LET SOMEONE ENTER THE WATER TO ASSIST AS A LAST RESORT. IT IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO PRACTICE AND DISCUSS THESE TECHNIQUES BEFORE LEAVING THE DOCK SO THAT ALL YOUR PASSENGERS ARE PREPARED IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.

ALWAYS KNOW THE MAXIMUM SPEED RATING OF YOUR TOWABLE AND DO NOT EXCEED IT. OFTEN TIMES, THERE IS A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FEELING EXPERIENCED BY A RIDER ON THE TUBE AND THE PEOPLE IN THE BOAT. PEOPLE IN THE BOAT MAY NOT FEEL LIKE THEY ARE MOVING VERY FAST WHEREAS THE RIDER'S SENSATION IS THAT THEY ARE BEING PULLED MUCH TOO FAST.

IF YOUR TOWING AREA BECOMES TOO CROWDED, IMMEDIATLEY STOP TOWING, PULL ALL RIDERS BACK INTO THE BOAT, AND FIND A BETTER, LESS CROWDED LOCATION. NEVER TOW MORE THAN ONE TUBE AT ONCE. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY SOUND LIKE A FUN IDEA, THE TOW LINES CAN EASILY BECOME TANGLED AND INJURE THE RIDERS.

NEVER TOW CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS OLD. ANY ATTEMPT TO TOW CHILDREN OVER 6 YEARS OLD SHOULD ONLY BE DONE WITH EXTREME CARE AND ALWAYS WITH ADULT SUPERVISION. WHEN TOWING CHILDREN, NEVER USE A TOW LINE SHORTER THAN 20 FEET LONG. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ENGINE CAN CAUSE HARM TO THE RIDER. NORMAL LENGTHS FOR TOW ROPES ARE GENERALLY BETWEEN 50 - 60 FEET.

IN MOST PLACES, IT IS THE LAW TO TOW ONLY DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS AND THIS IS ALMOST ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA. TOWING AT NIGHT CAN BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF VISIBILITY. IF YOU ARE TOWING IN COLD WEATHER, BE CERTAIN THAT YOUR RIDERS ARE WEARING A WET SUIT. COLD WEATHER COUPLED WITH EXHAUSTION AND HEAVY WINDS CAN CAUSE HYPOTHERMIA.

NEVER USE WATER SKI TUBES AS SNOW TUBES AND NEVER USE SNOW TUBES AS SKI TUBES. WHEN MOVING THE BOAT WITHOUT A RIDER, ALWAYS STOW THE INFLATABLE IN A LOCATION WHERE IT WILL NOT OBSTRUCT THE CAPTAIN'S VIEW. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO DEFLATE YOUR TUBE AND STORE IT SOMEWHERE OUT OF THE WAY. ADDITIONALLY, NEVER TOW A TUBE WITHOUT A RIDER OR WHILE IT IS UPSIDE DOWN. THIS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE INFLATABLE, THE TOW ROPE, AND YOUR BOAT.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, KNOW YOUR RIDERS' AND YOUR BOAT'S LIMITATIONS. WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY BE USED TO EXTREME TUBING AT HIGH SPEEDS, OTHER RIDERS MAY NOT HAVE THE NECESSARY EXPERIENCE FOR THIS KIND OF TUBING. CLEAR, OPEN COMMUNICATION AS WELL AS A HEALTHY OBSERVANCE OF ALL RULES AND REGULATIONS WILL ENSURE THAT YOU, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR FRIENDS ALL HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY TIME.