If you’ve never ridden on one of these water toys you really don’t know what you’re missing. They’re fast, fun, and with a few simple precautions they’re a safe and easy way to take part in water sports and have a lot of great days you’ll always remember.

If you’re unsure of what exactly a towable inflatable is, it’s actually very simple and doesn’t really require any skills. They are products that you blow up with an air pump and tow behind a boat. A rider (or two, or up to a dozen depending on the product you have) get on and hold on tightly. The boat takes off and you ride across the water, having a lot of fun laughing and screaming as you ride along the boats wake.

To have a great time the only things you’ll need are the product itself, an air pump to blow it up, a boat that can pull it across the water, a tow rope or harness, and the necessary safety equipment.

For the sake of safety you’ll want to take a few basic precautions. For instance, wear a life vest, a water sports helmet, and don’t ride on a towable inflatable unless you are a strong swimmer. If you can’t swim against the waves made by the boat and fall into the water you can be in a very bad situation. This is where your strong swimming skills, and your life vest, can be the difference between a fun fall into the water, or a very scary situation. By following these simple guidelines you should be safe and good to go out onto the water.

If you’ve ridden one of these fun toys before then you have a good idea of what you’re looking for to narrow your search for the right one for you. Consider how many people you want to be able to ride at a time, what you’re looking to spend, whether you want to go with one of the major brands like Aquaglide or Sportsstuff, and the fun choices like colors and styles.

Whether you’re looking to purchase one for yourself or as a truly awesome gift it’s hard to regret your purchase of a towable inflatable after you’ve built up a lot of unforgettable days on the water.

To begin with, how many people will be riding? There are ones specifically made for one rider, two, three–some can hold up to a dozen riders! This is really the first thing to look at to narrow your search and give yourself a better idea of what you’re looking for.

If you’re a brand shopper the major brands for a towable inflatable include Aquaglide, Airhead, and Sportsstuff. These are trusted top brands that have a reputation for being reliable purchases.

Who will be riding? If you’re looking into this just for children there are ones made specifically for them. If it’s going to be a mix of adults and children they’ll be fine to ride on the adult sized ones, but if it’s just for kids you’ll want to consider the child sized ones as an option.

Of course, with any purchase, you’ll also want to consider your budget. There are really products in all price ranges; you can spend under a hundred dollars on a towable inflatable, or over a thousand. If you’re looking to spend a small amount you’ll probably have a harder time finding ones that will hold a full dozen people, but there is still a good selection for a variety of needs.

Before you finish checking out you’ll want to think about the accessories you may need. For instance, you’ll need a tow rope or harness, an air pump, and safety equipment such as life vests and helmets. There’s nothing worse than getting out to the water and realizing you don’t have a way to hook up to the boat.

Whether it’s for yourself or a gift it’s hard to regret this purchase. These products are good for hours of fun, you’ll always remember the fun days you had riding your towable inflatable.

The first thing to consider isn’t something most people usually think about when on the water, but you should think about getting helmets for water sports. Even if you are a very strong swimmer and have taken all of the other safety precautions it’s still very possible to accidentally bump heads with a fellow rider, or hit your head on a log in the water, and then you’re very quickly in an extremely dangerous situation. Being a strong swimmer isn’t always enough, and for this reason it’s strongly suggested you wear a helmet and life vest.

Of course this leads to the next piece of safety equipment-life vests. Everyone needs to be wearing one for the same reasons you should be wearing a helmet.

While I’ve said being a strong swimmer isn’t enough, it is still important. Before riding on a towable inflatable you should be a strong enough swimmer to swim against the waves from the boat if you fall off into the water.

You’ll also want to regularly check your towing ropes and harnesses for frays and tears. These should be replaced whenever they get to a point where they’re fraying to avoid any accidents.

Whenever you go to the beach there will be posted rules and regulations, follow them. Some of them may seem pointless, but they were made by people who’ve been on this water before you who’ve seen things happen and made these rules for your protection.

Beyond these simple rules the only other suggestion for your safety is to use your common sense. If you’re looking out at the weather and don’t feel right about going on the water today, listen to your instincts.

If you’ve taken all of these precautions then you should feel safe and secure to go ahead and get out on the water and enjoy your towable inflatable! Having fun, safely, is what it’s all about.

The first thing you want to do is make sure that your tube is very dry, both inside and out. If the tube is moist at all you’ll have mildew and mold problems, which will cause you a world of trouble that you do not want to deal with. No matter how clean you get it after having a mold problem, it will smell awful when you take it out next spring. The mold could rot your tube, causing permanent damage. To avoid all this, just make sure that tube is very dry-and that wherever you’ll be storing it is also dry.

The inner lining of the towable inflatable is where the air is stored. You need to make sure there is no air in there before storing it. The reason for this is that the air can get warm and expand over time, causing some damage to your tube.

Make sure that wherever you are going to store it there is no direct sunlight. Over time this exposure will cause damage to your tube, making the material thinner and the whole thing weak.

So, find an unlit, dry, place to your store your tube and make sure there is no air inside and you should be fine. It’s a good idea to make sure that it’s in a box or is in someway protected from getting scratched–don’t put it up on a wooden shelf unprotected where it could get splinters, or where a stray animal (or pet) may climb up and scratch it with it’s nails.

