Nothing like the ol' death in the family due to watersports to make trips memorable.
Dave Scroggins
· 3 years ago
Let me tell you. We had this flying machine out yesterday on Lake Shelybille in Illinois. We started with the tow rope at 45 foot and were able to hop across the water. It took a lot of energy to keep it steady and my brother got face-planted into the water from only 5 foot above and it felt like he broke his jaw. Then, of course we to 55' and eventually to 65'. I hit a gust of wind and it blew me to 20' when this monster twisted and bounce me off into the water at about 18' right on my back!!! To say the least, I am sore today. It was awesome but we need to practice a lot more before taking it to 65' again. Can't wait until we go out again as long as my back is healed by then!!!! hehehehe
peter pond
· 3 years ago
if you don't watch the video carefully,and have no respect for what this flying tube is capable of,you will quickly find yourself at 30' in the air,and very scared,i bailed and crashed so hard into the water it ripped my shorts in two.and its been 24 hrs. since the crash,and every part of my body still hurts.so my advise is use the 45 foot line and nothing longer until you have experience on this tube
dude
· 3 years ago
For those promoting the product...how much do you weigh? I weigh 180 and could not get the thing off off the water at any speed with wind conditions ranging from calm to 15 mph.
kiteboarding
· 10 months ago
Hey dude, thanks for the informative comment! I loved your style.
peter pond
· 3 years ago
responding to "dude",i weight 195 lbs,and had no problem with flight.the kite has same principles as an airplane.you have to take off directly into the wind,put you're center of gravity toward the back of the tube,use the mid handles,remember leaning to far forward keeps the tube down.its only going to take one flight, to 30 feet, in half a second to make you a believer of what this thing is capable of,and remember,as a beginner,never use the tow line longer than 45 feet,or else you are really going to have a bad day.
The tube is great but very dangerous i rode it at Lake Viking in MIssouri the thing is i went about 30 feet in the air came crashing down got a black eye almost broke my nose and messed up my knee. The n ext day my buddy rode went up about 30 feet then came crashing down got his back scracted up and was coughing up blood IT IS CRAZY it will probably be illegal soon
greg
· 3 years ago
who ever made this tube is a sick bastard. all i can say is bring a jet ski to pick up the wounded along and snug up your life jacket so you dont drown.
PETER POND
· 3 years ago
I LEFT 2 POSTS ABOVE ON THIS TUBE,BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE,ALL I CAN SAY IS I STILL HAVE A HUGE BRUISE ON MY BUTTOCKS,AND CAN BARELY WALK,(WE USED THE TUBE LAST SATURDAY)I WILL NEVER USE THIS TUBE AGIAN,THE CRASH INTO THE WATER WAS THE MOST VIOLENT,PAINFUL EXPERIENCE I'VE EVER GONE THROUGH.I'M READING THE REVIEWS ON THE MANTA RAY NOW TO SEE IF IT IS A LITTLE MORE USER FRIENDLY
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
My brother has this tube and his friends get it pretty high. The crashes are crazy. Check out two movies here
chris
· 3 years ago
Try it once almost kill myself. I took out a knife pop the tube put some rocks in it and sent it to bottom were it won't harm anybody any more
Eric
· 3 years ago
All I see is bad comments on the kite tube, its not bad if the driver of the boat keeps the tube directly behind the boat. We used ours for about 3 hours yesterday and had no problems, everone had fun on it. We only had one person fall off at about 10' going about 33 mph, and said it hurt a little but he got right back on it. We found out that it only takes a little movement to correct it when it gets going sideways. But all in all we had a great time and everone on the lake enjoyed watching it also.
Eric
· 3 years ago
By the way I just watched the videos posted by Hey Tone and the tube is way under inflated and i'm pretty sure that is why it is way out of control.
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
@ Eric
Yes in "wego1.wmv" we had a deflation problem because we didn't click in the cap all the way (it clicks in further than you would think). This resulted in the tube folding up and not getting much air. However, the second and more "extreme" video, the tube is properly inflated and is using a longer rope - which equated to the disasterous wipeouts you see.
travis
· 3 years ago
The kite tube is awesome. i have the manta ray as well and i really think it helped learning how to fly on that and then moving to the kite tube. as long as you have an experienced boat drive everything is fine, and it really doesn't hurt falling if you wear a neoprene life jacket. i tow it with a 90 foot line and have been over 30 feet up for over a minute and a half. this tube will make my summer!
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
Correction: It can make OR break your summer.
Michael
· 3 years ago
THis shit is fucked up.
wegoup
· 3 years ago
Took it up for first time this wkend. Went almost immediately to the 65 ft length rope. At 190, I was able to get it out of the water, but only a few feet. I think with a better breeze, I can fly higher. My 80lb (10 yrs old) and 110 lb (14 yrs old) nephews both got 20+ ft several times with no problem, and even 25-30 ft once, thanks to an extra gust of wind which made the kite a little unstable. They each had a hard fall, but they never bailed until they were thrown off. I don't think it's ever a good time to let go of that thing in the air. After my nephews fall today, we have a new respect for it. You can certainly get hurt, especially if you have a bad driver. But I think if you follow the motto, "never go higher than you're willing to fall", you'll be okay. Sometimes though, especially for the lightweights, that little gust of wind can take you higher than you ever intended to go. Thankfully, no one got hurt in our first weekend and everyone is looking forward to the next. Money's worth achieved in first weekend.
cheryl
· 3 years ago
We have used the kite tude for the last 3 weekends on Lake Anna in VA and have had a blast-it is not something to play around with, you have to be serious and careful. The boat driver is the key to a safe flight. Just remember the faster you go the harder the fall!!!
Broken Neck
· 3 years ago
I am lucky to be alive today thanks to the infamous kite tube. While on Lake Powell a gust of wind knocked my kite tube while 12 feet + in the air and was flunged to the water on my neck and snapped my c2 vertebrate. By the way I have been boating for years and tubing plenty I am not a novice. I have also been seriously wieghtlifting the last several months. The tube is dangerous and should be pulled from the market!! I would hate to see someone else in a haelow like myself for 3 months or better yet dead like I should be right now. The design with one tow rope is unstable at those speeds regardless of the boatdriver. I also received a visit while in the hospital of another gentlemen who punctured his lungs and broke eight ribs and lost concsious while in the water also lucky to be alive!!
HeyTone
· 3 years ago
My bro and his friends went at the tube again video taping the horror that ensued. One kid (at the end) falls from at least 30 ft. It's absolutely frightening to watch. He only suffered bruises and a chipped tooth fortunately.
I was just released from the hospital where I spent 3 days. I had used the KiteTube a few times and never reached over 12 feet of air. I caught an unexpected gust of wind that took me to over 40 feet in the air. It flipped and I feel hard on my side. I was knocked unconscious with my face in the water. I bruised & hemorraged my kidney & right lung which led to internal bleeding. I had a concussion from the hard smack to the water. My friends that were in the boat are surprised I'm alive. Don't buy this thing. I've spent my life on the water doing the most technical tricks in wakeboarding. This is an unsafe product and several people will die from it. It should be banned.
CMPA
· 8 months ago
What an unfortunate accident. I've been curious with this toy but your case serves as a warning for me to re-consider my plan.
I wish you a quick and full recovery.
Cooper
· 3 years ago
You all are a bunch of wimps. I sent my wife up on this thing, just so she could test it out...You know, kinda like "Hey taste this, and let me know if it tastes like crap..." Anyway, she gets up to about forty feet, and *poof* a gust of wind shoots her up to sixty feet, and flips her. Her bathing suit top snags on something, so she lost that on the way down, which was pretty sweet. Then on impact, the faceplant detached a retina, and hyperextended her neck. Oh yeah, she's pregnant, too. But the baby's cool. He's tougher than she is. So anyway, I wanted to try it out, so I made her drive the boat, despite her whining. So I crank it up to about fifty feet, and honestly, it was kind of boring, so I flipped the thing myself. I got some purplish bruises and blister on my rear end from the impact, but I'm no butt model, so it's cool.
chris
· 3 years ago
great story! This thing looks like a blast, but it also looks like playing roulette, eventually your number is coming up!
Cain
· 3 years ago
First of all, the guys @ heytone are obviously bailing on purpose @ 25-30ft which is a recipe for disaster. Second, I had a friend that got killed on the kite tube about a month ago. However, he fell into 3ft of water at about 50mph.(He broke his neck) Third, Cooper is an idiot, so if anyone is thinking about purchasing this tube, I would not advise putting your pregnant wife on it. By the way Cooper your the first person to ever go 60ft on the tube, congrats. Lastly, I've owned the tube since a week after it came out and with out a doubt if you act stupid on it you can and will get hurt. The safety of the rider is 100% up to the driver. So for the sake of all of us, quit acting like idiots before they're banned everywhere.
Jack
· 3 years ago
I was with a friend of a friend this weekend that died from this thing. He was a big, strong guy, 44 years old. He was only a few feet off the water, but it started oscillating and he hit so hard that it broke his clavicle and lacerated his spleen and liver and also did some lung damage which I can't remember the name for, but his lungs were filling with body fluid. He ultimately died of a heart attack, which was caused from the laceration of his liver, which caught an artery, which the hospital missed. Had his heart not given out from trying to pump blood that was no longer there, he would have bled to death internally. Again, he was only 2 to 6 feet in the air and probably going 30 to 40 mph when he hit. He was knocked unconscious face down in the water, but ultimately it was the internal injuries from the way this thing dumps you that killed him. This device should be banned and hopefully will be soon! I'm certain his widow and two children strongly agree!!
Joe
· 3 years ago
All you people bitching about your injuries need to quite blaming everyone for your actions. Are you stupid. This thing advertises hights of up to 40 feet and you think it is safe? No its fun but risky just like other extreme/action sports. If you get on that thing and think I'm going over thirty miles an hour and soaring in the air at 20+ feet of course you can get hurt. Take some responsibility for your actions and desicions and quite blaming everyone else. It's you people that ruin fun things for everyone else.
K.L.
· 3 years ago
Joe, you're an idiot. The guy DIED dude. We're not "bitching about injuries" like a f**king broken arm. He's dead! A young dad with little kids. A senseless death. And certainly not the first. Others have suffered broken necks, paralysis and other insane, lengthy hospitalizations. All preventable. Someone needs to collect the stats. This thing is way too risk-loaded. Get it off the market... there are indeed lots of others ways to have wild, crazy fun.
Michael
· 3 years ago
umm...I was going to buy one of these things to try out but I am kinda scared now..what should i do?
V.J.
· 3 years ago
I feel compelled to speak up about this product since my cousin's friend/work partner was killed on Monday. (The same one that Jack mentioned earlier.) There have been at least 2 reported deaths from this product in a little over 1 months time. (One in Texas and one in Wisconsin). Do a web search on "kite tube death" to see for yourself. Also, http://www.themilwaukeechannel.com/news/9435944...
Virginia
· 3 years ago
My father just bought a kite tube and I thought wow doesn't that look like a blast! Until I spent 9 days in the hospital after riding it for only one day. I had been ridinig it all day and of course as we were about to head in for the day I thought one more trip wouldn't hurt. It was the best flight of the day! I was up about 10 to 15 feet in the air for a good 30 seconds when all of the sudden I nose dived straight into the water. I don't know why, there was NO controlling it, and there was nothing my boat driver could do. The people on the boat can't even see the rider when they are in flight and the rider has a very difficult time seeing the boat. I broke my femer at the very top by my hip and it splinted down about 12 inches (like a broken wood baseball bat) I now have a plate and a bunch of screws holding my leg together. I can not even attempt to walk on it for 12 weeks so due to one day of fun my whole summer is over. It's not worth it, this tube has a very bad design and even for experienced riders it is only a matter of time before you hit a gust of wind or an airpocket and you lose total control and crash and burn. Unless you are god and can control the wind you can NOT completely control this tube.
Joe
· 3 years ago
It sucks that people are dying on this thing but like I said before if you can't tell by looking at it that it is dangerous then you probably shouldn't be involved in any watersports. People die everyday doing otherthings involving action/extreme sports. I feel for your loss I really do, but my opinion stands that if you look at something that is going over 30mph and sends you 20+ft in the air and think it is harmless then you need to have your head checked. If this thing comes off the market then so should jet skiis, parasails, wakeboards, airchairs, and anything else. I know someone will argue that you can't control this thing. Well from my experience on it it is very unpredictable and I knew that from the first five minutes on the thing. So what did I do I accepted the risk and continued to use it. If I fall and injure myself the only person to blame is me for continuing it's use.
Joe
· 3 years ago
Oh and one more thing if any of you that are displeased with it want to sell it let me know @ rm2fast@yahoo.com I can find a buyer!
JB
· 3 years ago
Well, I bought this thing and took it out yesterday. It was b*tchin for about 30 minutes. I'm 220lbs, gettin pulled by a Polaris PWC (not exactly a recipe for huge air). Hit a burst of wind, and in about 1 second I went from 2 feet in the air to 30', at which point the tube flipped and slammed me into the water. Ruptured my ear drum, knocked the wind out of me, and now my neck and back are so sore I feel like I was in a car wreck. I'm not interested in riding it any more. For what it's worth "Joe" I wasn't out to be crazy and "ruin it" for everyone. This tube just sux, that's all. I'm cuttin' my losses at one broken ear drum. I feel like I got off easy.
Brittany
· 3 years ago
So these things have killed a few people already- I think the sad thing about it all is that you can't find that information hardly anywhere. My company has to have the customer sign a waver just to buy the damn thing. I think it's the biggest mistake the industry has made. I knew as soon as I saw them that people would die. Common sense is this: if a kite crashes hard enough with the potential to break apart, and you're on a kite tube that works the same way, then what the hell do you expect???
Jim
· 3 years ago
You guys are a riot. Yes it has bad potential, so does tubing in general. A friend of mine lost an arm and both legs on a normal 100.00 tube so it doesn't matter what your doing. Take it all into consderation before doing it. Base jumping can kill you, rock climbing can kill you. Sell me yours if you don't want it anymore and go back to sitting on th couch. I'm sorry for your injuries and losses.
Tina
· 3 years ago
Insane Sport
Joe Dirt
· 3 years ago
I dont wanna see anyone die on these things, i was in an acident where my friend was killed on a Jet-Ski, but keep riding them please Id love to see you idiots getting hurt.
tb
· 3 years ago
i just got off riding one of this and had a blast. nothing like it. cant wait to do it again
C-Bo
· 3 years ago
My brother bought this god-forsaken piece of garbage, and got pretty good on it. We fashioned a sleeve the diameter of the tube out of heavy nylon, and snuck a disc of 3/8" lexan in it for added stability, and now the fuckin' thing soars and flies sommoth. I was towing him at close to 60mph behind a Scarab and he made perfect flights and landings. Not me though. I got to 40mph, 15 feet off the water, shit on myself and bailed. When I landed, one ass cheek stayed stationary in the water but the other one traveled with the momentum and it felt like I tore my anus from my body. This was a week ago, and I've been sitting on a kids water ring ever since. My poor asshole can't get right...
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
Wego update: On Friday, June 30th we recieved a call from the makers of the wego kite tube and they offered to buy the tube back from us for 700 dollars. Obviously they are preparing for a legal battle...just something to keep in mind.
By the way, we declined the offer.
