Booster Ball + Jetboat ?

[geohil]

Who here has and uses the Airhead Booster Ball or similar products? Every year we volunteer our boat at a family camp-out that includes 70+ kids who ALL like to tube. I need to be able to pull larger towables or multiple tubes and looking for any advantage I can get to give them a good ride. Last year with a 75' rope I was having to touch 24-25mph to get them outside the wake. IMO that is too fast for a rookie tuber. So do the boosters work?

 

[BigAbe75]

I thought that booster ball was just to block the spray. Does it impact the ride in some way? Other than making the rope longer? At 75’, I wouldn’t think you would need longer.

 

[geohil]

From what I've heard the ball keeps the rope from getting stuck down in the wake making it easier to get the tube to slide, but since our jets have such mushy wake I wondered if anyone has tried it and if it works?

 

[jcyamaharider]

It still gets in the jet wash. We have one and we still have to get the kids up in speed to get outside the wake.

 

[2kwik4u]

For us it all depends on the weight in the tube as to how easy it is to get them to "swing". More weight = easier.

Also, accelerating during a turn is a hard thing for a single engine jet to do (mostly due to cavitation problems), and that acceleration is what causes the pendelum effect.

Typically I'll run in the 16-18mph range, then accelerate and turn at the same time to around 20-22mph just enough to get them over the edge of the wake, then turn back into the tubes slide. Once they straighten out, repeat until faces hurt from giggling!

 

[geohil]

Thanks @jcyamaharider - exactly what I wanted to know.

 

[Julian]

I use our booster ball when towing our monster tube (Bandwagon 2+2) from the lower tow point. I find it does help keep the rope up and taught and allows me to swing that monster tube easier....but that is relative! I still need to get up some speed to get them swinging back and forth. If they can't handle 20-25mph, then they also cant handle swinging back and forth.

 

[Marvin willis]

That’s the only thing we use our jet ski for. My family doesn’t like the bigger wake that the boat produces. Plus the jet ski planes out at 8mph where my boat didn’t really plane out til over 20. Not to mention 35+mph swinging ppl

 

[Julian]

That’s the only thing we use our jet ski for. My family doesn’t like the bigger wake that the boat produces. Plus the jet ski planes out at 8mph where my boat didn’t really plane out til over 20. Not to mention 35+mph swinging ppl

The bigger wake is what makes it fun! Gotta go airborne!!!

 

[Marvin willis]

Agreed. They are wusses. Although me and my bother in-law “battle tube”. Trying to knock the other person off the other tube when we get knocked into each other.

 

[Julian]

With a small tube it sure makes it easy for me to sling pro riders around on a small tube from a low tow point! This was one my SX230, so I had no tower to pull from. Now I pull small tubes from the tower. As you can see, he's having to lean into the turn because I have him crossing really fast.

 

[jcyamaharider]

The new boats throw up more jet wash then our older ones did.

 

[2kwik4u]

I tow lighter riders from the tower to keep the splash out of thier face (my 7yr old still wears goggles).....I think we're gonna get a longer rope this season to help with that. Physics says that should help with the "slingage" of the tube as well.

 

[MidnightRider]

I'll throw my 2 cents in. Bought the Airhead Booster Ball, used it one time. Didn't seem to help much at all. When I got home I packed it back in the box and put it on eBay. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[PEARCE]

We have a booster ball and we used it a good bit the first season we had it every time we had the tub out. Now, it just stays rolled up in the ski locker. For as little as we actually tub it's more of a pain to mess with. We found that the tow rope with the bungee in it is more fun and not as jerky.

 

[geohil]

We have a booster ball and we used it a good bit the first season we had it every time we had the tub out. Now, it just stays rolled up in the ski locker. For as little as we actually tub it's more of a pain to mess with. We found that the tow rope with the bungee in it is more fun and not as jerky.

What brand bungee rope are you using? I pulled one of my two ropes through the jet last year so I'm in the market.

 

[PEARCE]

Airhead maybe. There's no tag on the rope, but it's primary color is yellow with orange and black.

 

[mark_m]

I suggest you get the booster and try it. When I tow with my sx230 the ball seems to keep the line up and out of the water. Additionally, when at anchor it is another object to hang on to when dad is floating around with a drink.

 

[jEt_jAk]

We use one, works pretty good but kinda a hassle when the ball gets flipped around

 

[sethman919]

We use one exclusively, but we also tow from the lifting hooks with the Y thing and not the ski hook or tower.