Thinking these things through will ensure that you’ve stored your towable inflatable in a way that it’ll be ready to use next summer for more fun on the water.

First let’s look at what the toy is, exactly. All of these rafts are set up very differently. Some are meant for one rider, some are meant for two, three…up to a dozen. Some of them are circle shaped tubes, some of them are shaped like a hot dog (and even designed that way!), some of them are set up in an eight shape, and some are set up more like a raft. There’s a lot of variety out there and they’ll all give you a slightly different riding experience. Some people love riding alone, and some love riding with family and friends, screaming and laughing together. This is all up to you.

You hook the inflatable towable tube up to the back of a boat with a tow harness or tow rope and the boat takes off, picking up speed as it goes across the water. You’ll notice that the raft feels like it’s pulling against the water, moving slowly at first, and then suddenly it feels as though you’re riding above the water, lighter than air. The ride itself can be described as a roller coaster ride. It’s a wild, fast, fun ride that leaves you screaming and laughing as you speed across the water, you’re only real job in this sport being to hold on tight to the tube and have a good time.

The reason it starts to take off faster and feel like you’re flying across the water is that as you pick up the pace you start to hydroplane, you are riding on top of the water and no longer sinking into the water, pushing through all of that resistance.

It barely matters how an inflatable towable tube works really though, the real point is that it’s a great way to have a fun day on the water.

If you’re looking for a tube for one rider you should check out the SportsStuff Wake Ryder Towable Tube. This is a very unique option that everyone will be excited to ride, because everyone can ride it differently. There are multiple positions you can ride on this tube, you can lay down, sit, or stand up.

This large towable is 84 inches wide and 72 inches long and is bright red and yellow, making it easy to spot in the water. It’s got a full nylon cover with zipper, heavy gauge PVC bladders, tapered deck tube construction, a steering leash for standing up, a cockpit with slots for your feet to give you a better sense of control, aluminum connecting tow system, and a speed safety valve for fast inflation and deflation. There are also self bailing drain vents and various handles for the various riding positions.

It comes with a 60 foot tow rope (this rope is valued at $24.95).

The Sportsstuff Crazy 8 is a great, fun, and unique towable inflatable meant for two riders. The tow rope can be attached at one of two locations, making it so that you can ride side by side, or front to back for two different riding experiences. The option to have a slightly different ride makes it seem like you have two tubes instead of just the one.

The tube features a heavy duty PVC bladder, double stitched partial nylon cover, safety valve for fast inflation or deflation, and a reinforced heavy duty tow system. It’s a got bright red graphics that help make this unique tube stand out on the water. There are handles all around the 8 shape making it easy to hold on while you go for a wild ride.

These tubes are towed behind a boat, using a tow rope or harness. The rider holds on tightly, the boat takes off, picks up speed, and then the inflatable starts to hydroplane, taking the person on a wild ride that is often compared to riding a roller coaster because it’s fast and thrilling. This is a fun thing for a family to do together, that they will always talk about and want to do again and again. Spending the day on the water together is a great bonding activity.

If you’re worried about your child riding on their own, you can always find ones meant for multiple riders. They have ones that will hold two people, and they ones that will hold up to a dozen–there is really something for every situation. There are also ones that are only meant to hold a child.

Obviously, there is a risk of falling off the tube into the water. For this reason, it’s important that your child is a strong swimmer before riding on a tube, it’s also important that they are wearing a life vest. For that extra step of safety, in any water sport, it’s also a good idea to wear a water helmet. This way if someone were to fall off and hit their head or become disoriented the helmet and life vest will keep them safe from any unforeseen incidents.

While you need to watch out, be aware, follow posted safety regulations, and always keep safety in mind, you don’t need to be afraid of letting your child have a great time. Take the necessary safety steps, and then enjoy the day as a family, towable tubing with your kids.

A towable tube is a water toy that is blown up and attached to the back of a boat with a tow rope or harness. They come in different shapes, sizes, and colors so that no two are exactly alike. You simply sit on the inflatable and hold on tight while the boat takes off and you’re ready to get riding around the lake. The ride can easily be compared to the experience of riding a roller coaster. You’ll be zipping quickly around the lake, holding on tight, screaming and having a great time.

They come made for one rider, or two, three…all the way up to a dozen. Of course, the bigger the tube, the more expensive it will be. There are ones out there in all price ranges, though. They go from a little under a hundred dollars up to thousands–with all of the variety in price, color, size, shape, and overall style there really is something out there for everyone. The problem is definitely not a lack of choices, but possibly too many. In order to avoid spending weeks just looking through your options, I recommend narrowing down your selection by looking at the number of riders you want the tube to carry. Even if it doesn’t carry everyone at once, other family members can ride on the boat or sit on the waters edge and people can take turns.

Towable inflatables aren’t your only option for family sports, of course. You can also look at white water rafting trips with an instructor, water skiing, or jet skies. Canoeing is an easy family activity, and while it requires a bit more skill kayaking is a popular option these days. With any of these options always remember your basic safety tips–no one on the water who doesn’t know how to swim, and use life vests for the whole family.

Of course, if you’re looking for something that requires a little less of a learning curve so that all members of your family can participate, towable inflatables always make a great, easy, option that will still ensure a thrilling day for all.