James
· 3 years ago
Glad I'm not the only "wimp"... Third time out, hit a gust and was immediately at 35ft.. Tube flipped, I bailed, tube beat me back down to the water and I landed on that. I think I'm the only 20 year old with a broken hip my hospital has seen in awhile or ever. I've permanently got [3] 4" steel bolts in my hip and will possible need a hip replacement after 3 months of not being able to walk on it. I was in excellent shape before the accident, needless to say I'll be happy to walk again.
Dave
· 3 years ago
Isn't this similar to just jumping off a 40 ft building with no parachute? How freaking stupid. My buddy just tried his out and loved it. I am sure after he wakes up from the 6 hour surgery he just went through, he won't be able to wait to jump back on it again.
This thing is a death trap. My buddy was really close to dying the other day because he ended up ripping a artery in his heart. Can't you people find anything more interesting to do?
Hey I have a new fun water sport. It's called shark bait. See you jump in a tank of 20 under-fed Great White Sharks with bloody meat attached to every limb and if you make it out of the tank that means you should be a PRO!!!
Well anyways I have directions on how to construct your own Shark Bait Tank. Just send me $5000 and I will send you the instructions. Idiots!!!
Jack
· 3 years ago
NEWS from CPSC U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 ________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 30, 2006 Release #06-202 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Julie Vallese, (301) 504-7800
CPSC Warns Consumers about Dangers of Tube Kiting Two Deaths over the Past 3 Months Attributed to New Water Sport WASHINGTON, D.C. ? In advance of the July 4th holiday weekend, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the possible dangers associated with a new type of water recreation known as ?tube kiting.? CPSC is concerned about death and injury reports associated with tube kiting. It is currently investigating two versions of these products to determine if there is a significant product hazard. Tube kiting is a relatively new form of extreme water sport which is fast growing in popularity, but also extremely dangerous. CPSC is aware of at least two deaths associated with tube kiting this year. A 33-year-old Texas man was killed in late April 2006 while tube kiting, and a 42-year-old man died from injuries associated with tube kiting on June 26, 2006 in Wisconsin. CPSC is also aware of 12 serious injuries associated with tube kiting. The injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, chest and back injuries, and facial injuries, such as jaw fractures. A 14-year-old girl who was tube kiting lost consciousness when it fell about 15 feet and struck the water. Tube kites are very large, sometimes round, inflatable water devices that can be more than 10 feet in diameter. The tube is hooked to the back of a boat by a tow rope, and the tube rider pulls back on a rope as the boat travels at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour. The ride begins when the tube is lifted into the air trailing the boat. Possible reasons for incidents and injuries include: 1) rider?s difficulty in controlling the tube, 2) boat operator inexperience, and 3) how the tube reacts in certain weather conditions. The conditions of highest concern are wind gusts that can cause the tube to spin out of control, or sudden slowing or stopping by the boat operator, which can cause the tube to nose dive into the water. In some cases, the sudden stopping of the boat might cause the tube rider to continue past the boat and hit it or hit other boats or stationary objects, such as a bridge. The National Park Service has banned the inflatable devices in at least one of its parks, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Lake Powell where there have been at least four serious injuries. --- Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
Jack
· 3 years ago
As you can see above, the US Consumer Products Safety Commission has issued an ALERT about Tube Kites in general.
I've read about MANY more serious injuries on this site and others that they do not even know about.
If you were injured, or know someone that was, let them know. Again, their investigation is active and on-going currently.
Together we might be able to get this thing banned and save a few lives!
EL Fudge
· 3 years ago
Hey Tone, why would the company call you and ask to buy your tube for $200 more than it sells for? And how did they get your number? I call BS on this one...
Dallas
· 3 years ago
I got knocked unconcious by this thing. I was having a great day riding it, then a gust of wind caught me, I flew to over 30 feet at which point the tube flipped over and tossed me. I was totally unconcious for about 5 minutes. The ambulance showed up and rushed me to hospital with a suspected broken neck. After the x-rays, it turns out that luckily I only have severe whiplash and a concussion. The doctor said that my muscle build is likely what prevented my neck from breaking. I have been doing other extreme watersports such as barefooting for years, without any serious injuries. Kite tubing is NOT an extreme sport... there is a difference between extreme and STUPID. Don't be stupid.
Tube Man
· 3 years ago
If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough! Go Wego!
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
EL Fudge -
Figured I should've been clearer to begin with as someone would've called me out on it. My father's friend owns a Surf Shop which is where we obtained the tube. The company called there, asking to purchase the tube back at a premium. The owner called my dad to relay the offer. So no, they didn't call me directly but I just phrased it like that so keep the post shorter. Regardless, I can assure you they were looking to purchase the tube back from the shop. To me, it sounds like a pre-recall action. Perhaps they are getting heat from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Laura
· 3 years ago
I live in OKlahoma and bought one before the 4th. Had a blast with it, and yes, a few of us got a bit hurt- but by the end of the weekend, the state band them from all controlled lakes. I was able to take my back and get a full refund from the store. I did, however, call the manufacturer prior. They stated that they are getting a lot of calls and a lot of states that are or will band them due to safety.
Wegoup
· 3 years ago
I'd like to know if anyone has been seriously injured going under 30 mph??? The person with the serious neck injury (in the halo contraption) admitted he was traveling about 40mph. I can see how you could get caught up in the moment, but that's just not smart to go that fast. That's like going 110+ mph in a car which will eventually get you killed. I think 24-26 is about all you should go and maybe 28 if you're close to 200 lbs. If you can't get air at that speed, then so be it...at least you'll live. However, if you're going faster than that, you're asking for trouble. We've only had it out four times and the only trouble (fortunately nothing serious) occured when we hit speeds of 30-33 mph. Now, we won't go over 28 and typically only go about 25, which does fine for the lightweights. Just curious if anyone's been seriously hurt at lower speeds (in the 20's).
quack
· 3 years ago
It's all about the wind speed. Even if it's not that windy on the water it can be a different story at ten to twenty feet off the water.
If you think about everything is thid world is dangerous to humans even the air we breath. Do things at your own risk.
Anonymous
· 3 years ago
I agree, if you use it properly and follow direction you should be good. Any type of toys that are that extreme you are playing with your life.....
Anonymous
· 3 years ago
We are here for a good time not a long time!!!!! Have fun!!1111
Rod
· 3 years ago
The sad thing about this tube is that even when you are being responsible, you can get hurt. The uncontrollable factor is the wind - you may be going along just fine, at 28 mph, and a gust of wind may take you up 20-30', then the tube becomes unstable and dumps you. That is not the tubers fault or the boat drivers - that is just the nature of this tube.
From personal experince, I believe that everyone who continues to use this tube will soon or later learn the same lesson. It is only a matter of how high you will fly, and how hard you will fall, that will determine the extent of your injuries.
Bill
· 3 years ago
After flying the but 25-30 feet in the air, it inverted and whipped me into the water as we were going 40mph. Luckily, I curled into a ball and have a lot of extra padding in my butt. I was knocked unconscious and floating face down until I was pulled out of the water by the driver Jim Bennett. I am fine, some bruising, 2 broken ribs and a punctured lung. All will heal. I am sending the tube back. It certainly wasn't stable when it was flying. Of all the sports I have tried (wake boarding, snow boarding, water skiing, barefooting, knee boarding, intertubing, snow skiing, kite boarding, wind sailing, parasailing and others), this was the most dangerous and is going to kill someone. Luckily, it wasn't my time...
I started to research this and 2 people have died in the first 60 days since the product was released. There are many many injuries and some are much worse than mine. I am going to to try to get this off the market before more people die. here are a few and a video of someone flying off it...http://www.steadywinds.com/
dalhousie
· 3 years ago
I don't know why everyone is saying that this tube is soo dangerous. I have had the most fun on the wego kite tube than any other watersport. This tube is amazing!!!!! I was at least 40 feet in the air and was in total control. The people who get hurt, just don't know what they are doing and should stay off of it! Windy days, or calm, the wego kite tube is the ultimate watersport. With a litte practice, some common sense, and A GOOOD DRIVER this sport is amazing. NOT DANGEROUS AT ALL!
dalhousie
· 3 years ago
I don't know what you guys are talking about, all you need is a driver that knows what is going on. This tube will not flip, I have the movies to prove it. It will seem like it is going to flip, but hold on and the driver will bring you back to the water if they have any common sense at all. All these idiots that are getting hurt are just wimps that let go. And you don't have to go 60 mph, my brother is 220lbs. and we were doing like 20 mph and he was 20-30 ft in the air for over 5 minutes. BEST WATER SPORT EVER INVENTED!!!!!
sonny
· 3 years ago
wego kite tube $599.95 extra 65 feet of rope $19.95 270 pound friend that say's he will fill up the gas tank of your 38 foot scarab with twin 650 hp blower motors if you pull him fast enough to fly. It flew....5-10 feet then looked like the space shuttle at launch.....I thought he was gonna fly over the boat till it made that right hook towards the water...he went another 10 feet...remember 65 feet of rope plus 65 more feet.......you do the math!, it made these 30-40 foot wrecks look lame.......broke leg, collapsed lung, hospitol bill $35,000.00
C Webster
· 3 years ago
OK...let's talk. I obviously have read all of these comments and I feel compelled to respond, so here goes. If you had never riden a motorcycle before, would you buy it see how fast it would go the first ride? How many people have been killed on waverunners or jet skis? (When I lived in Denver it was one every weekend during the summer months) How many people are kiled in car crashes, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle crashes, mopeds, etc every 60 days....research that one! For that matter crawl out of bed and land on the dog and see if you end up throughing your back out of place. I got thrown off my daughters motorized skate board (Which I quickly named the killing machine) and about broke my hip, scarred my face, arms, legs, and pride. I was only doing 15 MPH when the front tire had a blow out! I went right over the front unstable handle bars and used the road and gravel to stop me! It hurt worse than anything I have ever done on the water! I too have done most everything on the water including sking on a paddle! Try that one! Bottom line: Did any of you REALLY pay attention to the video? If you did, those are the ones that are still enjoying this product. The others are loaded with testosterone and simply need to reach their limitations. For those that have been hurt, I am sorry that you did not recieve better instructions and or have a driver and spotter that would help keep you from harms way. The instructional video claims that 20 -25 MPH is plenty of speed to launch with. The end of the video states these are "Professional athletes under controlled circumstances with professional driver & spotters." I would bet alot that these "Athletes" have had many hours of operation to achieve the ease of techniques they display during this video. Much less the number of takes it took them to make it. The video also only shows the riders going at most, 10 - 15 feet in the air. Quite frankly I would love to fly 5 - 10 feet off the water for a five minute ride! Now on to other points: My Heytone - you definitly DO NOT know how to ride this! It is dramatically underinflated and bailing from it is your demise. You also need to go in a straight line keeping the kite behind the center of the boat at all times. You also want to have smoother water, not hopping over other boats wakes (as seen in the videos, also will pull on the kite tube rope like flying a kite in the breeze and pulling on the rope will make it go up and down quickly!). I went to your site to watch your rediculous videos of poor talent, poor equipment preparation, poor driving skills, etc. I am thankful you did survive. Please learn how to fly before you fly! If you stand in the front of the slots for your feet, you can simply lean forward on the tube and it will come back down. Leaning back, (which obviously you were) you will go airborn! I also fly remote control planes. If you don't balance a plane correctly it will not be able to be controlled. When a plane is tail heavy, it has no air moving across the tails "Control" surfaces and thus will crash! It must be balanced front to rear and side to side. Have you ever been in a commuter plane and asked to move forward or backward prior to take off? If so, the answer is to balance the plane! Mr. Scroggins, I too have been on Lake Shelbyville as recent as 07/09/06 and flew 10 foot off the water. I have also kited on Lake Springfield. I will not go back to Springfield to do this again. Too many boats, too stupid of drivers, too many spectators getting in the way! To close out this blog: I and my friends, family, and others have had a great time with the Wego Kite Tube. Responsibility for everyones actions must be taken. Those of you who wish to take the plane to it maximum speed and altitude without proper training are going to fall from the sky and get hurt! My Baja goes 65MPH and I WILL NOT drive it that fast with others in the boat that are not secured. Have you ever watched someone get popped out of a boat like a popcorn kernal exploding? It can happen quicker and easier than you think. Why do you think they put the safety lanyard with the ignition cutoff on it? I enjoy my fun but do it with respect for all. I am 49 years old, weigh 217 (which is 17 lbs over the recommende limit by the way) and have no trouble getting the kite airborn. I only go between 30 - 33 MPH. I too have wipped out on my tube but find it no different than falling off my competition slolam ski at 35 - 40 MPH. Please take the time to learn how to do this before calling it junk, killer, death trap, etc. And one last thing, how many beers were involved in many of these instances? I drink, but not while boating or kiting or skiing, etc. There is a time and place for that. Call me a prude, but I will continue to enjoy my kite and pleasure from its performance as long as I keep my learning and respect for it capabilities in their place!
Bill
· 3 years ago
If anyone with serious injuries wants to hit Sportsstuff where it counts, in the bank account, this attorney is handling 2 death claims. Just saw a story on CBS today about it. Finally, we are getting the word out. C. Webster, the difference between this tube and other extreme sports is the training required before purchase. I kite board and was forbidden to buy a kite before I had a lesson. These tubes are sold at many retail outlets like a natural extension to intertubing. the rider has no control except for ejecting or hanging on to the bronco. and the driver can't predict wind gusts. attorney...BMazzola@davidbernsen.com wwww.davidbernsen.com
Brian
· 3 years ago
Is this thing on
Kristi
· 3 years ago
We bought our Wego Kite Tube right before Memorial Day weekend. And I gotta say, we have a great time with it (slight minor injuries) but figured it would only be a matter of time before it's pulled of the market.
The thing is unlike many other watersports it takes NO SKILL to get on the back of a Kite tube and go to extreme heights. This combined unexperienced drivers, crosswinds/high winds is a recipe for accidents. Wakeboarders and waterskiers at least have to be skilled enough to pull themselves out of the water. So we follow some simple guidelines..we never use the tube when it's a gusty crosswinds day, period. The rider carries a key chain-sized airhorn to signal to the boat and we always try to keep it within 10 to 15ft. And no drinking and riding.
Sportstuff has had a reputation for fun and safe products and, I believe, many people applied that to the Wego kite tube as well. The company's attempts at safety warnings and informative video (which we watched before starting)
Kristi
· 3 years ago
finishing my sentence... really do not convey the control, skill and experience that go with owning and using this product. I believe that they will have to come up with a safer more stable version , or current owners may only be the people who will fly.
sonny
· 3 years ago
Bad design, likley to take flight to unbeleavable heights, and not a damn thing you can or the boat driver can do about it, and the only way down is to crash. If you still want to ride this piece of crap, make room on your mantel for a Darwin award.
Brian
· 3 years ago
I am 39 years old and have tried everything from rock climbing, rappelling, parasailing, scuba dive, water skiing, knee boarding, wake boarding-(my personal fav right now), jet ski, tubing & was a life guard for 8 summers (seen some nasty suff there). I'm sure I left out something along the way...short of skydiving (dont think I havent thought about that one) Maybe for my 40th b-day.I dont snow board because I hate winter.
So here I am sitting in my office today and I see a story on this kite tube. Have you ever heard of Overton's? If you havent you are not a water sports or boating fan. I picked up the phone called Overton's and guess what? They will not sell you that tube from their company any longer. That tube is one of their latest books in my truck. When I first seen that thing on the cover standing at my mail box in the post office I didnt think twice about it....wow thats neat I thought until now.
