Flying tubes

[Philippine Mango]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUQRd-G67lE


:laugh: apparently my friend's brother's friend was on that tube..

 

[Journer]

holy shart! that must have been fun

 

[Ika]

holy shat! I'd be scared to hell if I was in that tube.

 

[TraumaRN]

😀 :laugh: I would have loved to have been in that tube!

 

[mobobuff]

One of the few times shouting "yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-hawwwwwww!" would be appropriate.

 

[Rubycon]

Dangerous.

If you want to fly while being pulled by a boat go parasailing.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Dangerous.

If you want to fly while being pulled by a boat go parasailing.

I almost died parasailing here on Lake Travis when a storm blew in outta nowhere. Believe me, I would rather have been 32' in the air rather than 300' when the 45mph wind hit.

 

[DaTT]

cool

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Dangerous.

Life tends to be, yes.

I was waiting for the thing to flip over and go plunging down:laugh:

 

[Goosemaster]

dude......😎

 

[Powermoloch]

wow :thumbsup: :Q

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: MrPickins

I almost died parasailing here on Lake Travis when a storm blew in outta nowhere. Believe me, I would rather have been 32' in the air rather than 300' when the 45mph wind hit.

Falling 35 feet with no chute vs. 400' with a chute? (once you settle down hehe) At least I know why I always stay on the ground err at sea level. 😉

 

[Mrvile]

Wow cool :thumbsup:

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn

Originally posted by: MrPickins

I almost died parasailing here on Lake Travis when a storm blew in outta nowhere. Believe me, I would rather have been 32' in the air rather than 300' when the 45mph wind hit.

Falling 35 feet with no chute vs. 400' with a chute? (once you settle down hehe) At least I know why I always stay on the ground err at sea level. 😉

I was pretty sure with all the whipping around I was doing that the chute was gonna get twisted up and I was gonna plummet like a rock.

After they cut the cable (the winch had broken and was spraying hydraulic fluid) I did in fact settle down, and the ride down was strangely peaceful.

Unfortunately, the chute never deflated (is that the word?), and I got dragged backwards several hundred yards before the boat crew managed to catch up with me and jump on the chute. I was only about 50 yards from the rocky shore. :Q

I realized later that I had jinxed myself when, while signing the waiver, I asked if they had ever had any problems. Of course he said no...

I didn't really mean to tell the whole story, but whatever, got carried away. 🙂

 

[BW86]

looks like a rush

 

[MrPickins]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBa9wdOANHw

This one looks much more stable.

 

[DrPizza]

I looked at a tube like that and considered it for the kids (or rather, the kids begged me to get one like that)

My answer: No way. Plus, most boats specifically state that they're not made for towing things that become airborn.

 

[Analog]

There's a lawsuit on those, I think someone got killed on one (read about it a few days ago).

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: Analog
There's a lawsuit on those, I think someone got killed on one (read about it a few days ago).

Seems so.

Welcome to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Podcast for July 14, 2006.

This week, in cooperation with CPSC, Sportsstuff, Inc., is voluntarily recalling about 19,000 Wego Kite Tubes.

CPSC staff is aware of 39 injury incidents with 29 of those resulting in medical treatment. Those injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, chest and back injuries and facial injuries. Sportsstuff has received reports of two deaths in the United States and a variety of serious injuries. Sportsstuff has been unable to determine the cause of the incidents. Nevertheless, the company has withdrawn the kite tube from the market and is undertaking this voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution.

The Sportsstuff Wego Kite Tube is a 10-foot-wide, circular, yellow inflatable watercraft designed to be towed behind a power boat. A rider in the tube becomes airborne by pulling on handles attached to the floor of the tube. Model 53-5000 is printed on the tube near the product valve. The floor of the tube has black caution warning stripes.

The cover for the product bears a skull and crossbones and the statement ?Never Kite higher than you are willing to fall.?

The tubes were imported and sold through marine distributors, mail order catalogs, and various retailers from October 2005 through July 11th, 2006 for between $500 to $600.

http://www.cpsc.gov/trans/pod071406.html