Choosing Your Tube...

After much deliberation I decided that it was time for me to invest in a float tube, pontoon boat, v-boat or something similar. As with any serious purchase I soon found myself digging through the mountains of information available. Unfortunately for me, most of it seemed pretty useless, and served more to confuse, than to aid. It was at this point that I decided to write a short guide for anyone who may be going through the same process. So for whoever is reading this, I hope it helps, even if its just a little. When I began my quest I had the usual limitation of budget, as I'm sure many of you do. Although there is usually some room for creep within one's budget, its normally a fairly deciding factor in the purchase. So to start, come up with a budget for your tube, and while doing so, please bear in mind that you'll probably need to buy the following items along with the tube: Doughnut float tube (this is where it all started) U-boat V-boat Pontoon boat Regular boat/Inflatable raft
The best mechanism (well for me anyway) for choosing between the models is to consider all possible factors, and how they effect your decision. Decide which factors are important to you, and then pick the boat which best matches your criteria.
Here's a list of what I consider to be important factors in choosing your boat: Safety Size Type of Water Comfort Build Quality Availability Ease of use These factors can rank in any order, depending on personal preference, and what you will be using the tube for. Safety however should always top the list. Lets discuss each of these factors and how they will ultimately affect your decision.
				Safety As with anything, safety is an important aspect of float tubing. It has been rumored that certain float tubes can be flipped if one leans too far in a certain direction. Once upside down you can easily become trapped (especially if there is no quick release for your line tray). As you can imagine this can lead to a potential drowning risk. People who are taller are more prone to this, so please bear this in mind when choosing a tube. Bigger tubes are generally more stable, but they are also heavier and more difficult to transport. Another safety issue to consider is that float tubes do not behave as well in rough condition as pontoon boats do. So if you're going to be fishing big waters, where the weather can change unexpectedly while you're far from land, a pontoon boat may be a better option for you. Something else to consider with safety is the number of bladders. If your device has just one bladder and springs a leak while on the water, you're in trouble and at serious risk sinking. Luckily most crafts nowadays come with 2 bladders or more, meaning that if one starts to leak, the other will keep you buoyant until you can reach land.
Size Size can be a deciding factor in float tubes. One of the main reasons being that each float tube has a weight rating. For example the XPlorer mini v-boat is rated to carry 100kgs. Do you weigh more than this? If so, using it puts you at risk. So please remember to make sure your tube can carry your weight, plus the weight of your equipment. As mentioned earlier, taller people may also need larger boats in order to stop themselves from flipping the tube. Obviously this is not a problem with pontoon boats. Type of Water When buying a boat it is important to consider the type of fishing one will be doing, as this normally determines the water type one will be fishing. Float tubes are great for smaller still waters and slow moving rivers. They are easy to maneuver, and you won't get blown around by strong winds. However on large waters they can be tiring to travel large distances in, and don't behave well in waves.
So if you are going to be fishing large waters, a pontoon boat may be a better option, if only to cover the distance quicker and easier. Pontoon boats can be rowed and/or have a small motor attached to them. Float tubes don't offer these options, however they are easier to control in the wind, when pontoon boats tend to get blown across the water due to the larger surface area and lower drag. Another thing to consider is that pontoon boats are better suited to rivers with fast moving water and small rapids. In fact it can be dangerous to fish fast moving water in a float tube. This doesn't mean tubes can't be used in rivers, it just means they can't be used in fast flowing rivers. Some pontoon boats even come with rapid ratings. Also remember than float tubes are far lighter and take up less space than pontoon boats. If you are therefore likely to be hiking to your water, pontoon boats aren't a good option. Also, if you have limited packing space, float tubes can fit into a duffel bag, whereas pontoon boats, with their large metal frames, don't pack nearly as small.
