Is tubing growing in popularity or is just me?

I'll tell you what- at our quiet lake in the northwoods tubing has just gone rampant. The tubes people are using these days are huge- like couches on the water or entire islands. The kids never fall off of them and thus the tube rides NEVER END. They just go on and on and on. All over the lake. I swear this has gotten worse even over the past 3 years.

There are multiple tournament inboards on the lake that do NOTHING other than TOW TUBES ALL DAY.

Back in the day when I tubed- pre-slalom-madness- the goal was to basically dismount the person on the tube. It was driver vs. tuber and your ride would end in a spectacular fashion every time. It was SUPER fun in that regard and I remember laughing my as$ off on the tube. You wouldn't last long.

These days it's huge tubes filled with kids who don't do anything other than sit there and enjoy the ride. I don't get it. The rub is that since the tube rides never end, the water is ruined for all other sports (although I bet the waverunners, which are also multiplying, love it). More and more people rotate onto the tubes from the dock and just go and go and go, never getting their hair wet. I've seen boats running tubes for 4+ hours a day- no joke.

The boats just burn gas and send rollers into the shoreline all day. I've thought about sending a letter to the association about this but I just don't see how it couldn't somehow backfire or sound crotchety. Our ski runs are 10 minutes per rider- up the lake, down the lake, done. We use the water for a slice of time, then let everyone else use it. Common courtesy.

Do parents these days just not even consider waterskiing for their kids? Anybody else seeing this "tubing revolution"?

disgusting and my hatred of it has grown even faster

they ruined perfectly good water at salt fork this past weekend for most of the day...there were three separate times that I stood on the front of my boat screaming like a crazy person at a passing tube boat or jetski. I want to start carrying a beebee gun.

then the jet skier who follows you around to see what you're doing.

get ***************ing lost

It has gotten worse. We've definitely noticed, especially with inboards. I/O's have always been bad. It's part of the pussification of America, and the constant need for instant gratification. Lots of kids aren't encouraged to learn something difficult that may not happen in an afternoon.

C-Bass wrote: It has gotten worse. We've definitely noticed, especially with inboards. I/O's have always been bad. It's part of the pussification of America, and the constant need for instant gratification. Lots of kids aren't encouraged to learn something difficult that may not happen in an afternoon.

Bingo, could not be said any better than this.

Tom,
I remember the early days of the pontoons with the big HP's. Man, they were bare footing behind them!! Yes, that is certainly better than pulling tubes!!!

81nautique wrote: if Dad is pot bellied, beer drinking, kinda guy the kids are a lost cause.

Hey I resemble that remark and my 5 year old skis and my 1 year old will be on the ski trainer next year. And neither one will ever be on a tube or play soccer.

I agree to everything that all y'all have said. YES the tubes are getting obnoxious and all that people want to do anymore. Allan is dead on. Kids are getting fat and lazy and it's up to parents to stay active in some cases.
The last two times I had taken teenagers out they wanted to tube. I first time I said I didn't have any but that I had kneeboards. They were bummed but after trying them out were glad I didn't have tubes. The 2nd pair tubed as I borrowed Nautiquehunters which I really did have to get sweet talked into but convinced them to try and kneeboard once we found good water and they loved it as well.

My daughter Sydney (who's 16) surprised the heck out of me by saying " Dad, next weekend we are at your house we need to get up at 6AM and come to the lake so we'll have good water to ski on! These tubers are ruining the water!" Music to my ears Gentlemen.

I think dad needs a 'Bro' He's got some serious man boobs!

81nautique wrote: I am pretty predjudiced on this one but when I see a tubing family this is what I vision,then I puke. Tell me that kid has a chance.

It's all McDonalds fault not theirs!!!

Nick,

Michigan has the most beautiful lakes in the Midwest hands down. We spent a week up in Glen Lake over the fourth, In the AM it was skiers only but once the lunch bell rang, omg tubers everywhere, majority being pulled by big dollar V-Drives with towers or brand new Cobalts, wtf?? No skiers anywhere. Craziest thing I saw was what appeared to be a Dad wakesurfing his kids on an i/o Cobalt, dangerous and lame all in one.

Sounds like you need waterski ambassadors out there.

81nautique wrote: I am pretty predjudiced on this one but when I see a tubing family this is what I vision,then I puke. Tell me that kid has a chance.

He's out of breath and hasn't completely beached himself yet.


I took my daughter to one of the local marinas Saturday to see how she liked the fit on the boots on a new pair of intermediate skis. The skis and wakeboards are in the back showroom. You find them after you walk past all the fn tubes, which you can see in the front of the store from the road.
The co-owner spent some time talking with my daughter about the progress of her skiing. In parting, she tells my daughter how happy she is that she's skiing because so few kids on the lake even try to learn anymore. She then says "hardly anyone even bothers to go in the back showroom anymore. They just come and buy tubes." It's not my place to tell her how to run her business and I'm sure the tubes are her money makers but I sure felt like saying "So put the fn tubes in the backroom and make them walk past the skis and boards."
Driving past the lake yersterday, I looked out to see a pontoon pulling kids on a tube, chasing a cuddy pulling kids on a tube, in a nice little circle. Quite the circus act.

81nautique wrote: I am pretty predjudiced on this one but when I see a tubing family this is what I vision,then I puke. Tell me that kid has a chance.

What are they looking down at?
Leaning concrete? Grab handles that broke? Wondering if he'll make it?