SportsStuffBig Bertha Towable 1-4 Rider Tube for Boating and Water Sports, Kwik-Connect Tow, Double-Stiched Partial Nylon Cover & Patented Speed Safety Valve for Easy Inflating & Deflating

My family really enjoys this tube; great fun on the water.

My family has owned a boat and participated in water sports since before I was born. We have gone through many inner tubes and none of them seem to last more than a summer. Even though I've only taken this thing out once, I know it was well worth the investment. First, it's the first tube we have ever bought that is actually constructed to resist the typical strains of inner tubing, such as a built-in and attached floor instead of a removable one. Removable ones always push out or shift once weight is applied. Second, even my father who thinks no tube will ever last said "finally! Somebody is thinking" when he saw the rope attachment with a metal hook. Cloth "tug rope" attachments tend to rip under heavy load and use. Additionally, the nylon cover will not come off. I've had that happen to me on several other tubes in the past (which leaves you sitting in the middle of the river with inner tube parts around you as the nylon cover is dragged behind the boat while your parents circle back to get you.) This tube can also hold 4 people. There are 3 "kids" in my family. I am the oldest, but the youngest is 19. We had to grow up taking turns. Not anymore. But my favorite aspect about this inner tube is the ZERO splash back. Every inner tube I've ever been in has always splashed me in the face due to the rope hitting the water and the rope's proximity to the top of the tube where the riders sit or lay. I started riding tubes backwards so I wasn't breathing in water. But not with this thing. It's size combined with the location of the rope attachment point ensures that any splash-back water does not reach the rider(s). However, I do think I should point out that this thing is hard to control if you don't weigh enough. I'm about 150lbs and struggled keeping it upright in waves when I rode it alone but it was much easier with 2 people. Not a bad thing, just something to know!

I have a 19 foot center console with a 115 4-stroke that we use for wake boarding and knee boarding. I mention this since Big Bertha is really BIG and you may be concerned about what it takes to drag it around. Don't worry...she moves really well. My wife can't do wake boarding and knee boarding and was feeling left out so I asked her to pick a tow-able and she selected Big Bertha. Bertha was so huge I wondered if it would be better if she towed the boat instead of the other way around ;-) We've had other tubes before that were way smaller, less stable and weren't constructed as well. Bertha is now our favorite because you can really feel the quality and fly with this thing and although it's 'almost' impossible to flip it you still get a very exhilarating ride! My son-in-law is well over 6 feet and in the 200lb range and even he enjoys it. With one person in it you can push the envelope because of the quality and stability, even got some air several times without flipping. Putting more than 1 person on at a time and the stability drops so you can't get as crazy. As for getting in while in the water...quite the workout...but it's more than worth dragging it back to the boat so you can climb in...besides...she doesn't really tip over anyway (although you sure feel like it will) unless you really push it.

This is the third tube I've bought and I am very pleased with it. I used to have an older version of this brand, but the slipcover broke in the center and wasn't worth the cost to replace. This newer one was much better constructed with an inflatable section in the middle.Pros: It's very sturdy and you're unlikely to fall off no matter how wildly (or mildly) you're towed. Losing your seat usually just means you fall into the center and can get back on the edge again. It's designed to be used by sitting on the edge with your feet in the middle which also gives you a tiny bit more control, but you can have small kids sit in the center with room to spare. Big enough for nearly any person. Easy to step into and out of from the boat, so you don't have to take flying leaps to get in or jump into the water to get out. If your arms need a break, you can just slide into the center. The inflated section in the middle protects the slipcover and rest of the tube from being damaged. Easy to attach tow ring.Cons: The center can get very hot from the sun, toss some water in from a bucket to keep it cool. It says it can handle 4 people, but that is unlikely unless some are small. This tube is MASSIVE when inflated, so even a large boat will get crowded from it. This is NOT for small boats. Due to the size, there is a lot of resistance against air pumps before it's taut enough, so we have to use our lungs for the very end.

I purchased Big Bertha for my hubby for Father's Day, and by far this is his favorite gift in years! Took her out that day and the most experienced rider, teenagers, all the way to a 3 year old with his Dad had a blast! If the rider doesn't want to fall in, Big Bertha is stable enough to keep the rider/s on, or for the experienced rider who like to do tricks, it does take some getting used too, but you can do most tricks on Big Bertha that you can do on any other tube! Best tube you can buy for the family! The only thing I will be adding to Big Bertha, is a portable air pump, her size does take up a lot of room in the boat, and in our case, we live on the water, and it takes some time to get to a safe place to tube, and with so many people wanting to ride Big Bertha, we need every seat in the boat! Big Bertha is also made of very sturdy material, no need to worry aboit punctures, or dsnage! Two thumbs up for Big Bertha!

A lot of fun