Which towable?

[Uh Oh]

Can anyone recommend from experience, a towable that would be suitable for 2 10 year olds please? A specific towable, as opposed to a brand of towable please?

I have no experience and haven't a clue what to look for.
Thank you.

[SimonCh]

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/jobe-d..._/R-p-X8391571

Something like this - They sit nice and deep in it, and are side by side so they feel safe with their pal next to them

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by SimonCh

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/jobe-d..._/R-p-X8391571

Something like this - They sit nice and deep in it, and are side by side so they feel safe with their pal next to them

Thank you Simon

[SimonCh]

Originally Posted by Uh Oh

Thank you Simon

Make sure you get a towable rope for it as well!

[Limecc]

If you have a smaller engine then the Airhead Slash II needs less power than a simple ring, hence can go faster and is steerable. Because it's open-backed it makes it easier to get back on. Can take two.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rU88zlgKyc

[TmMorris]

This thing kept my ten year olds happy a the other week:



Having had a go myself I would say that because you lie on it and hold on, behind 250hp and a friend wanting you to fall off, it was quite tiring to hold on after a while. But that has its own benefits as the children demand a break rather than you being the fun police.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Uh Oh

Can anyone recommend from experience, a towable that would be suitable for 2 10 year olds please? A specific towable, as opposed to a brand of towable please?

I have no experience and haven't a clue what to look for.
Thank you.

Not wanting to be all 'elf and safety', but if you've no experience towing two fairly young children about at speed is probably not the best place to start! I've got the 1 person version of the Jobe one the SimonCh posted, and the luxury of deserted areas to play with it. We use a quick-release on the tow line so if the occupant falls off they should take the tow with them which is more reassuring for them, easier for your to spot and anyone else. If you have two people on board they potentially fall off at different points, and have more chance of banging heads against each other etc - so it is going to take even greater effort from the helm to keeping everyone safe.

Because it's open-backed it makes it easier to get back on.

I can confirm that the Jobe is not easy to board from the water, I've only seen one person do it successfully! However I don't actually find that a nuisance (not least because the quick release means I usually need to bring them back alongside anyway) but also because it forces rotation of peope.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by SimonCh

Make sure you get a towable rope for it as well!

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by Limecc

If you have a smaller engine then the Airhead Slash II needs less power than a simple ring, hence can go faster and is steerable. Because it's open-backed it makes it easier to get back on. Can take two.

Thank you. Good point. We have a 50hp on a 5 metre rib.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

This thing kept my ten year olds happy a the other week:



Having had a go myself I would say that because you lie on it and hold on, behind 250hp and a friend wanting you to fall off, it was quite tiring to hold on after a while. But that has its own benefits as the children demand a break rather than you being the fun police.

It looks great. Thanks for the advice. See you've got a Bob as well. Are you pleased with it? Does it do what it says on the tin?

Thanks again

[TmMorris]

That one looks perfect for a modest RIB.

All I would add is that I wouldn't ever put two people on a towable if they are one behind the other. It's a recipe for headbutts.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by Poly

Not wanting to be all 'elf and safety', but if you've no experience towing two fairly young children about at speed is probably not the best place to start! I've got the 1 person version of the Jobe one the SimonCh posted, and the luxury of deserted areas to play with it. We use a quick-release on the tow line so if the occupant falls off they should take the tow with them which is more reassuring for them, easier for your to spot and anyone else. If you have two people on board they potentially fall off at different points, and have more chance of banging heads against each other etc - so it is going to take even greater effort from the helm to keeping everyone safe.


I can confirm that the Jobe is not easy to board from the water, I've only seen one person do it successfully! However I don't actually find that a nuisance (not least because the quick release means I usually need to bring them back alongside anyway) but also because it forces rotation of peope.

Thank you. All really useful advice. I didnt intend on going fast with children on. And also, as you say, because of my lack of experience. The idea was to have an adult with a child rather than two children, again until we have more experience. We are going to provide head protection. As you say, 2 people could easily clash heads. Also, gloves as I've been told hands can get sore after a while. And of course PFDs.
Good point about getting back on an inflatable from the water. Something for us to think about in advance.
Another piece of advice I've been given is to have soft connections in case a rope breaks under tension. To avoid a shackle or carabiner flying towards you.
It's all a learning curve and I'm very grateful for all the advice.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Uh Oh

It looks great. Thanks for the advice. See you've got a Bob as well. Are you pleased with it? Does it do what it says on the tin?

Thanks again

It's a friends. It was running behind an Axopar with a 250. It's a big thing. The BOB worked well and was arguably needed as the transom eyes on the Axo are pretty much at water level and we didn't want to put the kind of weight and drag of the Airhead on the ski hook higher up.