I started water skiing at 8 y/o, drove boats for 23 years and owned my own boat for 11 years now. I have always had above average coordination and I'm sure you have seen people who look like "a cat on ice"...these people are the ones who will no doubt receive serious injury from this product.
I agree with the people on here who know boating and driver error is a hugh factor. But it dosent matter because with time, the right wind conditions just like someone said...your number is going to come up and your gonna get nailed hard.
I have worked in public health for 14 years and I know how the government works....the feds will shut this puppy down soon. Have you ever wiped out and there you are lying in the water hearing the faint buzzzzz of props in your ear....thinking can I move am I hurt..well you just might not hear a thing until you wake up in the morgue.
Yeah, it sure looks fun to ride, but thinking your bullet proof wont last very long one summer day. As for the guy in the video....unreal dude and the song help by the beetles with the video is just crazy. Someone in your vessel on the lake just might be singing that to 911 sooner than you think. The risk factor for this thing is out the roof. Take it from someone who is almost 40 and feels 20...live to see another day on the water.
Brian
· 3 years ago
One last comment: To the guys
If your looking to get cute bikini clad babes on board your boat....this is the ticket. After all when your taking the ride to the hospital or the morgue...here it comes....."The kite also serves as a sun pad lounge for the ladies to enjoy the rest of the day without you.
Wegoup
· 3 years ago
I tend to agree with C Webster that if you take the time to learn how to do it and have respect for the inherent dangers involved, you can avoid serious injury. For those that have been injured, it is sad and I wouldn't wish injury on anyone. But that said, I think it's likely more your own fault than the fault of SportsStuff. You sue-hungry people out there need to take responsibility for your actions! It's a novel concept, I know, but it is deeply rooted in the American fabric. You people are not the ones that make this county great and should perhaps consider relocating your whiny butts to France. While you're suing for damages, which for many of you may have existed in your brain prior to your Wego flight, why don't you also consider sueing the auto makers as well. After all, they intentionally make cars which can be driven too fast and thus become involved in a serious accident. I mean, it wasn't your fault that you ignored the stated speed limits and laws of common sense and floored the gas pedal. All cars should operate safe at any speed, right. Go ahead idiots and semi-idiots alike...join the liberal, sue-happy, losers of life's lottery...and blame your inability to make it in life on someone else. Sadly, there are a few other malcontents that will hop on the bandwagon and embrace your alleged plight and make you feel better about your situation. But fortunately, you are a largely a dieing breed. I'm sure this sounds calous and insensitive, but sometimes things need to be communicated in that manner way. Long live freedom and the accountability that goes along with it.
Dave
· 3 years ago
Rode one this past weekend for the first and probably last time. We didn't have any serious injuries, but we easily could have. We had several wipe outs when the tube came crashing back to the water sending the rider skipping 40 mph across the surface like a flat rock.
One thing that is not mentioned here that I'm sure is going to happen sooner or latter is someone hitting a low hanging telephone or power line across a lake. The first couple of trips we made down the lake we didn't even notice them. After an hour or so of practice we were getting the death-kite up to about 15-20 feet reguarly. That is when we noticed there are lines across the lake at about 25 feet off the water. One wind gust and you are going to be right into them.
Don't get me wrong we loved it, but I can really see how people can get really hurt on it. I give this thing about another 3-4 weeks before some Congressman's kid is smashed up in Chesapeake Bay before a government recall is issued.
Brian
· 3 years ago
Thats so true Dave or someone minding their own business then out of nowhere comes the death kite as it or a human slams into another boat, line, pole or shore. I love the name death kite by the way...I'm callin 48 hours right now.
If you cant protect yourself from preventable accidents the government will.....very soon it seems. Did anyone notice the skull and cross bones on the death kite. Makes me wish I was a lawyer. This company is in deep shit and they know it.
EL Fudge
· 3 years ago
C-Bo, could you explain your mod a little further? Ive heard that adding another tow point has helped, but Im having trouble figuring out your design... Is the lexan disc across the entire bottom of the tube, or is this a stabolizing tail or something?
EL Fudge
· 3 years ago
Im also noticing that everyone that is getting jacked up is doing 40 mph when it happens. If you told me to jump out of a boat moving at 40 Id tell you to go pound sand, let alone flying behind one. If the instructions say 20mph, why would anyone think its ok to go twice as fast?
Dave
· 3 years ago
El Fudge - Agreed. We could not get air at 20 mph regardless of what the instructions said and we had pumped the thing up with as much pressure as it would hold. It was 30 mph minimum before it got off the water. Granted some of us may have been carying a little extra weight, but the additional processed beer padding paid off in the long run!
Shelli
· 3 years ago
PLEASE HEED THE WARNINGS!!!! My story reads just like many above. We used it over Memorial Day weekend, things were great?no problems. Took it out July 2 and my 14 year old nephew was riding. He was flying great. A sudden gust, up he went, the tube rotated sharply and he took a 30 ft. fall to the water?all in a split second. After being transported first by ambulance, then by helicopter, we learned that he had fractures of the T3, T4 and possibly T6 vertebrae. Thankfully, his spinal cord was not affected and he is expected to fully recover. Had he not been wearing a neopreme jacket, I believe he would have suffered internal injuries as he was already visibly bruised when we got him on the boat.
Upon our return from the hospital, we read in the morning newspaper that very day that the Corp of Engineers has banned all kite tubes from lakes in Missouri and Arkansas due to serious injuries and 2 deaths that were attributed to the kite tube. We have been in contact with the Game Warden here in TX and were informed that they already have received a multitude of reports of serious injuries and 1 reported death.
The kite tubes just came out this year, and look out how many injuries and deaths have been reported. We are experienced boaters and have used just about every water toy, including a parasail. We watched the video and paid attention to the warnings. I don?t care how experienced you are, how many spotters how have, how much air pressure is in the tube, how long the rope is or what kind of boat is pulling it, the kite tube is deadly. You cannot predict wind or control its affect on the tube. An accident happens instantaneously and you can only watch helplessly as someone you love gets hurt or killed.
We contacted Bass Pro and they informed us that they were no longer selling kite tubes and readily agreed to give a refund, even though we don?t have the original packaging, etc. If major retailers won?t sell them, government agencies are banning them, you hear first hand accounts of major injuries and deaths, what more proof do you need that you?re gambling with lives and, just like in Vegas, you?re bound to lose?
C Webster
· 3 years ago
To "Wegoup" - looks like you and I are alone on this one. I still just can't imagine why people think that one or two times on the kite and they are professional enough to ride at such heights!
To "Bill" - I hope it is the same attorney and bench that sued McDonalds for making hot coffee and the duma@#4s that spilled it while trying to drive. With those ingredients I am sure they will be able to put us in jail for life for even thinking about riding one of these again!
Brian
· 3 years ago
I weigh about 220. It took almost 40 mph to get me into the air. Hit a gust of wind, went sailing close to 40 feet in the air. USE EXTREME Caution!! Everyone one was being resposible and completely sober. CAREFUL
bill church
· 3 years ago
From: "Sportsstuff Customer Service" To: "Customer Care" Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 6:55 PM Subject: Sportsstuff Kite Tubes Withdrawn From Market
> IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL > > > WEGO KITE TUBES > > Our records indicate that, during 2005-2006, you purchased a Sportsstuff > Wego Kite Tube. In recent weeks, Sportsstuff has received reports that > persons have been seriously injured or died while using these kite tubes. > To > date, Sportsstuff has been unable to determine the causes of these > incidents. While Sportsstuff does not believe that the products are > defective or unreasonably dangerous, in an abundance of caution, > Sportsstuff > is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to > withdraw > the kite tubes from the market and to undertake a voluntary recall to > replace those in the possession of consumers with products of comparable > value. > > We therefore request that you stop using your kite tube and contact us at > 1-866-831-5524 for instructions how to obtain the replacement product(s). > > Thank you for helping us in this important safety matter. We regret any > inconvenience this may cause you. > > Sincerely yours, > > > Leroy Peterson > Chief Executive Officer >
Steve
· 3 years ago
Wego kite tube pulled fom the market, the END!
sonny
· 3 years ago
Now if they could just design one where you could control the ascent and descent, and send out a flotation vest/parachute with it.......just watch out for powerlines, bridges, and low flying aircraft.
Wegoup
· 3 years ago
Response to "sober and responsible" Brian and anyone else that's still reading:
I hate to burst Brian's responsibility bubble, but going "almost 40 mph to get me into the air" is not "being responsible". With that kind of warped sense of responsibility, it's no wonder that Brian wished he were a trial lawyer so he could make a killing suing SportsStuff. Sadly, there are many adult babies out there...and by that, I do not mean wimps that can't handle a little pain or injury...but instead adults that are incapable of making taking care of themselves. And when they screw up, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, they depend on the government or "rich" corporations to bail them out (and that price is then passed on to the rest of us as consumers). It's pathetic really. While I can see how you can get caught up in the moment of trying to fly by going too fast, it's still not anyone's fault except your own (and maybe that of the boat driver). Bottom line is that anyone going 35-40 mph on an tube designed to fly is not very smart...and if anyone needs to be sued, it's them. I pray for everyone that's been hurt to have a speedy recovery...but I hope you lose your lawsuits and instead gain an understanding of responsibility to be accountable for your own actions. Freedom is great when it includes personal accountability.
Dan Miller
· 3 years ago
Just wanted to make anyone intersted aware that there is a lawfirm in Milwaukee, WI currently looking into putting together a class action lawsuit against the company. Their website is www.mhslaw.net.
Andy
· 3 years ago
I hope everybody sue's Wego. If this kite tube thing is really killing everybody, then they didn't do too much physical research before they launched the tube. The SEVYLOR Manta Ray on the other hand has a tonne of mechanics that go into their tube and you can actually control when in the air. Wego bad, Sevylor good!!
Andy
· 3 years ago
HEY WEGO, are these coments coming from someone who works for Wego? You better watch how you speak to your customers or they will win the law suit and put you out of business. Now that is pathetic, not the people buying your products. How do you think that makes any sense at all.....ya lets go on this site and bash our customers who want to sue us because of the faulty design job on this so called "great" towable.
Shelli
· 3 years ago
Wegoup- I am not a litigous person and we have no plans to sue Wego. However, you need to understand that the issue isn't whether we or anyone else was "being responsible". We used the tube exactly as directed. We watched the video several times, we are experienced boaters, were traveling 20 MPH or less, the boat was being driven in a straight path (no turning, direction changes) etc. The problem with the kite tube and the reason that it's being pulled from the market is that it can not be controlled, even when being used as directed. What do you say to those who followed all directions explicitly and still were injured or killed? Is it still their fault? Sure, an accident or injury can happen doing anything or even doing nothing at all. But, if a consumer makes a purchase and a decision to use the tube based on the premise that the tube is relatively safe when used as directed and then finds out after only after someone is injured or killed that it is NOT safe under any conditions, who is responsible then?
mike Jones
· 3 years ago
Cali Park Bubba Sparkxxx that being said you idiots talking about suing "Wego" need to be informed you would be suing SportsStuff not Wego. Thats like saying you're suing
Horse Gracie
· 3 years ago
Why does everyone chime in with comments that the manta ray is more stable? This couldnt be further from the truth. Ive ridden both the kite tube and the manta ray, and the stability of the manta is horrible. Even when inflated to the max, the item "tacos" up on the rider and causes you to spill. This happens in the air, as well as on the water.
Just out of couriosity, how many critics have actually ridden a kite tube?
Shelli
· 3 years ago
Bubba, whether it's Wego or Sportstuff....it doesn't matter. I'm not suing anyone, and furthermore, I'm not an idiot. I'm simply a concerned person who cares about others' safety.
mike Jones
· 3 years ago
the big mac when you meant to say McDonalds. Anyways the tube is 100% safe if you go on a completely non windy day 27 MPH into the wind going straight. Yes I know "go into the wind on a windless day" no matter how calm it appears to be theres always a wind going in one direction. Just find that direction and have fun. I had one,but we all came to a mutural agreement thery have too much potential for danger. A seemingly contradictory view point I know (thyre fun and harmless but I returned mine) but then again if i need to relive the high I got , Ill just watch the videos we have of me on it flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyin high with no worrries. And to the idiot up there with a Scarab with twin 650's , youre an idiot. My boat wont even touch 47MPH with a MerCruiser 2400mph 4.7L and 27MPH was plenty speed to get me high.
to the rest BUY ONE THEN RETURN IT WHEN THEYRE RECALLED
mike Jones
· 3 years ago
Sheli mad props I hadnt even gotten my second posting up and you had already responded to my first -You're obsessed. Any way I agree with you, buying it in good faith and it turning out to be a "death trap" kinda does blow anyways anyone one on here from Lake Gaston wanna hang out. Come to Eaton Ferry and HOLLA @ ME
Hey Tone
· 3 years ago
I hope whatever "comparable products" Sportsstuff has to offer can produce the 10,000 hits a day my site has been bombarded with.
I called about the recall. I was told they were not ofering to give my money back, but a replacement product ( many not worth the same dollar amount we spent). Sorry, not interested. I was told if I wanted money back to contact the store I purchased it from and see if they could help me. I WAS AT A BOAT SHOW!! So this is not going to be a easy task. Bad Customer Service. My husband was hurt and I figured it was our own stupid fault for buying it. But now with the poor Customer Service of not offering just to give us our money back, I guess law suits is what they would rather have. Shame on you Wego!
Zach Morris
· 3 years ago
me and some buddies bought the wego kite tube just a couple weeks ago before it got taken off the market. We talked about it and we are not going to return it because we had a lot of fun on it and were responsible enough to use it right. Yes, we only use it once a week or so when there is no wind but it is really fun. It is not illegal in Indiana, where i live, i've already talked to some DNR people and its not even a question in doubt with the state. They have no intentions in making this great tube illegal. Although they do have time limits on the lakes for when we can use it and it is not allowed on holiday weekends. I love this tube and we are not returning it for nothing.
K. Webster
· 3 years ago
hello, I am daughter of C.Webster who posted an earlier comment about the kite tube. Im a 17 year old girl that weighs about 120 and my dad has always been drving the boat whenever i have been on the kite and i have always felt very safe. Anytime it went off to the side he would slow the boat down and get me centered again like you are supposed to. We also properly inflated the tube unlike the people in the heytone video. It is very important that you use the correct length of rope for your experience level which many of you "responsible sober adults" did not do and also to make sure that the tube is properly inflated before you try to fly on it or else it will start to have a folding in effect which you need to fix immediately. For those of you who added an additional 65 foot of line to the already long enough tow rope you are asking for danger or for those of you who did not use the tow rope that they provided you with that was specifically designed for this tube. I have never fallen off of this tube because as it says right on the tube "driver controls rider height and safety" and the driver(my dad) did both those things i never got to high up and i never went flying off to the side and fliping over because the driver and spotter were intelligent enough to realize that those things could be dangerous. This kite tube is not like regular tubes. It is not a toy and is not something thst should be experimented or played with. And for those of you hooking the tow rope up wrong- you are not supposed to have it hooked up to a wakeboard tower- it is supposed to be hooked up to the back of the boat! Now to address those of you going more than 20 feet in the air- it says in the instructional video which apparently many of you didnt watch or pay attention to- that you are only safely supposed to reach heights of 20 feet. Which the driver also controls. If a huge gust of wind comes along the driver and/ or spotter should see that the kite tube is going increasingly higher and should slow the boat down so that the kiter doesnt go flying off or spiraling to the side. So all and all those of you acting stupid on the kite tube and getting hurt or even dying should have heeded the warnings. It says on the warning tag on the tube that if not properly used it can cause injury and possibly death so you knew the consequences and are now going so low as to sue the company when it was your own fault therefore maybe you should be stupid enough to sue yourself for all the money you have. There are many dangerous activities that people can engage in such as simply driving stupidly to such extreme things as riding bulls, sky diving, bungee jumping, climbing mountains...etc. The list goes on forever. You can also get hurt and die doing any of those things. So for those of you who had a bad experience while improperly utilizing the kite tube i have no sympathy for you. But for those of you who were properly using it and got hurt i feel sorry for you although i can not see how if you were using properly that you could have gotten more than a few bruises. So now all of you that had to bitch about how dangerous it was and how hurt you got because you fell from 60 feet in the air going 60 miles an hour you got your wish. The kite tube has been recalled and banned in almost every state. Thank you for ruining it for those of us who were using it properly.(and just remember this whole comment came from a 17 year who was more mature in writing this comment than alot of you have been on this website. Alot of you were arguing back and forth like 5 year old children)So fly on those of us responsible kite tube lovers. K.Webster
Mike
· 3 years ago
Wow...it literally took me an hour and a half to read through this huge string of chat...and as a Kite Owner, I tell all of you that I will be kiting on Saturday.
