All of the products on these pages have been personally owned and used by us over the years, or we have experience with them or friends have used them. To check the latest prices on the following items, just click the images.
A few have been updated to different color schemes or modified slightly each year by the manufacturer, so our in-article images may look slightly different. Be sure to check the Amazon extra images to see these in action to determine if the one you’ve chosen is right for your riders.
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Inflatable tubes
Hot dog: This 3 person tube is great for low-speed straight line rides for younger kids to teens. 20 mph rating. We owned this one for 5 years before passing it off to a family with younger kids.
5 rider hot dog: This is huge and commercial grade quality. It will need to be used from shore or with a support boat. We moved up to this one when our 4th kid (niece) got old enough to ride. Straight line low speed tube, no real turns or tricks. Jumping wake is fun though. Also would be great if you wanted a side business charging for rides.
Gyro spinning tube: Nicknamed the vomit comet by my kids. Advanced tube for advanced riders with strong grip. Speed can be a little faster, but the appeal of this tube is tossing it sideways with a turn and getting it into a roll. Plastic is a little thin, so be ready to patch it a few times. But for an inexpensive unusual ride, it can’t be beat. Quickly became our teenagers’ favorite towable
Airhead single tube: For single riders, this circular tube allows for faster speeds and quick turns. Riders can change grip from center to right or left depending on which direction you’re turning. You can get it outside the wake and really whipping sideways quickly. When riders do get dumped off, they typically safely roll into the water. It’s also great for jumping wake, standing up and riding, riding facing backwards, sitting or on your knees.
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Double tube: For regular 2-person rides, we like the lie down forward facing tubes. You can get sit down tubes as well, but the lie down tubes will take faster speeds and jump wake. Create a good wake using figure of eight driving pattern after scanning 360 degrees or by crossing safely behind larger boats. Then jump the wake with this one. It’s also easy to get outside the wake of a boat or PWC for faster sideways slides.
Double stunt tube: This one is an exception to the recommended items we own policy. I’ve seen this one on the lake, and it looks great for adults and older teens. One thing I look for in a multi-rider tube is enough space so the riders won’t bang together and get injured if the tube flips or hits a big wave. This fits that requirement. It’s a large tube, and it can be used in multiple positions.
Tube and rope protector: You’ll need a rope and some strong connectors along with a rope keeper to prevent the rope from getting sucked into the impeller. You can buy these items separately, or go with an all-in-one solution like this. It also helps prevent rope slack when turning, and we found there’s less face splashing from the rope when using it.
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Knee Boards
The O’Brien Ricochet (Amazon) is the latest model and comes in colorful scheme.
The Connelly Theory 2021 comes in at a slightly lower price.
Both boards have the important front rope handle hook to allow for riding hands free and to help with starts.