Ski/Tow bar vs Turbo swing

peeruwp

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Primary use will be for tubing, some skiing ands wake boarding. I personally like the look and price of the ski tow bar as it can also act as a handle on the back aft. I understand the turbo swing is superior.

Thoughts or advice?
 
I have a 21ft with a 115 Yammie. I love how easy it is to get the tube moving side to side with the Turbo Swing. With some practice you can really whip the tube with minimal steering. We don't ski or wakeboard behind so I cannot comment on that part
 
You should do a search on this topic in this forum. It is discussed a few times every year. Split opinions on which direction people prefer. If you do so, you’ll see lots of detailed opinions on each type of tow support. I’ve posted in a fair number of them on my thoughts on the Turbo swing as it is what we have and our preference for various reasons. That said, a good number of people have reasons they prefer a more traditional tow bar.
 
You should do a search on this topic in this forum. It is discussed a few times every year. Split opinions on which direction people prefer. If you do so, you’ll see lots of detailed opinions on each type of tow support. I’ve posted in a fair number of them on my thoughts on the Turbo swing as it is what we have and our preference for various reasons. That said, a good number of people have reasons they prefer a more traditional tow bar.
+1 Makes a difference how big the inflatable is too (and how much weight will be on it). I've seen a number of ski bars that were strong enough, but what they were mounted to was not. That situation produces considerable bending and deformation to motor canoes. The better ski bars use diagonal braces to structure forward of the main mounting point. Yes, those without the braces are easier to mount, but the bending forces at the base can be an eye-opener.
 
You will not regret Turbo Swing. It works great for skiing and is rated for tubing and also works great. I personally will not order a boat with the built in ski pylon. I’m on my second Bennington with a Turbo Swing. I like how it also frees up space on your swim platform. My vote is Turbo Swing .
 
Loved my ski pylons, those things are STRONG!! The attachment points are impossible to fail, and based on how dang heavy it is, ain't no way it's getting bent either!
 
On my R the pylon is hidden in the sun deck. Don’t see it until it is up.
 
Can someone post a pic of what the current ski/tow bar looks like installed?
 
soooo... can you pull a tube on the standard ski/tow bar? Depending on the dealer i get different answers. ITs cheaper than the turbo swing and I like it for some of the added uses others have mentioned but if i cant pull a tuber then it really only gives me one option.
 
I've been pulling tubers and skiers around with my tow bar since Day 1...never heard or read anything about not doing so. One of my sons that tubes and skis weighs in at 240 pounds. No problems thus far. And you can mount a couple of rod holders on it although I chose not to.
 

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There are different ski tow bars. Many are not technically rated for the forces applied when towing a tube vs. towing a skier. Some are though. Hence, if you shop around there are some more robust tow bars that are - they cost a bit more as a result too. If that is your preference, but like us you have durability and insurance coverage concerns, then just be sure to buy one that is tubing strength rated and mounted.

I have only heard or read about tow bar failure from tubing a couple of times over the years, so the odds of it being a problem are probably very low regardless of the tow bar you buy. Lets face it, that is what most people have, and like Economy Mike above, they‘ve had no problems.

However, given that most are not tubing rated/supported, the only reason I initially went with a Turbo Swing was because it was rated and engineered for both, AND the tow bar option I had via Bennington was not, in 2017. Since we know we will primarily tube, and we are talking 4 person Super Mable or two 2 person tubes simultaneously, we wanted to make sure we were extra well secured in that regard.

Although it doesn’t seem to be a consideration on your build, the sky pylons are also super robust and tube rated like the Turbo Swing. I frankly would have went ski pylon originally as I thought they looked more ”premium”, but that was not an option with our SPS hull and layout in 2017. Yet, immediately after getting our boat, we were thrilled with the Turbo Swing. Unlike others (and perhaps yourself), we did not want any obstructions in the way of our rear extended aft deck. We have the railing on our swingback for support when standing, and we don’t fish so no need to affix rod holders to anything in our boat. For you, the extra support for a railing or affixing items too might be of a greater importance than to others such as ourselves.
 
I 100% agree that ifIi go with a swing back I would go for the Turbo swing because of the back rail. Question, do you need that "booster" ball to keep the line out of the water with the turbo swing?
 
I 100% agree that ifIi go with a swing back I would go for the Turbo swing because of the back rail. Question, do you need that "booster" ball to keep the line out of the water with the turbo swing?
No you do not it keeps the rope out of the water very well on my tritoon. Zero complaints. It’s my second Bennington with a Turbo Swing.
 
I find that sometimes our rope might get caught up in initial motor wake when pulling 3-4 on the Super Mable. Once we are fully up to speed with bigger kids (i.e. tubing faster), and swinging that tube around, its fine. I think at slower speeds with younger kids I’ve seen the rope get caught sometimes in our wake, particularly in turns. It’s created a little water splash on some trips out.

At the end of this summer I got a Booster Ball just to see what kind of a difference it makes when tubing. I haven’t had the opportunity to test it out yet. Those that have them rave about them, so I thought I’d give one a try next summer.
 
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