I just watched the safety video once again...note that I watched the safety video about 10 times before I ever went out, and the rule I have is that IF YOU HAVE ANY PLANS on using the tube, you have to watch the safety video WITH ME before we head out to the lake. I?ve made several of my buddies watch it twice, as they got caught up in the hype & excitement of what the tube would do and weren?t paying attention to the safety instructions.
The safety video clearly says a couple things ? first, that you should not travel at speeds more than 17-22 miles an hour. It says this more than once. It also says that you should spend HOURS kiting at the beginner length of the rope (45 feet) before moving to INTERMEDIATE. With a 45 foot rope, you can?t get 45 feet in the air at 22 miles an hour?it?s physically impossible.
As someone who is 235 pounds, I?m 35 pounds over the recommended weight limit for the tube. I am well aware that this puts me at additional risks on the tube, and I choose to take these risks.
I?ll also say that the first five times I tried the tube, I couldn?t get it more than a foot out of the water. I got frustrated?told (and told and told) my friends to drive MY boat faster to get me out of the water?and they all held me to my own rule ? 25 is the MAXIMUM SPEED that you travel with the Kite tube behind you?or your time on the lake with me is done.
After four weeks of being the one person who couldn?t get the darn thing out of the water, I finally did. I got max 6-8 feet up and it was a thrill. I can?t wait to do it again.
The video gives many, many warnings ? do not go too fast, do not kite in high wind, start at the beginner length of the rope, and that SERIOUS injury ? beyond that of ANY OTHER WATER SPORT ? could result if you fail to follow the safety instructions.
In reading everything here?did one single person (and I?m the second to ask the question) have a challenge on this tube going less than 30 miles per hour? Did anyone fall off the tube when following the DIRECTIONS and tubing at the beginner length until they learned what they were doing?
We live in the country of blame?and sue?and make it someone else?s fault. I?m not surprised at all the negativity on this site?but what I?m disappointed in is that the failure to follow directions on behalf of 28 people (yes, 28 people) results in over 19,000 kite tube owners facing the possibility of their tube being illegal. If ONLY the owners were to use their tubes, this means that ONLY .1% of people who own it are having problems, and of these, 100% of them weren?t following the safety instructions?this isn?t taking into account that I?m just one owner of 19,000 ? and to date, about 35 different people have used my tube. If 35 people have used every tube, that means that 665,000 people have been on the tube, and there have been 28 injuries. Again, all of which are correlated to NOT FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS?and this means that such a low percentage that my calculator doesn?t even go far enough over to show the PERCENTAGE of people who have been injured.
So?quoting some others ? SKY DIVE AT YOUR OWN RISK. FLY A PLANE AT YOUR OWN RISK. CLIFF DIVE AT YOUR OWN RISK. And most of all, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, and KITE TUBE AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you follow directions, that risk becomes so minimal that you needn?t worry.
sonny
· 3 years ago
All you people riding this thing after the reports of death and injuries are idiots, and will rightfully receive a darwin award. Unless some of you fools have a means of controlling the wind that the rest of us don't know about your number will come up. This thing is a bad design and equivilent to the Wright flyer, would you get in line to ride it? remember this when this thing gets 20-30 feet up there is only 1 way to get down and it is called "crash". There are 3 types of people with Wego kite tubes, those that have been hurt or dead, those that will get hurt or die, and those that send it back for toys of equal value.
Shelli
· 3 years ago
Mike, to answer your question, yes we did follow all of the guidelines: each person watched the video at least twice, boat speed was no more than 20 MPH, the rope was not tied to a tower, experienced driver/rider, etc. Just as in flying a kite, you can't control what the wind does to an object suspended in the air, tied to a string, or in this case a rope. If you've ever watched a kite, you know how it can be flying steady one second, and the next, it's nosediving to the ground. The person holding the string is just like the boat driver....there's only so much you can do in a split second. If you and others continue to use it, I guess it will take an accident of your own to make you a believer. I just hope you'll be willing and able to come back on here and warn others just as those of us who have already experienced what can happen have done.
nikki
· 3 years ago
For everyone's information, my fiance and I purchased this tube on May 6, we watched the video numerous amounts of times...On Sunday June 25th I went on the tube for my 3rd time, I had never gotten any air before. My feet were about 6-7 ft. off the water when I caught a gust of wind which threw me off. When I came up for air out of the water I noticed that I could not move my foot. I went to the emergency room that night and they said that my ankle was broken and they put a splint on me because it was swollen to the size simmilar of a baseball. The next day I went to an Orthopedic Dr. and they took more x-rays noticing that my ankle bone had a huge brake, on the 28th of June I had surgery leaving me with a plate and 6-7 screws. I just got my cast on July 6th and was on bedrest for 12 days. I finally returned to work on July 7th leaving me with 2 weeks without pay. I am also getting married on August 26, which hopefully I am going to be recovered by then but there is no way of telling. Please tell me this is not dangerous!!!!! What a fun summer huh?
Ted Johnson
· 3 years ago
If you want to fly, take up hangliding. You will be able to fly in control, after an investment of some time with an instructor. This thing is deadly. Totally out of control. Stay away from it or you will get paralyzed too.
K.Webster
· 3 years ago
Thank you for the support Mike! For those of us following the directions I thank you and appreciate the support I hope the asshole who is suing sports stuff loses miserably and that we will be able to fly the tube again soon without getting in to trouble doing it.
mad tuna lovin
· 3 years ago
i personally enjoyed kiting (returning the tube) i was never once flipped aas long as i held on and stayed centered while the driver slowed the boat. but like people have bben saying you can't control the wind a gust could send u out of control and into the air. i've had this happen but i remained calm moving alot just amplifies the swaying. but with the right gust i have no doubt that an experienced rider with an experienced driver can still be injured or even killed if hit by the wrong gust. this is an inherant risk though. most crashes are cashed by error speeding bailing ect. another thing i've noticed is aroun 30 the kite tube becomes unstabe to say the least that and rough weather make controling the kite tube icredibly dificult and fore the person who didn't realize they were flying under power lines...thats shows that you weren't taking kite tubing seriosly i know i've gone on fore a while but it's also helpful to pump the tube after each flight. personaly i think wind with kite tubing is like ice(not snow) with skiing. the kite tube isn't completely safe but it's certainly not a death trap. just be sure to be very aware of the weather and not to get caught up in the excitement and instead of suing sportsstuff sue god cause he made the wind and he's got alot more money
K.Webster
· 3 years ago
I have not had the chance to ride the kite tube, but seriosly wanted to purchase one, untill now. Anything and everything that has great rushes involved is dangerous. I hope after it is all said and done that sports stuff continues to improve on a great idea to bring alot of thrills to alot of responsable boaters and watersports enthusiasts. Be fuckin care because shit happens, and if it is going to happen better to happen at 12 feet than 35 feet. I hope all this buzz dies down because I want one of these bad boys, maybe wven the kite tube 2 if they ever get a chance to design one. Things usually get better the next time around. Be carefull out there.
Melissa
· 3 years ago
I have read all these comments and it alomst makes me sick knowing that someone who claims these things are the best invention ever will die or get seriously hurt eventually...my fiance was riding with a very experienced driver and he and all his friends figured out how to "control" the tube very quickly after they got it. All his friends had fallen off and no one was seriously hurt, he was doing fine and a sudden cross wind came and fliped him at about 15 feet up he hit the water and the tube came down on top of him he was rushed to the hospital thinking he had some broken ribs and a punctured lung because he was spitting up blood but after a ct scan they found that his aorta was bruised and every time his heart beat it was making the wall of the aorta weaker and the doctor said that if it tore open he would bleed to death in under a minute. He was air lifted to the University of Michigan hospital where one of the best cardiac surgeons in the country did a bypass on him. there is NO WAY to perdict the wind and there is NEVER enough experience. His fall looked exactly the same as any other fall him or his friend took, the only thing that hurt him was the hit on the water. PLEASE be careful on this thing and if you are reading reviews to find out about it befor you buy it, just DONT BUY IT!!! (i know its been recalled but im sure you can still get one somewhere)
Tracy Baublits
· 3 years ago
I spent 2 days in ICU after my 3rd time out on the WEGO. It is my 14th tube or so, I have the MANTA RAY and used it extensively last year, so I'm not a novice. Never even got the 3rd rope on the Wego, I was non-responsive for about an hour after the accident, and the medical bills are still coming in! I am not interested in a trade for more tubes (got enough) I want my money back for this dangerous tube and we will think about not sueing the company for selling a dangerous product.
Kayla Webster
· 3 years ago
Just letting everyone know i only sent the first two comments from K.Webster the other one is not me.
patriot
· 3 years ago
I hope the Marines are reading this site. There seem to be many potiental candidates to fill the slots for those on the front lines in Iraq. They need some of ya'll to go IED hunting for them. Similar thrills, better benefits, and you get paid for the excitement...
Tracy Baublits
· 3 years ago
What some people don't seem to get is that riding this thing is like the lottery, some of you have just been lucky so far, and your number has not come up yet - give it time, you will end up in an ambulance too (if you can remember, I didn't). So keep on riding it, but keep your insults to yourself.
Toby
· 3 years ago
I am a web designer for www.KiteTubeLawsuits.com and I am looking for images and video of kite tubes and kite tube crashes. If anyone is willing to grant me the right to post their pictures or video on my client's website I would be very grateful.
Stability in wind gusts is a necessary precondition for flight, as discovered by (drumroll, please) the Wrights over 100 years ago. That's why they angled their wingtips downwards (it's not sag from gravity). If I were a plaintiffs lawyer, I would argue that since this thing is unstable in wind gusts, it is a DEFECTIVE design. Am I allowed to sell an aerodynamically unstable hang glider if I just slap a warning on it?
Marsha
· 3 years ago
I've seen this asked before but haven't seen an answer. Has anyone been able to get anything besides what is offered by SportsStuff? I bought a kite tube, if I had wanted a tube or a sumo I would have bought that. It seems to me if they are recalling it we should be able to get our money back, not some replacement stuff that we didn't want.
C Webster
· 3 years ago
I am not destroying mine! They want you to cut the bladder valves off, and the leader pull rope, return it to them for other stuff or credit.
I will start the bidding if someone wants to buy it? Otherwise I will continue to ride. That is of course if they are any bodies of water left to rdie on.
Lawyer for Kite tube suite - I hope you make special points of how many of these owners are not taking any responsibility for their own incompetence. Speed, Driver, Alcohol, Rope length, etc. I hope you show the court system how when exceeding the speed limit causes injury and death ?much like motorvehicles ?keep suing and we will all be walking again! Then when we trip on a rock that the sidewalk department did not pick up, we can sue some more.
Just in case you did not get the drift - sue happy people piss me off!
sonny
· 3 years ago
quote c. webster "That is of course if they are any bodies of water left to die on."
I removed the r typo you made.....or is that a subliminal message you are sending yourself?
C Webster
· 3 years ago
Sonny - It appears that you yourself have never been on one for starters - or at least I have not seen your testimonial ride - only the one you tried to kill over a tank of fuel!
Number two - I guess that you are correct on the thesarus - the comment should read "That is of course if there are any bodies of water left to ride on."
Three - YOU have a lot of room to talk with your "Visa" commercial of stupidity utilizing extra rope length and insane speeds to kill your friend to achieve a full tank of fuel. I guess we know how you treat your friends! Especially ones that are 70 lbs. over the capacity of the tube - as outlined in many of the instruction documents.
Just curious, did you get your full tank of fuel? Or are you being sued? You should be, not the company who made the tube!
Lastly, the only message that I am sending is, the people who have not utilized this product as instructed got everything they were warned of. The repercussions of people like yourself are what makes society less than desireable. If someone doesn't like something, don't eat it, smoke it, drink it, use it, buy it, etc! Let everyone who does want some, have some! Let people make their own choices just like you have! Or is it that you just can't stand allowing others to make their own choices? - and don't tell me your just trying to protect the innocent, we have all read what you did!
spike
· 3 years ago
if anyone has one of these and would prefer to sell it rather than trade it in for more towables, send me an e-mail. chubbytug@hotmail.com
sonny
· 3 years ago
Webster the way you jump to conclusions proves you are just a big enuff dumb ass to keep riding this thing. I did not spend my money on this piece of crap and after seeing my friend try several times behind a variety of boats to get this pancake of death off the water relented to his begging. Sad fact he never showed me the video, or the manual, just said pull him in a straight line till he flew, ok, he is not the brightest crayon in the box. The first pass looked great, thought I might have been wrong, a nice flight 5-10 feet off the water, and on the next run he wanted me to pick him up and let him down, well upon slowing and letting him down before I can even get back on the throttle up it went, from a gust of wind, and the only thing that would have brought it down was an 870 remington. What he did was wrong but this was months ago and who knew then that this piece of crap was leaving a trail of death and destruction. If this thing worked as advertised with someone other than a 125 lb stunt kid on it you would not hear of the damage it has done. It was a shame it has been banned because after the news got out this would have been a great tool for helping Darwinism take its course. The simple fact is the company was negligent in turning something with such a small evelop of safty on the public and until there is a way to either control the wind or get these things down from 30-40 feet controllably, they should not be allowed on the market. When I first saw it I thought hummm eqivilet to the Wright flyer and I would not get in line for a flight on it. Fly like a bird, soar to incrediable heights, well they left out break bones and maybee die, I have since seen the manual and the video. I am all for peoples rights, but I also understand that we can not let companies put out shit that the public is not qualified for like a jet ski a few years back that ran on a track like a snow mobile that would do over 100 mph with a 750cc engine, think where that would have gone......luckly for us boaters no insurance company would underwrite them.....my advice to you, if you don't have a Wego get one on e-bay and find you a lake and ride away into the sunset.....before you reproduce.....that will help society.
