Stay away from the new flying tubes

[Carl C]

There was a possible serious injury on a local lake yesterday from a crash landing of one of these tubes. The problem seems to be that they get out of shape while airborne and slam into the water. According to the news reports there have been "a pair of deaths and several injuries linked to their use".

[joel3078]

I saw that new "kite tube" at marine max earlier in the year and my first thought was call 911. I'm sure the personal injury attornies have woodies about now. I recall a sign by them that said never fly higher than your willing to fall. Reminds me of our scooter motto, never drive faster than your guardian angels can fly.

[apollo24]

I saw one of those for the first time this past wknd. I couldn't believe that someone would pull small kids on one. There were a couple of kids literally 12 feet in the air and doing 20 knots. I don't trust anyone to pull me on a tube, much less one that flies, because of all the obstructions there are down here. It honestly did look like fun, just very dangerous.

[RickSE]

They've been officially banned by the National Parks Service at my lake, Powell, after 2 serious injuries.

[Carl C]

The local lady seems to be OK. She was knocked unconsious on a crash landing and was hospitalized not knowing if she had a neck or back injury. What a nightmare for a boater. There is no way I will tow one of these.:eek!:

[BUIZILLA]

I watched several of these on CenterHill Lake 2 weeks ago, in fact I almost bought one, on the spot............ I think they are very cool.

if that lady got hurt at 20 knots, thank God she doesn't water ski and fall down at 35 knots...:bonk: :boggled:

JH

[Carl C]

I watched several of these on CenterHill Lake 2 weeks ago, in fact I almost bought one, on the spot............ I think they are very cool.
if that lady got hurt at 20 knots, thank God she doesn't water ski and fall down at 35 knots...:bonk: :boggled:
JH I think skiing falls are a little easier to control. You instinctively roll into a ball and wrap your arms around your head. People have probably been killed or badly injured in ski falls but I have not heard of any instances of that. Now falling 10 feet or more from the air is a recipe for disaster, especially if your head hits first. Buizilla, I don't doubt that these tubes can be safe and fun with practice and a lot of caution but practice and caution are not being used. Part time boaters are using them nonchalantly and people are getting hurt. I can see them going the way of the skull piercing lawn darts. You better get yours now while you can, and please be careful.

[Carl C]

read this
it is NOT TUBING IT IS FLYING
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3662795352661557160&q=kite
http://www.steadywinds.com/archives/category/in-the-news/sportstuff-wego-kite-tube/ Excellant links, Matty. Buizilla, on second thought please watch and read these links and do NOT buy one. We need you here and will your insurance be adaquate to pay for a quadraplegics lifetime care?:eek!: :eek!: :eek!:Note the skull and crossbones on the bottom of the tube....sheeeesh....that's not gonna help them in court!

[Carl C]

Just another thought before I head to work and then to Lake Michigan in the morning.......................You wanna fly?????Invest in para-sailing equipment.:)

[kjly63]

para-sailing:eek!: now there's a safe sport. I watched this poor bastard being draged across several sections of docks before they stopped and pulled him in. DOA!

None of this stuff is safe. As soon as you fall off on a busy w/e........better pray you're not run over before the pulling boat gets back to ya.

Ken

[ChromeGorilla]

Well, heck we might as well stop doing anything that has any risk..... :rolleyes:
There is risk in everything. What about ski jumping, airchairs...etc......
I'll bet more people are killed canoeing (most common vessel in all boating deaths BTW) this year than riding on one of those flying tubes..... I guess we should ban those too.....
Come to think of it we should ban snowmobiling, snow skiing, hang gliding, etc etc etc......
Heck statistically it's probably more dangerous driving your car than riding that tube......... guess we should stop that too..... :rolleyes:

[BUIZILLA]

In all due respect.............

I watched perhaps 20-25 different people use these flying tubes, in over a 7 day period, behind several boats...

the trick is the tow boat operator and the towed speed, VS into or down wind..... I saw some people with some difficulty, and some people who mastered it in a couple minutes, the trick is tow boat speed and body placement on the tube. I personally locked into one with an instructor on the dock, I wouldn't hesitate to do it, with a good driver. We would have bought one had I had the 18 there, and we still probably will soon, but we only had a 17 mph 'toon boat that week. I did observe a couple people being towed by 3 and 4 cyl Sea Doo's with NO problem, once again, the tow boat speed is the key.

