The Best Booster Balls for Your Tubing Needs

Buying Guide: Booster Balls

We’ll tell you all about the salient things to consider before you make a booster ball purchase, but first, we need to address something that we’ve observed.

The Tragic Oversight of Booster Balls

When the random person is thinking of going water tubing, he’s usually thinking of three involved variables: the boat, the towable, and the tow rope. Almost everybody seems to miss out on the one thing that brings them all together – booster balls. We figured most folks couldn’t care less about them because they probably don’t even know why they need them in the first place. Let’s fix that.

Why You Should Get Booster Balls for Your Towables

By way of rough definitions, booster balls, also known as bobbers, are isolated balls of air fashioned to enhance water tubing experiences. Nonetheless, since nearly all of them come with tow ropes, it is best to consider them instead as customized tow ropes with inflated buoys in the center.

Without further ado, let us first start with some important factors to consider when purchasing a booster ball.

Safety

Booster balls are primarily important for water tubing because they keep the tow rope out of the water, thereby making it easier to see. If anything goes wrong, your rope is more visible to other boats, and timely intervention can happen. Also, say your tube nosedives (which happens rather frequently). Since the rope is visible, you can easily latch on for support.

Anti-nosedive

If you go tubing regularly, you’ll agree that nothing ruins the fun like a nosediving tube. Booster balls, true to their name, somehow keep the tubes afloat for longer and prevent them from going under. Booster balls, therefore, afford you a longer, more enjoyable tubing experience.

Reducing drag

Another thing booster balls for towables do is reduce the drag on the rope. Drag, in physics, is simply defined as the force that generally tends to oppose or reduce the motion of an object in a fluid. With the ball reducing this force, there is less resistance to motion, and your boat doesn’t need to do as much work pulling you along. This translates into the consumption of lesser fuel.

Increased lifespan

With too frequent nosedives, it’s only a matter of time before your tube loses its integrity. Also, with increased resistance on your rope and tube comes increased wear and tear. It follows that reducing resistance with the use of booster balls will ensure that your towables last longer.

How to Use a Booster Ball

Remember that the booster ball is a customized tow rope. It is therefore used the same way a tow rope is used: one end attached to your boat, and the other to your water tube.

Attaching one end to your boat

As you know, there are about a bajillion non-specific attachment points on a boat. Whichever you choose, remember that safety comes first. To this end, while you can use any attachment point, it’s best to use an assigned tow bar if it is present on your boat. If pre-existing attachment points on your boat seem unsafe, you can use tie-downs to strengthen them.

After locating a hook point, it’s time to tie the rope. However, most ideal rope attachments avoid knots like a plague. It’s because tying a rope too hard might make it difficult to loosen, hence reducing its overall strength. It’s why wraps are the more common option amongst regular boaters. Wraps come with their own tow bars, eyelets, and tie-downs. You should consider getting one. If, however, your boat has few attachment points, a slip knot might be a one-time exception, since it only gets stronger once you begin towing.

Never attach your rope to the boat’s tower. Towers are simply not strong enough to accommodate all that drag and weight. Stick to actual attachment points.

Attaching the other end to the tube

Tube attachment of your tow rope broadly depends on whether or not your tube has what is known as a quick connection. You can guess from the name that it denotes an extension that ensures a faster and possibly more reliable attachment. They also make it easier to switch out tubes allowing for more time on the water.

1. Find the end of your booster ball with the loop
2. Feed the loop through the bottom of the quick connect
3. Wrap the loop around it
4. Pull tightly

Direct attachment is not as seamless and requires a bit of experience.

1. If your tube has two straps, ensure they are finely knotted. It should resemble a Windsor knot.
2. Take your booster ball and thread it through the opening of the strap you’ve made.
3. Take the rope and thread it through the small eye hole on the other side of the rope.
4. Pull tight.

Choosing the Right Towable Booster Ball Rope

Making a choice is not as difficult as it would seem.

The WaterSports Industry Association (WSIA) stipulates that tube ropes must not be less than 50 feet and should not exceed 65 feet. Anything short of 50 feet will tow the tube on the crest of the waves, spraying riders in the face. On the other hand, anything beyond 65 feet will mean an unsafe distance between the boat and the tube to attain the required tension.

The kind of rope suitable for you will depend primarily on the size of your tube. Using an oversized tube for a small-capacity rope will not only damage it but cause unforeseen harm. As a rule of thumb, buy a rope that can tow at least a two-man tube.

Proper Care For Your Booster Ball

Buying a good bobber is not enough. Proper care is imperative in ensuring continued quality and satisfaction. You’re in luck because booster balls don’t require tedious maintenance measures. With the barest minimum effort, you can ensure its longevity and sustenance.

1. As much as you can, avoid making knots.
2. Think of the sun as the bane to your rope’s existence. Hence, when it’s not in use, wind it up and store it in a cool dry place away from the sun.