C Webster
· 3 years ago
OK sonny ? you opened the door to name calling. I refuse to further this conversation with someone whom is so ill equipped and cerebrally challenged. Is that (a jet ski with a belt drive) the only product your tiny little brain cell (singular not plural) could spit out? Your inability to do your homework as to whether I have a ?Wego? or not, or have ridden it without fail leaves you pounding your tiny little fists, screaming like a little school girl. You sound like John Kerry! Maybe, I want one, no I don?t. Maybe, I want one, no I don?t. The ?Wego? has all the warnings written right on it, ?Serious Injury or Death?, ?Never Kite higher than you?re willing to fall?! Furthering your overall common sense of ?pull me faster (with an additional 65 foot of rope) until I get airborne? leaves little to discuss. Jump to conclusions too quickly, bite me! I think you have proved yourself! You win, EVERYONE else looses. Are you happy now? Don?t worry that your eyebrows will ever be equally shaped on both sides of your face. Please remember that every time you look in the mirror. By the way, there is a technology called spell check. You should use it grammar girl!
C Webster
· 3 years ago
Forgot - "Sonny" go to your room and do your homework, NOW!
Kayla Webster
· 3 years ago
right on! right on! all my support goes to u c.webster :)(aka poppy)
sonny
· 3 years ago
Seems Webster has already reproduced, and from reading the post, Newton was right.....the apple don't fall far from the tree......but the body can fall far from the Wego kite tube of death.....the family that kite tubes togather, _____ togather.....we will have to fill in the blank later, just send us the video.
Anonymous
· 3 years ago
Well I hope all of you old conservitive yellow bellies are happy you ruined a perfectly good sport for all of us. I'm so angry at you sue happy F*&&s for ruining something good for everyone. This is supposed to be a free country and it is you who takes another one of our freedoms away. I don't feel sorry for any of you with injuries or even deaths. Read the god$#$%ed instruction and use some common sence. Your all a bunch of winey gapers who shouldn't even be allowed to live with your stupidity. START SLOW, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, GO ON CALM DAYS WITH LOW AMOUNTS OF BOAT TRAFFIC, USE THE RIGHT LENGTH OF ROPE, TIE OFF TO THE BOAT RIGHT, AND FOR GOD SAKES GET A DECENT DRIVER. Oh yeah and to the idiot who mentioned power lines "LOOK AROUND".If you just followed these instructions everyone would be fine, but no all of these idiots have to go out and F$%^k it up for us all! THANKS!!!This really says something about our society. If I was like you I couldn't live with myself. Do society a favor and crawl into a hole and die you F*@#ing bunch of dogooders!
sonny
· 3 years ago
Actually I think that they now need to give Wego kite tubes away for free. Sooner or later some of you will get to vote, and from the posts, that is the last thing this country needs, Free Lsd, free pot, free coke, free 100 mph jet skis, but that still puts the burden of burying all of you IDIOTS back on us, is there any cheap form of creamation?
C Webster
· 3 years ago
Anonymous ? Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!
Sonny ? you still need to use spell check buddy!
sonny
· 3 years ago
well not all of us are named after a dictionary.....go fly on your damn kite tube
sonny
· 3 years ago
and if you are ever near loto, call me, I will give you a tow.....and the gas is on me
CJ
· 3 years ago
THREE DEATHS IN FOUR MONTHS AND HOW MANY NEAR FATAL ACCIDENTS!
THIS PRODUCT IS DANGEROUS AND HAS NO AERO-DYNAMIC PROPERTIES TO IT. OBVIOUSLY IT NEVER TESTED FULLY AND SHOULD NEVER BEEN PLACED UP FOR SALE.
MY COUSIN WAS TOSSED INTO THE AIR WHEN OUR BOAT HIT A WAKE. HE IS NOW INCAPACITATED WITH A BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND A FRACTURE TO HIS SKULL.
SPORTSTUFF SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PIECE OF CRAP. SPORTSTUFF SUCKS!
Burlington Man?s Death In Kite Tubing Accident Spurs New Concerns
It was supposed to be the latest and greatest thing he?d ever done. It wound up being the last and the deadliest. A Burlington man is believed to be the first person in Ontario killed practicing the new extreme sport of kite tubing. The craze involves standing on an inflated disc shaped object being towed behind a boat. It soars into the air on gusts of wind and then comes down again, a sort of airborne water skiing.
But there?s no harness or seatbelt, and it depends solely on the rider hanging on to a tow rope.
That?s how Glen Buttigieg thought it was supposed to work. But something went terribly wrong on Tuesday when the 38-year-old and his friends ventured out on a Guelph lake to try their expensive new toy.
Buttigieg?s device went into a sudden dive and crashed into the water, leaving him with a broken neck and brain injuries that proved fatal.
His best friend Mike Langlais was waiting for his own turn on the contraption and couldn?t believe what he saw. ?I gave him mouth to mouth and he didn?t come to,? he remembers, with a quiver in his voice. ?So I gave him CPR and he woke up again. But he was paralyzed by then, he couldn?t move anymore.? The still stunned Langlais swears all his pals read and followed the directions, and they thought there was something wrong with the equipment. ?My first thought was this is defective, this kite shouldn?t be able to do this, to lose its airflow like that.? This is the first season kite tubes are being sold in Ontario, and they?re reported to be moving well, despite the price tag of $500-$700. But while we may not be all that familiar with them here, it?s a different story in the U.S. Some states have already banned the treacherous toy and the Toronto Police Marine Unit is hoping to see that same precaution followed here. ?I don?t think there is any safe way of riding it,? complains P.C. Gary Gibson. ?There doesn?t appear to be any kind of controls on it to control the lift or control the steering of it in the air.? There are no legal requirements to get training and while the package comes with a how-to DVD, it doesn?t recommend wearing a helmet. Langlais is preparing to attend his pal?s funeral on Saturday and can?t believe he lost his life over something so senseless. He supports the idea of a ban, too, so that no one ever has to go through what he did. ?Had we known it was this unsafe or that fast or could do the things that it did, I don?t think we would ever would have been on it,? he laments. And he has this warning for parents or adults thinking about getting one of their own. ?Don?t use these kites,? he pleads. ?Whoever purchased them, don?t take it out of the box, don?t use it, don?t let you?re children on it, it?s far too dangerous.?
The tragedy has already led to another casualty that will leave Buttigieg?s mother unable to attend her own son?s funeral. After learning about the death of her only child, she suffered a massive heart attack and remains in hospital.
kayla webster
· 3 years ago
sonny- the apple doesnt fall far from the tree and i'm very proud of thatand as for your little quote(.the family that kite tubes together, _____ together) we cant send a video, we dont have a video camera but i can tell ya it would be boring compared to the videos you have seen because unlike those videos we actually stay on the tube and dont go above 15 feet in the air. and to fill in the blank....the family that kite tubes together, has an awesome(and safe) time together.
kayla webster
· 3 years ago
o and i almost forgot i dont think we will take you up on your offer to pull us even if the gas is on you cause after your story about your 270 pound friend i would never trust you to pull me.
Virginia
· 3 years ago
All of you people saying thatlawsuits are the reason this horrific product is now off the market are completly nuts! There hasn't even been a lawsuit yet, I know they are coming yes but that isn't why it was taken off the market. It was taken off the market because it is an extremely unsafe product and the US product safety people were going to pull it had sports stuff not done it first. Not because of a bunch of lawsuits that haven't even happened yet. Oh and I'm sorry if I spelled anything inncorrectly I wouldn't want to upset the websters.
bored in NC
· 3 years ago
hello like there was this one time.... we floored our 900HP DONZI... with like 100 feet of rope... dragging the kite tube... and then the driver went under a bridge... and I went SPLATT..
anyone think theres a possibility of me winning a lawsuit against Sportsstuff
I sure hope so because I would hate to take responsibility for my actions
(sp) sorry webstas
Walt Lear
· 3 years ago
I'm an experimental test pilot. I'm rated for seaplanes, land planes and helicopters, single and multi-engine, gliders, and air transport. I've flow sail planes, ultralights and hang gliders, as well as tactical and transport aircraft. I've competed in aerobatics and I've flown off a carrier.
I have ridden a tube, but didn't particularly like it. Nothing wrong with it, it's just not my cup of tea.
I would NEVER ride one of these things, either the Wego or the Manta Ray. I would not get high enough to kill myself in a machine that doesn't have any controls. You could not pay me enough.
I feel deeply for those that have been injured and the families of those that have been killed. Please, if you have one of these things, shred it. For the sake of your kids. For the sake of the taxpayers, who are going to have to pick up the tab if you become a quadrapalegic.
If you want to fly around low and slow, get a powered parachute. They're a blast. Riding one of these is asking for massive injury and a lifetime as a cripple.
sonny
· 3 years ago
I think Sportsstuff will rebound from this, possiably renamed Stupidstuff, simply because there will always be a market, as some of the above post prove.
Alex
· 3 years ago
Is the Manta Ray safer, and how do you get it to fly. I have been trying for a long time and I can never get it up.
Phil
· 3 years ago
I have one of these, I've used it twice, I've crashed once, I want to sell it, and am appaled that Sportstuff will not refund my money, if anyone is interested in it please contact me at indysingleguy101@yahoo.com thanks
Bruce
· 3 years ago
It looked cool and fun in the catalogue. It looked cool and somewhat death defying the first time I saw it on the lake. One can only defy death for so long when "gusts of wind are involved." Wind shear can flip a several ton plane when landing with all other conditions being perfect. Certainly a "gust of wind" can flip an inflated kite tube and its rider. Death or serious injury is only a gust away. Enough things every day are left to chance. Here is your chance to improve your chances of staying alive...stay off it!
biff
· 3 years ago
If man was ment to fly he would have wings, until that time, only fly on something that was designed by an aeronautical engineer and built by well known company.
Wade
· 3 years ago
Well after trying to save up enough extra money for the WEBO kite tubes I am very disapointed by its removal. I haven't seen the WEBO up close in operation but I did get a chance to see the Manta Ray last week. Put me in the crowd that says let everyone make up their own mind. Out of all the reading I have done, I have not seen one response where someone used the kite responsably and ended up seroiously hurt. Excess speeds, crossing a rolling wake, extra length on the tow rope, running in windy conditions (you can't tell me a responsible person knows when the chance of wind gusts is present), etc. are all recipies for disaster. Anyway I hope all of those who want to control life for the rest of us are proud of themselves. Maybe you can come to my side of town and I can turn you into a statisitic for why pedestrians shouldn't be allowed to walk anywhere near a road. And for any lawyers reading this post, just shoot yourself in the f*&^ing head and leave the rest of us alone.
HOWARD
· 3 years ago
BAN IT YOU WILL GET HURT I KNOW
Chris
· 3 years ago
I've got a Wego tube that I bought, but never even took it out of the box, and Sportsstuff won't give my money back. They just want to trade me for some other tubes I don't want. Anyone want to buy mine?
I think this ridiculous suicide toy should stay legal, so it helps eliminating idiots' genes from the human gene pool.
Crystal
· 3 years ago
i fell off this thing 6 weeks ago hit the bank and broke my arm in three places. i had 2 plates and 13 screws put in my arm. I wont be doing anything involving water for a long time due to my left arm being in a full arm plaster cast.
Peter
· 3 years ago
Got one for birthday over summer. Used it one time. Flew fine on calm day. No big crashes. Seems it will work fine under right conditions, but might be unstable on gusty days or when disregarding operational directions. Either way, if anyone is interested in purchasing tube please email me. Thanks....Peter papamendy@hotmail.com
R. Russo
· 3 years ago
R. Russo Says:
August 4th, 2006 at 10:07 am Article Last Updated: 08/02/2006 07:23:47 PM MDT
TUBE KITES PROVIDE A BIG RUSH, BUT DANGERS ARE EXTREME By Brett Prettyman The Salt Lake Tribune
In the span of 76 days, the Wego Kite Tube by SportsStuff Inc. went from being honored as the best new sports product of the year by the Sporting Good Manufacturers Association to becoming a voluntary safety recall item. New numbers show that as of July 27, 84 people have been injured in 77 incidents involving Wego Kite Tubes in the U.S., including two deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). At least one death has been linked to the Wego Kite Tube in Canada. The Wego is a 10-foot, round and inflatable tube designed to be towed behind power boats. Riders can lift the tube off the water when speeds of 20 to 40 mph are reached. The tube can rise as high 60 feet, according to some users. Kite tubes provide a new form of adrenaline rush and the falls provide some amazing video footage for frat house fodder, but officials say the dangers are extreme. ?They are hard to control and can lift users as high as 40 feet into the air. The impact from falling from these sorts of heights at such a high rate of speed into the water would be similar to hitting concrete,? said Dave Harris, boating coordinator for Utah State Parks and Recreation. Rangers at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah and northern Arizona first noticed various forms of tube kites - Kite Tube is trademarked by SportsStuff Inc. ? on Lake Powell in April. Four serious injuries and multiple minor incidents forced National Park Service officials to ban tube kites at Glen Canyon in mid-June. Utah State Parks and Recreation officials haven?t banned the aerial devices from the state?s public waters yet, but the agency is making sure people understand how dangerous they can be. Harris said there have been at least two unreported cases of individuals requiring a trip to the hospital after falling from tube kites at state parks. He reminds boaters that any accident involving death, medical treatment beyond basic first aid or combined property damage greater than $2,000 is required by law to be reported. State Parks personnel will begin hanging safety posters discouraging the use of tube kites and will issue a warning on the Web page, http://www.stateparks.utah.gov. SportsStuff Inc. placed a voluntary recall on 19,000 Wego Kite Tubes in cooperation with the CPSC in July. Injuries range from broken necks, to punctured lungs to head trauma. In addition to the Wego, Glen Canyon Recreation Area officials also banned all forms of tube kites including the Manta by Sevylor. Julie Vallese, CPSC director of public affairs, can?t say whether Sevylor officials have been asked to recall the Manta, but did confirm that the agency?s tube kite investigation included all products in that category. Contact Brett Prettyman at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com. See video online at www.sltrib.com/outdoors
ananymous
· 3 years ago
let me warn you. do not get on to one of these. it's not a matter of how to use it it's a matter of when mother nature decides to switch things around. you literally cannot control if there is a sudden gust of wind. i was thrown 20 ft off of one of these and blacked out. my back has numerous nerve/disc/bone problems and i barely have feeling in my legs. it has been over a year and i've tried every treatment out there. it looks like a lot of fun i know but are you ready to risk your family's and your own life? it's tempting but i wish i never would have made the mistake of getting on it.
Ian
· 2 years ago
I have had a kite tube for about 1.5 years and we have had a few bad crashes because we weren't following the instructions. After getting the hang of what to do and how to drive we contiuned to use it many times during the past summer and we only had 2 people fall off just from bouncing on the tube once it hit the water. The problem is people aren't being held accountable for thier own actions. Watch some of the video's were these people were hurt and you will see they are going way to fast and most don't even slow down after the rider gets tossed. They just go right into the power turn, and if you are one of those idiots who power turn back to the rider you don't need to be driving a boat anyway since 100's of people every year are hurt and sometimes killed by the boat running them over. If the rider gets above 10-15 feet in the air slow down!! Let the rider come back down to the surface, straighten out and go again. It's that simple, just PAY ATTENTION!! Everything can be dangerous.
