Airhead Mega Ruckus from Walmart

[jhnmdahl]

Picked up an Airhead Mega Ruckus from Walmart last summer for kids to tube behind the boat, and am generally pretty happy with the purchase. Paid $99, and like the 70" size for two riders or an adult relative to some of the smaller tubes offered. Seemed very durable, and had no trouble inflating or using.

The tow mount is near the bottom of the tube in the front, but some kids can still cause the front of the tube to go under water by leaning too far forward on the tube when towed from a low position on the boat such as a ski hook. May have to try the wakeboard arch for a tow location on our next outing with those kids.

[kettcb]

Link?

[jhnmdahl]

Looks like Walmart still has them for $100 each at:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Airhead-Mega- ... e/23554980

and to my eye it compares favorably in price with other tubes of similar size and features such as:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Airhead-Super ... e/37230818

John

[kettcb]

Thanks - nice find.

[liquid]

After careful (read crazy) research I went with the O'brien Relax 2. We have two little ones (3 & 2) and wanted something cozy and safe enough for an adult to ride with two littles.

After a mishap with delivery we ended up with two of them - also good as the first one was slowly deflating after one use. We returned this one and have not used the second yet but plan to put it through its paces this weekend with large party at the lake. Little bit more pricey but in my experience O'Brien has been a pretty reputable name in water sports for the better part of 3 decades. The delivery debacle also afforded us a small rebate.

Here's the link:
http://www.obrien.com/product/relax-2/

[jhnmdahl]

Nice find. The seated position perhaps works better for kids who are still safely in the middle of single-digit ages, I think, and makes it more fun for young families. I know that 8-9 year olds liked the traditional "flat" tube we picked up much more than 5-6 year olds.

[Big Block Power]

Picked up an Airhead Mega Ruckus from Walmart last summer for kids to tube behind the boat, and am generally pretty happy with the purchase. Paid $99, and like the 70" size for two riders or an adult relative to some of the smaller tubes offered. Seemed very durable, and had no trouble inflating or using.

The tow mount is near the bottom of the tube in the front, but some kids can still cause the front of the tube to go under water by leaning too far forward on the tube when towed from a low position on the boat such as a ski hook. May have to try the wakeboard arch for a tow location on our next outing with those kids.

We have a 3 person tube. We tend to break quite a few of them. I won't say how but the older kids have fun and we make up or own names for some of the waves like the. " Double Death Ramp"lol our favorite tube we have not been able to find another one in years. I had our youngest on at the time about 8 and his sister about 14 at the time on the flat tube with the tow strap on the way bottom. And I just hit a wave wrong starting off and dunked them right away and washing Max right off the tube. He wouldn't get back on that whole summer. I like the tow strap down there but yes you have to be careful with the little ones. Max is going to be 12 this year and really after last year he loves tubing. He kind of hated going under water and jumping off docks till he saw a 4 year old girl doing it non stop at Table Rock. He wasn't about to let a little 4 year old girl show him up. Changed him for life.lol just in case any of you need a easy way of motivation for your kids. Lol

Max also loves knee boarding. Wake surfing we week be trying at a dealers maybe just pushing him to get hooked to get a towboat. Lol I wanted to get up wakeboarding too.almost had it last year.

[liquid]

Awesome pics. My youngest (currently - wife is 4 moths preggers) is also named Max.

You brought me back. My father started us off tubing with large inflated inner tubes (read huge big black tubes) tied around them with tow line. It was awful but a rite of passage. He used to say if you were in the boat, "such wonderful screaming" as he'd continue to drive in circles...

To this day my sister won't go near a tube no matter how fancy it is if i'm driving.

I'm much more gentle now... so go on, get in the water...

I also tried to to get up on a slalom ski last year, something i hadn't done in 15 years and paid for it... couldn't get up on one, tried repeatedly to drop and eventually gave up after series of nasty falls. Sticking to driving from now on.

Have to admit seeing all these kids casually surfing behind a slow moving inboard has me thinking... i could do that right?

[Big Block Power]

We all prob started behind the big black tractor tube At one time.lol
On the other forum I'm on there is a late fifty year old guy that started Salom skiing last year that had me pushing to slip it on again. It's been about the same as you. Ten or more years since I've done that. I love driving and watching the kids have fun. Maybe this year I'll let the wife drive once.lol my kids don't drive the boat because I do. I have to give that up a bit too.lol.
My oldest son is 26 and he only drove across the lake a couple of times a long time ago. Max I let drive slow a few years ago.

[Skiingstrongman]

My father started skiing off the back of a 16 footer with a 150 Merc about 40 years ago. Guy is turning 66 this year, just retired and still rips on the slalom ski. I'll try to get a picture this year if I can get him to go, he's due for knee replacements this fall so he might be a little gun shy.

[Skiingstrongman]

Here's a picture of me a few years back, two skis here I actually like doing both so I swap back and forth from slalom to the pair.

[Big Block Power]

This is my fly girl.

[Skiingstrongman]

Sadly I can't even get that much air on the wakeboard haha looks like she's having a blast

[Big Block Power]

The kids love it.You can't be a idiot pulling it though. That's why they got banned. They are huge so unless we are going to the lake for a week we don't use it. It's really funny to watch.The kids really learned how to control it.The rear of it really never gets more than 3 feet off the water.it feels higher than you really are.

[liquid]

I've seen video of those on youtube 20+ ft in the air. People are dumb and drive their buddies straight into docks.

As long as you're not an idiot they're no more dangerous than anything else we drag behind a boat.