JH :yes:

[ChromeGorilla]

Matty the only unsafe thing I saw in that video was an usafe boat operator. The tube looked fine when operating at reasonable speeds. No reason to run WFO.

A motorcyle is safe when operated correctly... abused it is dangerous.....


I wouldn't blame the tube in the video..... just the idiots in the boat.....

[ChromeGorilla]

Interestinlgy enough, when I firsrt saw the title of this thread, I thought maybe Carl had somehow ended up on a plane Air22 was piloting :eek: :eek:


Now thats funny!:yes:

[LKSD]

Tow boat speed would be a key thing, But with the mfgs marketing the things to literally fly thats what people will try to do with it. Personally I anyone may want to try it as it does look fun. However all the times I have seen it people have been bozos with it or pulling it with little kids going fast. Its one thing if an adult wants to try it they can make a decison, but Putting a small child on it on a busy weekend & launching them into the sky??? Sorry but if I were a parent I may let my kid ride it on a calm day at low speed. No way in hell would I let them risk bodily injury 10-40' in the air... Jamie

[RedDog]

here is another video with a more aerodynamic tube -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBa9wdOANHw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpajamasmedia%2Ecom%2F2006%2F07%2 F08%2F

[LKSD]

Thats crazy! :eek!: :eek!: :yes:

[roadtrip se]

at the lake a few weeks back being brought into a marina. It was bigger than the boat and I wondered what the heck it was. Wow.

In regards to the flying tubes...

I'm with CG, in today's meet-me-in-court-society, I am surprised that these things are seeing the light of day, but I don't think any judge is going to listen to a product liability case where a driver ran an inflatible at 55+ mph.

What kind of MORON would even allow themselves to get into such a situation? Bail out if you don't like what the driver is doing AND take account for your own actions.

There are people close to me who don't understand performance boating and the speeds involved. They believe it to be inherently dangerous. Compared to a pontoon racing along at 17, it probably is. I understand the risks, I try to mitigate it by staying sober and wearing good vests, and I dread the day the nanny state comes after me and my sport, because I enage in a dangerous activity.

Individual responsibility and an understanding of the risks involved... I'm okay with that.

[Carl C]

These things are supposed to fly about 5 ft. off the water but it looks like only the front comes up so they keep going a little faster to get the tube to come up but it doesn't come up until you reach critical speed and then, like with an airplane, it really takes off. I won't tow one.

[Carl C]

We had yet another kite tube injury locally on Sunday on Lake Orion. A 15 year old girl is hospitalized in serious condition after slamming face first into the water. She was being towed by her father so it's hard to believe that excess speed was a factor. :boggled:

[BUIZILLA]

We had yet another kite tube injury locally on Sunday on Lake Orion. A 15 year old girl is hospitalized in serious condition after slamming face first into the water. She was being towed by her father so it's hard to believe that excess speed was a factor. :boggled:this makes no sense at all, think about it.... :boggled:

[Carl C]

this makes no sense at all, think about it.... :boggled: I'm not sure what you mean, Buizilla.:confused: (after re-reading the article it says that she was being towed behind her father's boat, I don't know if her dad was driving)

[SilverBack]

Bass Pro Shops in Memphis tld me that they (Bass Pro) had taken them off of the shelves.

Falling on the water with skis is very different than doig a belly or back buster from 15' in the air plusgoing 20 mph to boot.

[KerrLake]

My wife saw on the news this morning that they have been recalled. My cousin had a Manta Ray, which is the Sevlor one. I tried and thought it was fun until I fell off at 15' high. No more for me, I can see why people are getting hurt so easily. Lawsuits to follow on the 11 oclock news????

[synack]

Yup...they're recalled

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06210.html

[Carl C]

synack, I owe you a brewski :beer:. I sent this story and your link to our local paper and they paid me 25 bucks :yippie: Here's the story that resulted. Also here's a new story about a local guy who ruptured his aorta and didn't even know he was hurt at first. I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here but this is an amazing story.:eek!: edit: this will be easier to read.