Peter
· 2 years ago
Someone I know was knocked unconcious the first and only time he rode a kite tube. The guy that went after him dislocated his shoulder. I'd never heard of these things until tonight, but after reading all these accounts it's apparent that the kite tube is a death trap. I snowboard and ride a sportbike but would never even dream of riding one of these things with what I've read. Half the people posting on here report going to the hospital. Being that there's only like 20,000 of these things that were sold, the number of people seriously hurt on them seems to be disproportionately high. People do get injured doing other extreme sports, but it's not the same. When you're snowboarding, you start doing grabs on the 2 foot jumps and after alot of time on the slopes you work your way up to the half pipe and more technical tricks. You don't have a choice in kite tubing. Alot of these people report shooting 30 ft in the air without trying to. You can't work up to that. If you don't have control or there's a sudden change in the wind you're almost guaranteed an injury. It may be that there's certain things you can do to mitigate the risk, like slowing down, using a shorter rope, not jumping off etc. But with the number of serious injuries that have occured, there was no justifying leaving this thing on the market. Anyone who says otherwise is a moron.
Trevor
· 2 years ago
Anyone interested in purchasing a kite tube, I am selling one. I have used about 8 times. It is tons of fun and enjoying if used correctly by the rider and driver. The reason I am selling is not because of injuries or rumors, I just don't use it enough for now nor will I in the near future. Please contact me if you wish to purchase.
Marko
· 2 years ago
Hey yall
I want to add my two cents about this contraption. I am a lifelong thrill seeking. I am NOT a "sissy". Here is my list of things I have done:
1985: Other Than Honorbale dishcarge from the army for crashing a jeep into a building and injuring my CO (II did not do this on purpose). Result? concussion, facial laterations (17 stitches), broken ankle
1987: Rode a Yamaha V-Max from a dead stop into a steel dumpster in a parking lot about 100 yard away. Ran into it full bore. I dont remembet anythying baout it but when the police investigated the accident they put in the report that there were NO skid makrs or ANY evidence that I had ever applied the brakes. I hit the dumpster with the throttle wide open. Result? Punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, fractured jaw (no helmet), broke both arms and was in the hospital for almost two months before I left.
1989: Fell off the roof of my brothers house trying to do fireworks on it. rebroke my left arm and broke my back.
1996: Messing around at other brothers house got kicked by horse after I did an M-80 next to the horse and scared it. Result? ruptured spleen, rebroke some ribs
2000: Another motorcyle accident: tried to jump over some garbage cans on a woefully underpowered tw200. broke nose, broke wrist, broke other ankle.
OK my point is I am obviously brave enought to do this thing. Now the point I am trying to make is that this thing is even dangerous around guys like me and my brothers who have had a life of doing extreme sports like I showed above. Even the smart guys like us can get hurt on this thing.
My heart goes out to all yall who lost someon to this contraption.
freddie
· 2 years ago
from above post: "OK my point is I am obviously brave enought to do this thing. Now the point I am trying to make is that this thing is even dangerous around guys like me and my brothers who have had a life of doing extreme sports like I showed above. Even the smart guys like us can get hurt on this thing."
Hummmmmmmmm
Portnoy
· 2 years ago
I don't even get what Marko is trying to say. the best I can figure is he thinks by listing his "accomplishments" (injuries), we will respect his opinion more. I still have NO idea how it relates to the kite tube....
PS I like how he considers running someone over with a jeep an extreme sport.
Cody
· 2 years ago
Everyone that agrees with it being taken off of the market are morons. I had the kite all last summer and had lots of fun with it. The instructions on the tube say 15-20 MPH and if you exceed that you should expect getting hurt. These dumbasses that go 30, 40, and 50 MPH and complain about getting hurt just need to quit bitching. If I buy a new pair of snow skis and run into a tree and break my back it's the skis fault and I can not and should not sue the maker of the skis.
superhawk
· 2 years ago
SUERPHAWK'S REAL GUIDE TO RIDE THIS BAD MAMMA i have had mine sense it came out. I LOVE IT BEST MONEY ever .i'm really good now i run a 75' rope and a 85'. now i can stay at about 20 to 30 foot and rip back and forth across the wake all day... i have never crashed hard. because i not a dumb ass and just get on and go crazy. BUT your F*&^ing driver has got to be GOD on the gas..... SMOOTH up SMOOTH down on the gas. that s the trick if you want to call it something.
also about banning this great toy NO WAY .You think bicycles should be banned because # 784 bicyclists died each year
# About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
# Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits.
# 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
# Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
I Dont think so..... your under your own control and if your not ready to DIE yes I said DIE than you had better go small not big and never ride over your head. make sure your driver is great. basically if you don't feel comfortable and confident with experience to back it Then DONT DO IT........dont trust someones driving skills by there word " O i',m a great drive while laughing" they will kill you Understand dont fly with them... make sure you drive understands that they can kill you.. point number 1
heres the Training Book i got about 1000 hour on this wing. 1. started with the 45' rope never go over 20mph start at 10 to 15 you have to get real good at controlling the wind at low speeds this will give you the feeling also when to bail out. 2. you have to pump it up with air hard that's key to .... it took me about 100 rides to get up to 15' off the water and feel confident and comfortable. then i slowly went up 1 or 2 mph.. 3. Also big point you can ride corners but your driver has to be bad ass For Real Smooth is the key. you have to be on the outside of the turn BEFORE the boat starts to turn. So if your going right, get out to the right before the turn starts also tighter turns farther out you HAVE TO BE go slow and feel it out. also DON"T take turns at over 22 23 thats when it get real unstable and high high % you will crash.. . start with Small turns.
i can rip a tight corner now... Looks so cool man i love this thing!!!
lets talk about Going BIG 50' 60' 4. if you find yourself this high you had better have as much time on the wing as me or more because You will die. i got up to about 55' and brought it back down thanks to my bad ass driver.it real unstable over 40' so that being said its a good launch platform send it up to 60' and let go in a good form you can hit the water right. that fun for sure.. do it all day you only get that high with the 85' rope Caution
5.here is one more thing LET GO IF THE WING STARTS TO FLIP LET GO it's your only chance to rite you body for impact...people that hold on get flipped harder in the air and when you hit the water your not ready so bail sooner than later. also when your up in the air and the boat loses speed LET GO don't let it set you up to go head first into the wing when it crashes.. that s how people brake there neck.
thats it happy flying my heart go out to the dead that this sport produced. please take my advice seriously..
I bought a kite tube last year. My cousins and i rode around on it for a few months having a grand old time. We got some huge air and falling off was not a huge problem. We had a great boat driver and i would say that we did not try anything stupid (other than the kite tube itself). I was riding at about 20 comfortably and the tube took a sharp climb. the side fell out from under me and i went plumiting down. I got knocked out and was floating face down in the water. Luckly my cousins pulled me out in time. I had to deal with 3 cracked ribbs for about 6 months but now im all better. Anyone want to buy a Kite Tube.
Spsustu
· 2 years ago
oh yeah, the crash on tape. Still looking for a way to get the tape on Youtube
Richard Gehrtz
· 2 years ago
I bought my tube last year in June, I have been on it maybe 30 to 40 times since then with no problems. Me and my friends go on it almost every weekend and have a good time no one has been hurt and we have had one of my buddies get some serious air. They are sweet we were going to buy another to have to of them going and tape it but they were takin off the market by that time. So if any one want to sell there kite tube to me give me a call at 7017394439 and i'm sure i would by it.
jonny O
· 2 years ago
hey im a guy lookin to buy one of these beasts but i cant find one thats for sale so if anyone knows of one for sale or is selling leve me a message at Snowbordergi@yahoo.com or give me a ring at 734 674 7620 thanks.
Kyle Johnson
· 2 years ago
This is the second year i have had the wego kite tube and personally i have had a lot of fun with it. Yes, the tube can be dangerous but if you follow the instructions and use some common sense you should be just fine. I have had only two crashes on the tube and neither of them were serious because of the communication between the rider and the driver. Their are a couple of things that will make your ride on the kite tube much safer.
1. Make sure the tube is properly inflated!
It did take some time and practice to find out what the pressure should be. That was one mistake SPORTS Stuff made. The manufacture should have had device to check the pressure in the tube. To low of pressure will cause the wings sides of the tube to cave which will cause the tube to become severely unstable. To high will cause the tube to expand and possibly rupture and it will not glide across the water very easy (will act more like an anchor not letting the boat plain out.)
2. Make sure the wind is at a minimum (5mph max) The lake should be just about like glass.
This part extremely important. I only take the kite tube out in the evenings when the wind is down and the lake is free of traffic.
These are just a couple of things that you can do to insure a safer ride. Good communication and and experienced driver is also a must.
I have looked at all the videos of people crashing on the tubes usually sending the person to the hospital and from what i can see there was absolutely no common sense used. A couple of the videos i watched showed every one in the boat drinking including the driver and they were going at speeds of 30 plus mph and at 30 feet or higher. WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!
This is a great tube and i will never give mine up. If you follow these tips and use some common sense you WILL be fine!
I would also like to buy another tube just for backup in case the tube gets a hole or cut in it. So if any one wants to sell theres please e-mail me at kyleleejohnson@hotmail.com
Essie
· 2 years ago
Ok my friends have one of these and my friend broke her ribs on it and got back on as soon as she was better.
Jim
· 2 years ago
I'm not giving mine up. I saw the recall coming and got another for spare parts, so hopefully I'm set for years.
heidi
· 2 years ago
My father and I bought one of the kite tubes just a week before it was recalled last year. We rode it a few times and I never got real high in the air, my boyfriend however got about 15 to 20 feet and we were fine. This summer we blew it up and were getting ready to haul it to the boat when it got caught in the wind and the corner of the roof sliced it about three inches long. I was bound and determined to fix it so that I could ride it again. We took it to a pool company and had it patched and sewed. My cousin held onto the kite tube in the boat while we got out far enough to start sailing on it. However the rope got caught around his leg and the tube caught a gust of wind and yanked him right out of the boat giving him serious rope burn. Later the same day my boyfriend rode it and caught a gust of wind and he went up about 20 to 25 feet, got flung off and landed on his face. He got the wind knocked out of him, he couldnt see out of his right eye for a few hours, ripped his top lip away from his gums and he was caughing up blood. My father and I are now sure that we are going to cut it up and send it back for something a lot more safe. It was a lot of fun until they started to get hurt, they are minor injuries and lucky to be alive. I agree with those of you who say that you have to be responsible and carefull, but it also depends on the weather, once the wind changes you dont have control of it. My dad was pulling him when he crashed and as soon as he hit the gust of wind my dad stopped the boat, it was too late though. Good luck to those of you who still have your kite tubes.
Jim
· 2 years ago
Carrying the inflated kite tube ON the boat is tricky. It’s impossible to hold safely at speeds over about 5 MPH. We tie a slipnot in the rope near the tube and put that over the tow point.
Sorry your boyfriend had a bad experience.
markeez
· 2 years ago
Im just glad most of u cant buy planes. We would have aircraft crashing down also. I found a website where a guy dressed as elvis flies the tube perfectly if it cant be controlled how do you explain this. Elvis Fflying the Wego Kite Tube - channel: rcla... The boat does not even stay in a straight line.
Me
· 1 year ago
Spring is here. Looking forward to another summer of kite tube goodness.
Manta Rayer
· 1 year ago
kite tubing is a safe sport just as long as the driver of the boat and the rider know what they want to acheive!! i'v taken massive falls and hits and yes have had lots of pain the next day but nothing more then tubing or water sking. to tell you the truth i think i have had much more pain on a wake board. have the people that have riden the tube tryed wakeboarding? i'v twisted my back on them, came close to dislocated my shoulder. knocked the wind out of me and even smashed my face on the water just as hard as a kite tube. Iv watched the videos on youtube an saw that most of the drivers of the boat gun the crap out of there boats and don't slow down when the tube is 30 feet in the air. what the hell is that? you people that have law suits agains the companys that make these tubes should be really suing your friends that drive these boats..
when comparing it to another sport i would have to say that i would compare it to snow skiing. you need to have control at all times. but un like snow sking you need to make shore the driver of the boat understands what you want to do!!!! if you think your going to get hurt at 15 feet or 20 feet then bail out at ten feet. i don't see whats the problem? i know my limit and i bail out at 10 feet most of the time.
HOWIE
· 1 year ago
I WAS TOWING A KITE TUBE AT 25 MPH THE THING WENT OUT OF CONTROL BROKE MY SONS NECK WE WERE BEING SAFE IM GLADE HES NOT DEAD THERE NOT A SAFE TOY
BobbyD
· 11 months ago
ok first off after reading horror story after horror story with the WEGO Kite Tube, all I have to say is, "anyone want to sell it to me?" lol im serious, i hella want one and fully understand what im getting into. so if someone still has a WEGO Kite Tube and would like to unload it, please feel free to email me x_tecra_x@yahoo.com. Considering its a few years old and used I will still give you $400 for it. BobbyD
HG
· 11 months ago
IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK, I BROKE MY SPINE. I feel lucky to be alive, but my life has changed.
soon to be 3 years ago, a wind took my wego. The boat was at 33 knots/hour. I had surfed 3-6 feet in the air for over one minute, when the driver changed course and his attention was pointed at the changed waters, just for a few seconds. At the same second a wind hit me, In 3 seconds I was 30-40 feet in the air. I broke my spine, and have had other complications (nervedammage, muscle dammage) because of the impact. I was at very good health, fit and strong, good at sports, had no injuries before this accident.
The accident changed my life. Have diffulties sitting, standing, jogging, jumping, skiing, almost everything I enjoyd before, is become "no can do".
IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK FOLKS!!!
Armando Pastrana
· 10 months ago
Hey i wanted to buy one of the flying tube and i cant find one for sale i was wondering if u guys could tell me were i can find one or a website. I would appreciate it thank you.
nate
· 8 months ago
I just found my kite tube up at our lake house while getting ready for the summer, i didnt know it was still around and am going to get rid of it. I was told by a friend that i could trade it in with the manufacturer and get other stuff they sell, but would rather have cash for it... If you are interested in buying one email me at Nokerbloom@aol.com. I am going out of town 4-8 to 4-13 if I have not sold by then I will trade it in.... thanks nate
JESSIE
· 8 months ago
YOUR STUPID WHY WOULD YOU SELL THAT TO SOMEONE SO SOMEONE ELSE COULD HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR HELL KILL THERE SELF!!
All Comments
http://www.steadywinds.com/archives/2006/02/28/...
Also check out this story:
http://www.steadywinds.com/archives/2006/05/04/...
Yes in "wego1.wmv" we had a deflation problem because we didn't click in the cap all the way (it clicks in further than you would think). This resulted in the tube folding up and not getting much air. However, the second and more "extreme" video, the tube is properly inflated and is using a longer rope - which equated to the disasterous wipeouts you see.
www.heytone.com/movies/movies.html
I wish you a quick and full recovery.
On Friday, June 30th we recieved a call from the makers of the wego kite tube and they offered to buy the tube back from us for 700 dollars. Obviously they are preparing for a legal battle...just something to keep in mind.
By the way, we declined the offer.
I think I'm the only 20 year old with a broken hip my hospital has seen in awhile or ever. I've permanently got [3] 4" steel bolts in my hip and will possible need a hip replacement after 3 months of not being able to walk on it. I was in excellent shape before the accident, needless to say I'll be happy to walk again.
This thing is a death trap. My buddy was really close to dying the other day because he ended up ripping a artery in his heart. Can't you people find anything more interesting to do?
Hey I have a new fun water sport. It's called shark bait. See you jump in a tank of 20 under-fed Great White Sharks with bloody meat attached to every limb and if you make it out of the tank that means you should be a PRO!!!
Well anyways I have directions on how to construct your own Shark Bait Tank. Just send me $5000 and I will send you the instructions. Idiots!!!
