Tips to Choosing and Using a Boat Towable

by | Oct 13, 2016 | Water Sports

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Technology has touched almost every product on the market. Boat towables are no exceptions. Today, they are more sophisticated featuring more appealing looks and designs. It is good that we now have variety. But on the other hand, the many options make it a little bit more complicated to choose the best boat towable. To help your situation, below are some tips to guide you on purchase and use.

Inflating

Generally, boat towables are full when it is firm. When full, it should not have any wrinkles on the surface and should support an average adult only sinking a few inches. Under-inflation will make the tube sit lower on the water leading to damage. When a tube is underinflated, the stressed applied to the nylon greatly increases and may cause it to rupture. Also, the additional drag causes the boat to consume more gas.

Pumps

Contrary to what you may imagine, tubes don’t require insane levels of pressure. Most work with around 2 PSI. As such, they can be inflated with simple electric pumps or a combination of a hand pump and a 12V pump. 12 V pumps alone will however not be enough for larger tubes. They will inflate small tubes but you will do a significant amount of pumping when working on a larger tube. A great alternative would be a 120 V inflator featuring a power inverter. This can be connected to the boat’s battery and provide large volumes of air.

Tow ropes

If there is one product you should not hold out on is a tow rope. Ensure you get the best quality there is on the market. Tow ropes made from frayed nylon will save you some money but will end costing you a fortune in the long run. The force and pressure exerted on the rope will cause the rope to break, snapping in both directions. This can be a major safety hazard.

Maintenance

Quality boat towables are not exactly cheap. As such, it is your responsibility to ensure yours remains in tip top shape. Leaving the tube under the sun will cause it to expand and grow thinner increasing its chances of developing a leak. Have it under a shade at all times. You would rather add some air when you need to use it than have it leaking.