Dan Armitage

“Faster, faster!” screamed Maria from a curtain of spray 100 feet behind the speeding jetboat. As I nudged the throttle forward, my aft-facing lookout exclaimed, “There she goes!” just in time for me to jack my head around and catch sight of my wife getting air while clinging to the bright orange flying inflatable – yelling like a teenager at the top of her lungs.



The high-tech Stearns “tube” my bride was using to launch herself off the yacht tender’s wake was a far cry from the donut-shaped inflatable devices we dragged behind boats when we were teens, which were basic black and serving extended duty after a stint inside the tire of a truck or tractor.
   
Anyone who has landed on the air valve or worked up the dreaded raspberry rash while riding atop traditional rubber tire inner tubes will appreciate how far today’s towables have evolved.  
The variety of inflatables for use on and around the water is astounding. In its current catalog, Overton, a popular boating accessories mail order retailer, dedicates no fewer than 18 pages to inflatable water toys. A full page following the blow-up line-up for 2007 is required to illustrate all the options for inflating and deflating the water toys, most of which are directed at big boys (and their friends).
   
The selection of inflatable playthings offered this year include everything from traditional pool rafts, lounges, and simple tubes designed to be towed behind a boat, to radical multi-person, high-speed towables that resemble race cars, rockets, chariots, fighter jets, and manta rays. In fact, things recently went a little over the top in a category of extreme towables referred to as “kite tubes.” As their name implies, these combination tube/kites assume aerodynamic characteristics when they reach a certain speed, lifting off the water and giving the rider an airborne ride. These kite tubes were deemed a little too radical when injuries began to mount up among those using the kites and apparently getting too much air, and one of the major manufacturers of the kite tubes voluntarily pulled the most popular model off the market.
   
What makes all these inflatables popular with fun-loving ocean cruisers is their (relative) portability. Even fully deflated and packed tight, Rave Watersports’ six-person Waterboggan would not qualify as a carry-on, but most of the towable water toys can be packed and checked as luggage and any of them can be shipped ahead to a distant port of call, ready for an air-fill and day full of fun when you arrive.
   
To wet your whistle*, here are some of the latest blow-up toys boaters are going to be dragging behind their boats this season.

Floating Playgrounds
Not all modern inflatables are meant to be dragged behind a boat. For 2007 there are dozens of models of blow-up “playgrounds” decked out with water slides, basketball hoops, trampolines, and water rockets complete with boarding ladders – even one giant in the form of an alligator – that are intended to be used in large swimming pools or protected lake and ocean waters.
   
Several models would make excellent distractions for fun-loving boaters of all ages. For example, the Rave Aqua Tower deployed and bobbing in the water off the swim platform of an anchored yacht opens up all kinds of possibilities from relaxing to radical on-water activities – and a great alternative to simply hanging out on deck.

Wet Whistle
Unless you have the lungs of Pamela Anderson, don’t even think about trying to inflate any of these the old fashioned way. To keep from getting blue in the face and saving your energy for the real fun to come, make sure you have a power inflator aboard to both blow up – and deflate – your towable toys. Most inflators are available in 12 volt and 120 models, some are portable, and all offer fittings for most inflatable valves. Take it from someone who knows: it doesn’t hurt to have extra inflator fittings and inflatable valves aboard in case one accidentally gets the deep six!

Safety To keep your inflatable toy towing as safe as possible:

• Always have riders wear a PFD.
• Don’t go more than 20 mph.
• Make sure the tube is properly inflated — this is one way to get the best results without the need to go faster
• Consider the conditions such as crowding, wind, and chop.
• Obey local boating laws — most require an observer in addition to the tow-boat driver.
• Use a 50- to 65-foot towline, and make sure it’s in good condition and beefy enough for the number of people being towed.
• When finished tubing, disconnect the line and stow it safely before operating the boat.
• Do not tow empty tubes – they can fill with water and become anchors, possibly damaging the tube or boat.
• Store tubes out of the sun in a cool place, letting a little air out so the tube doesn’t expand and weaken. Just remember to add air again before using.
• Read the owner’s manual and manufacturer’s warnings before using any tube.