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2006
Release #06-202 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: Julie Vallese, (301) 504-7800
CPSC Warns Consumers about Dangers of Tube Kiting
Two Deaths over the Past 3 Months Attributed to New Water Sport
WASHINGTON, D.C. ? In advance of the July 4th holiday weekend, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the possible dangers associated with a new type of water recreation known as ?tube kiting.?
CPSC is concerned about death and injury reports associated with tube kiting. It is currently investigating two versions of these products to determine if there is a significant product hazard.
Tube kiting is a relatively new form of extreme water sport which is fast growing in popularity, but also extremely dangerous. CPSC is aware of at least two deaths associated with tube kiting this year. A 33-year-old Texas man was killed in late April 2006 while tube kiting, and a 42-year-old man died from injuries associated with tube kiting on June 26, 2006 in Wisconsin.
CPSC is also aware of 12 serious injuries associated with tube kiting. The injuries include a broken neck, punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, chest and back injuries, and facial injuries, such as jaw fractures. A 14-year-old girl who was tube kiting lost consciousness when it fell about 15 feet and struck the water.
Tube kites are very large, sometimes round, inflatable water devices that can be more than 10 feet in diameter. The tube is hooked to the back of a boat by a tow rope, and the tube rider pulls back on a rope as the boat travels at speeds between 25 and 35 miles per hour. The ride begins when the tube is lifted into the air trailing the boat. Possible reasons for incidents and injuries include: 1) rider?s difficulty in controlling the tube, 2) boat operator inexperience, and 3) how the tube reacts in certain weather conditions. The conditions of highest concern are wind gusts that can cause the tube to spin out of control, or sudden slowing or stopping by the boat operator, which can cause the tube to nose dive into the water. In some cases, the sudden stopping of the boat might cause the tube rider to continue past the boat and hit it or hit other boats or stationary objects, such as a bridge.
The National Park Service has banned the inflatable devices in at least one of its parks, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Lake Powell where there have been at least four serious injuries.
---
Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. To join a CPSC email subscription list, please go to www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.asp. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
I've read about MANY more serious injuries on this site and others that they do not even know about.
If you were injured, or know someone that was, let them know. Again, their investigation is active and on-going currently.
Together we might be able to get this thing banned and save a few lives!
Figured I should've been clearer to begin with as someone would've called me out on it. My father's friend owns a Surf Shop which is where we obtained the tube. The company called there, asking to purchase the tube back at a premium. The owner called my dad to relay the offer. So no, they didn't call me directly but I just phrased it like that so keep the post shorter. Regardless, I can assure you they were looking to purchase the tube back from the shop. To me, it sounds like a pre-recall action. Perhaps they are getting heat from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
All that have been injured see: http://boards.trailerboats.com/cgi-bin/trailerb...
Any type of toys that are that extreme you are playing with your life.....
Have fun!!1111
From personal experince, I believe that everyone who continues to use this tube will soon or later learn the same lesson. It is only a matter of how high you will fly, and how hard you will fall, that will determine the extent of your injuries.
I started to research this and 2 people have died in the first 60 days since the product was released. There are many many injuries and some are much worse than mine. I am going to to try to get this off the market before more people die. here are a few and a video of someone flying off it...http://www.steadywinds.com/
extra 65 feet of rope $19.95
270 pound friend that say's he will fill up the gas tank of your 38 foot scarab with twin 650 hp blower motors if you pull him fast enough to fly.
It flew....5-10 feet then looked like the space shuttle at launch.....I thought he was gonna fly over the boat till it made that right hook towards the water...he went another 10 feet...remember 65 feet of rope plus 65 more feet.......you do the math!, it made these 30-40 foot wrecks look lame.......broke leg, collapsed lung, hospitol bill $35,000.00
If you had never riden a motorcycle before, would you buy it see how fast it would go the first ride?
How many people have been killed on waverunners or jet skis? (When I lived in Denver it was one every weekend during the summer months)
How many people are kiled in car crashes, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle crashes, mopeds, etc every 60 days....research that one!
For that matter crawl out of bed and land on the dog and see if you end up throughing your back out of place. I got thrown off my daughters motorized skate board (Which I quickly named the killing machine) and about broke my hip, scarred my face, arms, legs, and pride. I was only doing 15 MPH when the front tire had a blow out! I went right over the front unstable handle bars and used the road and gravel to stop me! It hurt worse than anything I have ever done on the water! I too have done most everything on the water including sking on a paddle! Try that one!
Bottom line: Did any of you REALLY pay attention to the video? If you did, those are the ones that are still enjoying this product. The others are loaded with testosterone and simply need to reach their limitations. For those that have been hurt, I am sorry that you did not recieve better instructions and or have a driver and spotter that would help keep you from harms way. The instructional video claims that 20 -25 MPH is plenty of speed to launch with. The end of the video states these are "Professional athletes under controlled circumstances with professional driver & spotters." I would bet alot that these "Athletes" have had many hours of operation to achieve the ease of techniques they display during this video. Much less the number of takes it took them to make it. The video also only shows the riders going at most, 10 - 15 feet in the air. Quite frankly I would love to fly 5 - 10 feet off the water for a five minute ride!
Now on to other points:
My Heytone - you definitly DO NOT know how to ride this! It is dramatically underinflated and bailing from it is your demise. You also need to go in a straight line keeping the kite behind the center of the boat at all times. You also want to have smoother water, not hopping over other boats wakes (as seen in the videos, also will pull on the kite tube rope like flying a kite in the breeze and pulling on the rope will make it go up and down quickly!). I went to your site to watch your rediculous videos of poor talent, poor equipment preparation, poor driving skills, etc. I am thankful you did survive. Please learn how to fly before you fly! If you stand in the front of the slots for your feet, you can simply lean forward on the tube and it will come back down. Leaning back, (which obviously you were) you will go airborn! I also fly remote control planes. If you don't balance a plane correctly it will not be able to be controlled. When a plane is tail heavy, it has no air moving across the tails "Control" surfaces and thus will crash! It must be balanced front to rear and side to side. Have you ever been in a commuter plane and asked to move forward or backward prior to take off? If so, the answer is to balance the plane!
Mr. Scroggins, I too have been on Lake Shelbyville as recent as 07/09/06 and flew 10 foot off the water. I have also kited on Lake Springfield. I will not go back to Springfield to do this again. Too many boats, too stupid of drivers, too many spectators getting in the way!
To close out this blog: I and my friends, family, and others have had a great time with the Wego Kite Tube. Responsibility for everyones actions must be taken. Those of you who wish to take the plane to it maximum speed and altitude without proper training are going to fall from the sky and get hurt! My Baja goes 65MPH and I WILL NOT drive it that fast with others in the boat that are not secured. Have you ever watched someone get popped out of a boat like a popcorn kernal exploding? It can happen quicker and easier than you think. Why do you think they put the safety lanyard with the ignition cutoff on it? I enjoy my fun but do it with respect for all. I am 49 years old, weigh 217 (which is 17 lbs over the recommende limit by the way) and have no trouble getting the kite airborn. I only go between 30 - 33 MPH. I too have wipped out on my tube but find it no different than falling off my competition slolam ski at 35 - 40 MPH. Please take the time to learn how to do this before calling it junk, killer, death trap, etc. And one last thing, how many beers were involved in many of these instances? I drink, but not while boating or kiting or skiing, etc. There is a time and place for that. Call me a prude, but I will continue to enjoy my kite and pleasure from its performance as long as I keep my learning and respect for it capabilities in their place!
wwww.davidbernsen.com
The thing is unlike many other watersports it takes NO SKILL to get on the back of a Kite tube and go to extreme heights. This combined unexperienced drivers, crosswinds/high winds is a recipe for accidents. Wakeboarders and waterskiers at least have to be skilled enough to pull themselves out of the water. So we follow some simple guidelines..we never use the tube when it's a gusty crosswinds day, period. The rider carries a key chain-sized airhorn to signal to the boat and we always try to keep it within 10 to 15ft. And no drinking and riding.
Sportstuff has had a reputation for fun and safe products and, I believe, many people applied that to the Wego kite tube as well. The company's attempts at safety warnings and informative video (which we watched before starting)
So here I am sitting in my office today and I see a story on this kite tube. Have you ever heard of Overton's? If you havent you are not a water sports or boating fan. I picked up the phone called Overton's and guess what? They will not sell you that tube from their company any longer. That tube is one of their latest books in my truck. When I first seen that thing on the cover standing at my mail box in the post office I didnt think twice about it....wow thats neat I thought until now.
I started water skiing at 8 y/o, drove boats for 23 years and owned my own boat for 11 years now. I have always had above average coordination and I'm sure you have seen people who look like "a cat on ice"...these people are the ones who will no doubt receive serious injury from this product.
I agree with the people on here who know boating and driver error is a hugh factor. But it dosent matter because with time, the right wind conditions just like someone said...your number is going to come up and your gonna get nailed hard.
I have worked in public health for 14 years and I know how the government works....the feds will shut this puppy down soon. Have you ever wiped out and there you are lying in the water hearing the faint buzzzzz of props in your ear....thinking can I move am I hurt..well you just might not hear a thing until you wake up in the morgue.
Yeah, it sure looks fun to ride, but thinking your bullet proof wont last very long one summer day. As for the guy in the video....unreal dude and the song help by the beetles with the video is just crazy. Someone in your vessel on the lake just might be singing that to 911 sooner than you think. The risk factor for this thing is out the roof. Take it from someone who is almost 40 and feels 20...live to see another day on the water.
If your looking to get cute bikini clad babes on board your boat....this is the ticket. After all when your taking the ride to the hospital or the morgue...here it comes....."The kite also serves as a sun pad lounge for the ladies to enjoy the rest of the day without you.
One thing that is not mentioned here that I'm sure is going to happen sooner or latter is someone hitting a low hanging telephone or power line across a lake. The first couple of trips we made down the lake we didn't even notice them. After an hour or so of practice we were getting the death-kite up to about 15-20 feet reguarly. That is when we noticed there are lines across the lake at about 25 feet off the water. One wind gust and you are going to be right into them.
Don't get me wrong we loved it, but I can really see how people can get really hurt on it. I give this thing about another 3-4 weeks before some Congressman's kid is smashed up in Chesapeake Bay before a government recall is issued.
If you cant protect yourself from preventable accidents the government will.....very soon it seems. Did anyone notice the skull and cross bones on the death kite. Makes me wish I was a lawyer. This company is in deep shit and they know it.
Upon our return from the hospital, we read in the morning newspaper that very day that the Corp of Engineers has banned all kite tubes from lakes in Missouri and Arkansas due to serious injuries and 2 deaths that were attributed to the kite tube. We have been in contact with the Game Warden here in TX and were informed that they already have received a multitude of reports of serious injuries and 1 reported death.
The kite tubes just came out this year, and look out how many injuries and deaths have been reported. We are experienced boaters and have used just about every water toy, including a parasail. We watched the video and paid attention to the warnings. I don?t care how experienced you are, how many spotters how have, how much air pressure is in the tube, how long the rope is or what kind of boat is pulling it, the kite tube is deadly. You cannot predict wind or control its affect on the tube. An accident happens instantaneously and you can only watch helplessly as someone you love gets hurt or killed.
We contacted Bass Pro and they informed us that they were no longer selling kite tubes and readily agreed to give a refund, even though we don?t have the original packaging, etc. If major retailers won?t sell them, government agencies are banning them, you hear first hand accounts of major injuries and deaths, what more proof do you need that you?re gambling with lives and, just like in Vegas, you?re bound to lose?
To "Bill" - I hope it is the same attorney and bench that sued McDonalds for making hot coffee and the duma@#4s that spilled it while trying to drive. With those ingredients I am sure they will be able to put us in jail for life for even thinking about riding one of these again!
Everyone one was being resposible and completely sober. CAREFUL
To: "Customer Care"
Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2006 6:55 PM
Subject: Sportsstuff Kite Tubes Withdrawn From Market
> IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL
>
>
> WEGO KITE TUBES
>
> Our records indicate that, during 2005-2006, you purchased a Sportsstuff
> Wego Kite Tube. In recent weeks, Sportsstuff has received reports that
> persons have been seriously injured or died while using these kite tubes.
> To
> date, Sportsstuff has been unable to determine the causes of these
> incidents. While Sportsstuff does not believe that the products are
> defective or unreasonably dangerous, in an abundance of caution,
> Sportsstuff
> is cooperating with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to
> withdraw
> the kite tubes from the market and to undertake a voluntary recall to
> replace those in the possession of consumers with products of comparable
> value.
>
> We therefore request that you stop using your kite tube and contact us at
> 1-866-831-5524 for instructions how to obtain the replacement product(s).
>
> Thank you for helping us in this important safety matter. We regret any
> inconvenience this may cause you.
>
> Sincerely yours,
>
>
> Leroy Peterson
> Chief Executive Officer
>
I hate to burst Brian's responsibility bubble, but going "almost 40 mph to get me into the air" is not "being responsible". With that kind of warped sense of responsibility, it's no wonder that Brian wished he were a trial lawyer so he could make a killing suing SportsStuff. Sadly, there are many adult babies out there...and by that, I do not mean wimps that can't handle a little pain or injury...but instead adults that are incapable of making taking care of themselves. And when they screw up, instead of taking responsibility for their own actions, they depend on the government or "rich" corporations to bail them out (and that price is then passed on to the rest of us as consumers). It's pathetic really. While I can see how you can get caught up in the moment of trying to fly by going too fast, it's still not anyone's fault except your own (and maybe that of the boat driver). Bottom line is that anyone going 35-40 mph on an tube designed to fly is not very smart...and if anyone needs to be sued, it's them. I pray for everyone that's been hurt to have a speedy recovery...but I hope you lose your lawsuits and instead gain an understanding of responsibility to be accountable for your own actions. Freedom is great when it includes personal accountability.
I am not a litigous person and we have no plans to sue Wego. However, you need to understand that the issue isn't whether we or anyone else was "being responsible". We used the tube exactly as directed. We watched the video several times, we are experienced boaters, were traveling 20 MPH or less, the boat was being driven in a straight path (no turning, direction changes) etc. The problem with the kite tube and the reason that it's being pulled from the market is that it can not be controlled, even when being used as directed. What do you say to those who followed all directions explicitly and still were injured or killed? Is it still their fault? Sure, an accident or injury can happen doing anything or even doing nothing at all. But, if a consumer makes a purchase and a decision to use the tube based on the premise that the tube is relatively safe when used as directed and then finds out after only after someone is injured or killed that it is NOT safe under any conditions, who is responsible then?
Bubba Sparkxxx
that being said you idiots talking about suing "Wego" need to be informed you would be suing SportsStuff not Wego. Thats like saying you're suing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blONIrF1g2o&...
Just out of couriosity, how many critics have actually ridden a kite tube?
And to the idiot up there with a Scarab with twin 650's , youre an idiot. My boat wont even touch 47MPH with a MerCruiser 2400mph 4.7L and 27MPH was plenty speed to get me high.
to the rest BUY ONE THEN RETURN IT WHEN THEYRE RECALLED
mad props I hadnt even gotten my second posting up and you had already responded to my first -You're obsessed.
Any way I agree with you, buying it in good faith and it turning out to be a "death trap" kinda does blow
anyways anyone one on here from Lake Gaston wanna hang out. Come to Eaton Ferry and HOLLA @ ME
Anyway, I strongly recommend people return this thing. Remember a picture is worth a thousand words:
www.heytone.com/movies/movies.html
It was fun while it lasted.
