Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

My dealer said you could just use the tower mount for tubing. I ordered it without the ski pylon since I rarely slalom anymore and if I want I can just use the tower, no big deal. I didn't want to hit it with my knee/leg while climbing over the sundeck.

The tower for tubing? wow, that surprises me. I'd prefer to never pull a tube but...

I've been using those since 1989 when I bought my first boat (17yrs old with 17' Skeeter bass boat lol...couldn't tell me nothing)

Fire your dealer, I believe the manual says not to tow tubes from the tower (or could be on one of the warning stickers). That is foolish advice from a dealer. Stresses of a tube are different than a wakeboarder. There's potential for spider cracking the gel coat due to flexing the tower with the extra lateral forces tubes put on the tower

I am not sure about the tower stress issue considering I would pull one with a bungie type rope. The reason you don't want to do this is because it is more dangerous for the rider. The higher tow point creates lift when the tube gets air while coming off of the wake on the sling around. It will send the tube airborne. Sounds fun but it isn't the safest.

Years of wakeboat owners admitting to pulling tubes from the tower and getting stress cracks around the tower bases. No doubting your theory of higher tow point. Better off towing from the transom if no ski pylon

Years of wakeboat owners admitting to pulling tubes from the tower and getting stress cracks around the tower bases. No doubting your theory of higher tow point. Better off towing from the transom if no ski pylon[/quote]

You are the first person I have ever heard from say tubing caused stress cracks. It seems difficult to me to say tubing caused them when they are hardly ever immediately after they happen. Most of the stress cracks I have seen was from crappy tower designs or installs.

Dezul, in my 25yrs of boat ownership you're the first person I've seen operate their boat on the water with the boat cover on it so there's a first for everything.

Don't resort to personal attacks. We get a crap ton of rain here in knoxville. I am the third person I met in one summer that has done this. After the first couple of times of getting everything in my boat soaked from a couple of pop-up thunderstorms that we refuse to let ruin our day because of an hour long storm, we decided it was best to start covering it and stop by buddy's dock and wait out the storm. We still go out during 60 and 70% chances of rain.

My friend is a Mastercraft fanboy was telling me how they test their towers. He said they attach two 55 gallon drums full of water to the tow point on the tower and drag them around. He claimed Malibu does the same. I have no reason to not believe him considering he is in close with one of the largest Mastercraft dealer's son in this area. He gave me a lot of the inside info about the NXT before it came out.