				Comfort Comfort is of course something to be considered when buying your tube. You will after all be sitting in it for hours at a time, and you wouldn't want to not use it just because its uncomfortable. I can't tell you whats comfortable and whats not, and you may be better off going and sitting in one or two to judge for yourself. What I can tell you is that some tubes come with foam seats, and others with inflatable seats. In general the inflatable seats are softer and more comfortable. Foam seats however do take shape after a few uses, so you can't always judge them on your first sitting. Inflatable seats also give you the added benefit of having additional bladders, thereby increasing the safety of the craft. Remember that in v-boats you will sit out of the water, making them warmer, whereas in u-boats you will sit in the water, making them cooler if fishing in cold water. Also remember that in a pontoon boat you will be sitting in what is essentially a garden chair, and you can even add a pillow. You also sit high out of the water making it warmer. The old doughnut tubes basically have you hanging in a harness, and are probably the least comfortable, and the coldest, since you can often sit waist deep in water.
Build Quality Since a tube is an expensive purchase, we do want it to last as long as possible. Some of the more obvious problems can be spotted easily, such as the quality of the stitching, etc. The fabric used to coat the tube is also important, and one can usually find out the thickness fairly easily. This is what will be protecting the tube from abrasions like rocks, the ground, thorns, etc - Thicker is generally better. Something not so obvious is what the bladders are made from. Most tubes are made from vinyl/PVC. This particular substance is prone to damage from the suns UV rays. This means that as time passes it will become weaker and more brittle, as it perishes. It is also prone to temperature, meaning that it the mornings when it is cold it will be tough, and as the day heats up it will become softer. More expensive tubes are made from poly urethane, which is not affected by the sun. It is also lighter and slightly thicker, making it less prone to punctures. So if one can afford it, it will generally ensure your tube has a longer life. In fact, urethane bladders, if treated correctly, should last forever.
Availability Living in South Africa availability is always an issue. There are some locally produced tubes such as the Xplorer range, the Dabbies, etc, but they aren't always as good a quality as some of the over-seas brands. Luckily for us most of the better tubes are imported by somebody, its just a matter of finding out who. Remember that when importing tubes, the importer pays VAT, duties, and a large amount for shipping. As a result these tubes are often priced much higher than local brands. When looking at the dollar price one may be tempted to import the tube yourself. In the end however you will only end up saving a few hundred rands, and will generally loose out on local guarantees and service should something go wrong. Is it worth it? Thats your call. Alternatively one can import one illegally...hmmm...
Ease of Use Something which many people under-rate is the ease of use of the tube. If its difficult to set up and/or use, you're bound to use it less often. What a waste. Here are examples of a few things to consider. Doughnut shaped tubes are difficult to get in and out of since you have to step into them, and through leg holes, often with fins on. U-boats and v-boats are easy to get into due to the gap in the front. Pontoon boats are very difficult to set up and transport.
So to sum up, here are a few of the pros and cons of each type of boat: Doughnut Float Tube Pros: Good for smaller children as they cannot easily fall out. Packs small Not affected much by the wind Cons: Old technology Difficult to get out of if flipped, although this is only a concern for heavier, tall people. Difficult to get into Sit in the water Moves slowly through the water Tough to travel long distances Doesn't handle waves or moving water well U-Boat Pros: Easy to get into Packs small Not affected much by the wind Cons: Sit in the water, making them colder Moves slowly through the water Tough to travel long distances Doesn't handle waves or moving water well V-Boat Pros: Easy to get into Packs small (if it has an inflatable seat) Not affected much by the wind Moves better through the water with a v shaped bow Warmer since you sit out of the water Cons: Sit in the water, making them colder Moves slowly through the water Tough to travel long distances Doesn't handle waves or moving water well Pontoon Boat Pros: Easy to get into Moves well through the water Can travel large distances well Can be used in rivers with fast moving water Sit the highest out of the water of any boat, making it easier to spot fish Warmer since you sit high out of the water Cons: Packs large Heavy to carry Time consuming to set up Badly affected by the wind Regular Boat or Inflatable Raft Pros: More than one person can use it Easy to travel long distances Warmer since no part of the body is in the water Larger packing space Dryer Cons: Hard for one person to control More difficult to get into position Larger packing space Longer to set up Cannot be carried any distance Badly affected by wind
Well, thats about it for now. As you can imagine there is a lot more than can be considered, but at least this will get you started. Now get out there, buy your boat, and do some fishing.