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towing tube with 2002 sperster twin 720..... questions?

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Killertiller

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SO i been towing from the lower metal loop on rear of boat. The pole that pops up near rear hatch seems weak. I am noticing the tube often submerges and its a pain in butt having to nail it to get it out of water before it happens and makes it tuff on my gf cause she is just good enuff to tow me but cant get the whole concept of keeping tube above water when towing me...lol. So seems like tying rope to the pole be alot better cause pulling rope up at better angle. Also seeing as the pole is much higher i was thinking that id i keep rope towards bottom of the pole it def bend it less. Also will boat plane out easier with the rope on the pole? I using a air head bungee rope so that may be lil more freindly on the pole also.
 
First, lose the bungee rope. They are dangerous (might actually be illegal in some states) and when bouncing actually put more strain on boat then static pressure. Second you will be fine pulling a normal sized person on a single tube from pylon, but I'd use caution pulling more than one tube or an extra hefty rider.

Just my 2 cents.
 
We use the pylon to tow tubes for the exact reasons you mentioned, BUT, we bent the pylon. It's still useable but it no longer retracts. The wife put a ton of slack into the rope and then slammed us off the tube, bending the pole in the process. I have heard that if you want to use the pylon to tow, keep it as retracted as possible, just high enough for the rope to not rub on the boat.
 
dbracela said:
The wife put a ton of slack into the rope and then slammed us off the tube, bending the pole in the process.
Click to expand...

The root cause has been identified. Should be fine as long as this kind of thing doesn't happen (and it really never should, unless you want someone to get hurt... way too much stress on the boat, rope, tube, and riders.).
 
The pop up pylon is meant for skiing. With a tube, there is too much drag in the water. Lots of people have bent them pulling tubes. I would stick to the tow hook. Look into a tow rope called the booster ball. I use it and its awesome. About halfway back it has a big inflatable ball. It keeps the rope up out of the water.
 
RFoster is correct. The ski pole is for skiing. Those booster balls do help with keeping the slack and rope out of the water more. I like them to since it is easier to keep the rope for getting sucked up in the jet pumps which is very bad. Most of the time it is the tube design on why they dip in the water on take off and not the boat pulling it.
 
I have 2 tubes. AND... the one I use most of the time has 2 rope mounts. One high, and one low. The low one is for more weight... but I always tie onto it. It keeps the nose out of the water.
 
i was thinking the bungee rope be better so in times when slack is in rope it dont pound boat and tube as bad. So i just bought a big bertha tube yesterday and hope that helps. The booster ball looks good but just takes up more room on a small boat. But i may try...
 
true, i read some people hate the ball and some love it so i was up in the air deciding. I do notice i havent seen anyone at all using it on lake. So back to the bungee rope. How could it be more stress on the boat. I cant understand that but would like too...lolol.
 
Hey RFoster, what about those of us who have a new 2012 speedster 150 that does not have a tow eye. We only have the pop up tow bar. I am worried about bending it as I want to tow a large 3 person tube with it ):
 
On a 2012 model I would ask the dealer about it and get it in writing that you can pull a tube from the pole since you more than likely still have a warranty.
 
It says right in the manual that "This boat comes equipped with a ski post. Use this post to pull a tube, waterskier or wakeboarder"
Therefore my expectation would be that if the tube bent anytime within my 5 year warranty period it should be replaced under warranty :)
 
They say you can use the pole I would use it before the 5 years is up to make sure it can hold the weight..
 
Maybe the newer poles are sturdier. On the 98 speedster i had, it came with the pole and tow hook both. On the 2004 speedster i have now, it only has the pop up pylon. So maybe they reinforced them. I havent tried to use it yet. Ill prolly just use the tower most of the time to pull a tube anyway.
 
If you're worried about bending the ski pole, they make harnesses that you can connect to your tie down loops under your swim platform if you don't have a tow hook on the back. Something to consider? I've never used one, so I can't comment on how well they do/don't work.

http://www.wholesalemarine.com/kwik-tek-airhead-heavy-duty-boat-tow-harness.html

http://www.wholesalemarine.com/kwik-tek-airhead-self-centering-boat-tow-harness.html

I noticed that wholesalemarine.com has a good price on the SportStuff Booster Ball...about $10 cheaper than I could find when I bought mine. If you were to use a tow harness, the Booster Ball might help out with keeping the tow rope up out of the water for better performance.
 
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