I don't think you'll have a problem running it behind your boat but stowing it onboard might be interesting as it is pretty large!!

The smaller one in the video above looks better in many ways but I'd only put one offspring on at a time on a towable where they are in series not parallel.

Plus, getting back onto the one we were using was a struggle for our children.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by TmMorris

That one looks perfect for a modest RIB.

All I would add is that I wouldn't ever put two people on a towable if they are one behind the other. It's a recipe for headbutts.

Good point. Hadn't thought of that.

[Fender]

Originally Posted by Uh Oh

Thank you. All really useful advice. I didnt intend on going fast with children on. And also, as you say, because of my lack of experience. The idea was to have an adult with a child rather than two children, again until we have more experience. We are going to provide head protection. As you say, 2 people could easily clash heads. Also, gloves as I've been told hands can get sore after a while. And of course PFDs.
Good point about getting back on an inflatable from the water. Something for us to think about in advance.
Another piece of advice I've been given is to have soft connections in case a rope breaks under tension. To avoid a shackle or carabiner flying towards you.
It's all a learning curve and I'm very grateful for all the advice.

Absolutely, avoid anything metal - a failed floaty tow rope can whip back, image if its got a shackle on the end

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by Fender

Absolutely, avoid anything metal - a failed floaty tow rope can whip back, image if its got a shackle on the end

Makes you shudder.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Uh Oh

I didnt intend on going fast with children on.

we all start that way - but they refuse to let go and you "have to" shake them off somehow!

The idea was to have an adult with a child rather than two children, again until we have more experience.

I wonder how well they work if oneside is 3-4x heavier than the other?

And of course PFDs.

point to be aware of is that some PFDs are more suited to towing than others. I know people here are pretty clued up on PFDs in general and know about crotch straps etc - but I saw some children out at the weekend who were about that age whose PFDs had obviously been bought with room for growth and were trying to get off over their ears... they weren't doing high-speed stuff, but if they are falling in the water at speed 50 ft from you you want to be extra sure the PFD is going to work.

Good point about getting back on an inflatable from the water. Something for us to think about in advance.

for getting kids back from water to boat, easiest is to turn them to face away from the boat, cross their arms over the front of the PFD (holding opposite lapels if that makes sense), and bounce them up and down using the shoulders of their pfd in the water a few times before hauling them up to sit their bum on the tube. It stops their legs dragging on the tube/hull and helps avoid them randomly grabbing at stuff like radios, fuel lines etc as they try to find handholds.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by Poly

we all start that way - but they refuse to let go and you "have to" shake them off somehow!

I wonder how well they work if oneside is 3-4x heavier than the other?

point to be aware of is that some PFDs are more suited to towing than others. I know people here are pretty clued up on PFDs in general and know about crotch straps etc - but I saw some children out at the weekend who were about that age whose PFDs had obviously been bought with room for growth and were trying to get off over their ears... they weren't doing high-speed stuff, but if they are falling in the water at speed 50 ft from you you want to be extra sure the PFD is going to work.

for getting kids back from water to boat, easiest is to turn them to face away from the boat, cross their arms over the front of the PFD (holding opposite lapels if that makes sense), and bounce them up and down using the shoulders of their pfd in the water a few times before hauling them up to sit their bum on the tube. It stops their legs dragging on the tube/hull and helps avoid them randomly grabbing at stuff like radios, fuel lines etc as they try to find handholds.

I can't do them fancy in comment quotes yet
so here we go, in order......

Well they're only kids for goodness sakes. We can get some more.
And they bounce better, and recover quicker.....

Fair comment. Good point. But a lot of the videos you see have an adult with a child riding with them. I think it would be more of an influence the further they are apart. But its a good point and something the helmsperson/me should be aware of.

The advice regarding getting an annoying little tw##, I mean child, back into the boat is excellent and I'm grateful to you.

[lakelandterrier]

I'd also consider who's watching the towable whilst you are helming - you cant helm and watch behind you at the same time.

Having the kids take turns and not be on it together takes away the chance of head to head contact, and give one a rest, so you can swap over.

My two enjoyed different speeds and rides, one a "steady eddy" the other total adrenaline junkie so have a 1 person towable worked well for us.

[Uh Oh]

Originally Posted by lakelandterrier

I'd also consider who's watching the towable whilst you are helming - you cant helm and watch behind you at the same time.

Having the kids take turns and not be on it together takes away the chance of head to head contact, and give one a rest, so you can swap over.

My two enjoyed different speeds and rides, one a "steady eddy" the other total adrenaline junkie so have a 1 person towable worked well for us.

Thank you.
My two grandsons are like that. We're all different aren't we. We will always have someone I can trust looking back. Either my good lady, or their mother.