I am daughter of C.Webster who posted an earlier comment about the kite tube. Im a 17 year old girl that weighs about 120 and my dad has always been drving the boat whenever i have been on the kite and i have always felt very safe. Anytime it went off to the side he would slow the boat down and get me centered again like you are supposed to. We also properly inflated the tube unlike the people in the heytone video. It is very important that you use the correct length of rope for your experience level which many of you "responsible sober adults" did not do and also to make sure that the tube is properly inflated before you try to fly on it or else it will start to have a folding in effect which you need to fix immediately. For those of you who added an additional 65 foot of line to the already long enough tow rope you are asking for danger or for those of you who did not use the tow rope that they provided you with that was specifically designed for this tube. I have never fallen off of this tube because as it says right on the tube "driver controls rider height and safety" and the driver(my dad) did both those things i never got to high up and i never went flying off to the side and fliping over because the driver and spotter were intelligent enough to realize that those things could be dangerous. This kite tube is not like regular tubes. It is not a toy and is not something thst should be experimented or played with. And for those of you hooking the tow rope up wrong- you are not supposed to have it hooked up to a wakeboard tower- it is supposed to be hooked up to the back of the boat! Now to address those of you going more than 20 feet in the air- it says in the instructional video which apparently many of you didnt watch or pay attention to- that you are only safely supposed to reach heights of 20 feet. Which the driver also controls. If a huge gust of wind comes along the driver and/ or spotter should see that the kite tube is going increasingly higher and should slow the boat down so that the kiter doesnt go flying off or spiraling to the side. So all and all those of you acting stupid on the kite tube and getting hurt or even dying should have heeded the warnings. It says on the warning tag on the tube that if not properly used it can cause injury and possibly death so you knew the consequences and are now going so low as to sue the company when it was your own fault therefore maybe you should be stupid enough to sue yourself for all the money you have. There are many dangerous activities that people can engage in such as simply driving stupidly to such extreme things as riding bulls, sky diving, bungee jumping, climbing mountains...etc. The list goes on forever. You can also get hurt and die doing any of those things. So for those of you who had a bad experience while improperly utilizing the kite tube i have no sympathy for you. But for those of you who were properly using it and got hurt i feel sorry for you although i can not see how if you were using properly that you could have gotten more than a few bruises. So now all of you that had to bitch about how dangerous it was and how hurt you got because you fell from 60 feet in the air going 60 miles an hour you got your wish. The kite tube has been recalled and banned in almost every state. Thank you for ruining it for those of us who were using it properly.(and just remember this whole comment came from a 17 year who was more mature in writing this comment than alot of you have been on this website. Alot of you were arguing back and forth like 5 year old children)So fly on those of us responsible kite tube lovers.
K.Webster
I just watched the safety video once again...note that I watched the safety video about 10 times before I ever went out, and the rule I have is that IF YOU HAVE ANY PLANS on using the tube, you have to watch the safety video WITH ME before we head out to the lake. I?ve made several of my buddies watch it twice, as they got caught up in the hype & excitement of what the tube would do and weren?t paying attention to the safety instructions.
The safety video clearly says a couple things ? first, that you should not travel at speeds more than 17-22 miles an hour. It says this more than once. It also says that you should spend HOURS kiting at the beginner length of the rope (45 feet) before moving to INTERMEDIATE. With a 45 foot rope, you can?t get 45 feet in the air at 22 miles an hour?it?s physically impossible.
As someone who is 235 pounds, I?m 35 pounds over the recommended weight limit for the tube. I am well aware that this puts me at additional risks on the tube, and I choose to take these risks.
I?ll also say that the first five times I tried the tube, I couldn?t get it more than a foot out of the water. I got frustrated?told (and told and told) my friends to drive MY boat faster to get me out of the water?and they all held me to my own rule ? 25 is the MAXIMUM SPEED that you travel with the Kite tube behind you?or your time on the lake with me is done.
After four weeks of being the one person who couldn?t get the darn thing out of the water, I finally did. I got max 6-8 feet up and it was a thrill. I can?t wait to do it again.
The video gives many, many warnings ? do not go too fast, do not kite in high wind, start at the beginner length of the rope, and that SERIOUS injury ? beyond that of ANY OTHER WATER SPORT ? could result if you fail to follow the safety instructions.
In reading everything here?did one single person (and I?m the second to ask the question) have a challenge on this tube going less than 30 miles per hour? Did anyone fall off the tube when following the DIRECTIONS and tubing at the beginner length until they learned what they were doing?
We live in the country of blame?and sue?and make it someone else?s fault. I?m not surprised at all the negativity on this site?but what I?m disappointed in is that the failure to follow directions on behalf of 28 people (yes, 28 people) results in over 19,000 kite tube owners facing the possibility of their tube being illegal. If ONLY the owners were to use their tubes, this means that ONLY .1% of people who own it are having problems, and of these, 100% of them weren?t following the safety instructions?this isn?t taking into account that I?m just one owner of 19,000 ? and to date, about 35 different people have used my tube. If 35 people have used every tube, that means that 665,000 people have been on the tube, and there have been 28 injuries. Again, all of which are correlated to NOT FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS?and this means that such a low percentage that my calculator doesn?t even go far enough over to show the PERCENTAGE of people who have been injured.
So?quoting some others ? SKY DIVE AT YOUR OWN RISK. FLY A PLANE AT YOUR OWN RISK. CLIFF DIVE AT YOUR OWN RISK. And most of all, FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, and KITE TUBE AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you follow directions, that risk becomes so minimal that you needn?t worry.
My feet were about 6-7 ft. off the water when I caught a gust of wind which threw me off. When I came up for air out of the water I noticed that I could not move my foot.
I went to the emergency room that night and they said that my ankle was broken and they put a splint on me because it was swollen to the size simmilar of a baseball. The next day I went to an Orthopedic Dr. and they took more x-rays noticing that my ankle bone had a huge brake, on the 28th of June I had surgery leaving me with a plate and 6-7 screws. I just got my cast on July 6th and was on bedrest for 12 days. I finally returned to work on July 7th leaving me with 2 weeks without pay. I am also getting married on August 26, which hopefully I am going to be recovered by then but there is no way of telling. Please tell me this is not dangerous!!!!! What a fun summer huh?
and fore the person who didn't realize they were flying under power lines...thats shows that you weren't taking kite tubing seriosly i know i've gone on fore a while but it's also helpful to pump the tube after each flight.
personaly i think wind with kite tubing is like ice(not snow) with skiing. the kite tube isn't completely safe but it's certainly not a death trap. just be sure to be very aware of the weather and not to get caught up in the excitement and instead of suing sportsstuff sue god cause he made the wind and he's got alot more money
You can reach me at: KiteTubeLawsuits@Gmail.com
I will start the bidding if someone wants to buy it? Otherwise I will continue to ride. That is of course if they are any bodies of water left to rdie on.
Lawyer for Kite tube suite - I hope you make special points of how many of these owners are not taking any responsibility for their own incompetence. Speed, Driver, Alcohol, Rope length, etc. I hope you show the court system how when exceeding the speed limit causes injury and death ?much like motorvehicles ?keep suing and we will all be walking again! Then when we trip on a rock that the sidewalk department did not pick up, we can sue some more.
Just in case you did not get the drift - sue happy people piss me off!
I removed the r typo you made.....or is that a subliminal message you are sending yourself?
Number two - I guess that you are correct on the thesarus - the comment should read "That is of course if there are any bodies of water left to ride on."
Three - YOU have a lot of room to talk with your "Visa" commercial of stupidity utilizing extra rope length and insane speeds to kill your friend to achieve a full tank of fuel. I guess we know how you treat your friends! Especially ones that are 70 lbs. over the capacity of the tube - as outlined in many of the instruction documents.
Just curious, did you get your full tank of fuel? Or are you being sued? You should be, not the company who made the tube!
Lastly, the only message that I am sending is, the people who have not utilized this product as instructed got everything they were warned of. The repercussions of people like yourself are what makes society less than desireable. If someone doesn't like something, don't eat it, smoke it, drink it, use it, buy it, etc! Let everyone who does want some, have some! Let people make their own choices just like you have! Or is it that you just can't stand allowing others to make their own choices? - and don't tell me your just trying to protect the innocent, we have all read what you did!
Sonny ? you still need to use spell check buddy!
THIS PRODUCT IS DANGEROUS AND HAS NO AERO-DYNAMIC PROPERTIES TO IT. OBVIOUSLY IT NEVER TESTED FULLY AND SHOULD NEVER BEEN PLACED UP FOR SALE.
MY COUSIN WAS TOSSED INTO THE AIR WHEN OUR BOAT HIT A WAKE. HE IS NOW INCAPACITATED WITH A BROKEN COLLAR BONE AND A FRACTURE TO HIS SKULL.
SPORTSTUFF SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PIECE OF CRAP. SPORTSTUFF SUCKS!
Burlington Man?s Death In Kite Tubing Accident Spurs New Concerns
It was supposed to be the latest and greatest thing he?d ever done. It wound up being the last and the deadliest. A Burlington man is believed to be the first person in Ontario killed practicing the new extreme sport of kite tubing. The craze involves standing on an inflated disc shaped object being towed behind a boat. It soars into the air on gusts of wind and then comes down again, a sort of airborne water skiing.
But there?s no harness or seatbelt, and it depends solely on the rider hanging on to a tow rope.
That?s how Glen Buttigieg thought it was supposed to work. But something went terribly wrong on Tuesday when the 38-year-old and his friends ventured out on a Guelph lake to try their expensive new toy.
Buttigieg?s device went into a sudden dive and crashed into the water, leaving him with a broken neck and brain injuries that proved fatal.
His best friend Mike Langlais was waiting for his own turn on the contraption and couldn?t believe what he saw.
?I gave him mouth to mouth and he didn?t come to,? he remembers, with a quiver in his voice. ?So I gave him CPR and he woke up again. But he was paralyzed by then, he couldn?t move anymore.?
The still stunned Langlais swears all his pals read and followed the directions, and they thought there was something wrong with the equipment.
?My first thought was this is defective, this kite shouldn?t be able to do this, to lose its airflow like that.?
This is the first season kite tubes are being sold in Ontario, and they?re reported to be moving well, despite the price tag of $500-$700.
But while we may not be all that familiar with them here, it?s a different story in the U.S. Some states have already banned the treacherous toy and the Toronto Police Marine Unit is hoping to see that same precaution followed here.
?I don?t think there is any safe way of riding it,? complains P.C. Gary Gibson. ?There doesn?t appear to be any kind of controls on it to control the lift or control the steering of it in the air.?
There are no legal requirements to get training and while the package comes with a how-to DVD, it doesn?t recommend wearing a helmet.
Langlais is preparing to attend his pal?s funeral on Saturday and can?t believe he lost his life over something so senseless. He supports the idea of a ban, too, so that no one ever has to go through what he did.
?Had we known it was this unsafe or that fast or could do the things that it did, I don?t think we would ever would have been on it,? he laments.
And he has this warning for parents or adults thinking about getting one of their own.
?Don?t use these kites,? he pleads. ?Whoever purchased them, don?t take it out of the box, don?t use it, don?t let you?re children on it, it?s far too dangerous.?
The tragedy has already led to another casualty that will leave Buttigieg?s mother unable to attend her own son?s funeral. After learning about the death of her only child, she suffered a massive heart attack and remains in hospital.
like there was this one time....
we floored our 900HP DONZI...
with like 100 feet of rope...
dragging the kite tube...
and then the driver went under a bridge...
and I went SPLATT..
anyone think theres a possibility of me winning a lawsuit against Sportsstuff
I sure hope so because I would hate to take responsibility for my actions
(sp) sorry webstas
I have ridden a tube, but didn't particularly like it. Nothing wrong with it, it's just not my cup of tea.
I would NEVER ride one of these things, either the Wego or the Manta Ray. I would not get high enough to kill myself in a machine that doesn't have any controls. You could not pay me enough.
I feel deeply for those that have been injured and the families of those that have been killed. Please, if you have one of these things, shred it. For the sake of your kids. For the sake of the taxpayers, who are going to have to pick up the tab if you become a quadrapalegic.
If you want to fly around low and slow, get a powered parachute. They're a blast. Riding one of these is asking for massive injury and a lifetime as a cripple.
August 4th, 2006 at 10:07 am
Article Last Updated: 08/02/2006 07:23:47 PM MDT
TUBE KITES PROVIDE A BIG RUSH, BUT DANGERS ARE EXTREME
By Brett Prettyman
The Salt Lake Tribune
In the span of 76 days, the Wego Kite Tube by SportsStuff Inc. went from being honored as the best new sports product of the year by the Sporting Good Manufacturers Association to becoming a voluntary safety recall item.
New numbers show that as of July 27, 84 people have been injured in 77 incidents involving Wego Kite Tubes in the U.S., including two deaths, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). At least one death has been linked to the Wego Kite Tube in Canada.
The Wego is a 10-foot, round and inflatable tube designed to be towed behind power boats. Riders can lift the tube off the water when speeds of 20 to 40 mph are reached. The tube can rise as high 60 feet, according to some users.
Kite tubes provide a new form of adrenaline rush and the falls provide some amazing video footage for frat house fodder, but officials say the dangers are extreme.
?They are hard to control and can lift users as high as 40 feet into the air. The impact from falling from these sorts of heights at such a high rate of speed into the water would be similar to hitting concrete,? said Dave Harris, boating coordinator for Utah State Parks and Recreation.
Rangers at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in southern Utah and northern Arizona first noticed various forms of tube kites - Kite Tube is trademarked by SportsStuff Inc. ? on Lake Powell in April. Four serious injuries and multiple minor incidents forced National Park Service officials to ban tube kites at Glen Canyon in mid-June.
Utah State Parks and Recreation officials haven?t banned the aerial devices from the state?s public waters yet, but the agency is making sure people understand how dangerous they can be.
Harris said there have been at least two unreported cases of individuals requiring a trip to the hospital after falling from tube kites at state parks. He reminds boaters that any accident involving death, medical treatment beyond basic first aid or combined property damage greater than $2,000 is required by law to be reported.
State Parks personnel will begin hanging safety posters discouraging the use of tube kites and will issue a warning on the Web page, http://www.stateparks.utah.gov.
SportsStuff Inc. placed a voluntary recall on 19,000 Wego Kite Tubes in cooperation with the CPSC in July. Injuries range from broken necks, to punctured lungs to head trauma.
In addition to the Wego, Glen Canyon Recreation Area officials also banned all forms of tube kites including the Manta by Sevylor.
Julie Vallese, CPSC director of public affairs, can?t say whether Sevylor officials have been asked to recall the Manta, but did confirm that the agency?s tube kite investigation included all products in that category.
Contact Brett Prettyman at brettp@sltrib.com or 801-257-8902. Send comments to livingeditor@sltrib.com.
See video online at www.sltrib.com/outdoors
I want to add my two cents about this contraption. I am a lifelong thrill seeking. I am NOT a "sissy". Here is my list of things I have done:
1985: Other Than Honorbale dishcarge from the army for crashing a jeep into a building and injuring my CO (II did not do this on purpose). Result? concussion, facial laterations (17 stitches), broken ankle
1987: Rode a Yamaha V-Max from a dead stop into a steel dumpster in a parking lot about 100 yard away. Ran into it full bore. I dont remembet anythying baout it but when the police investigated the accident they put in the report that there were NO skid makrs or ANY evidence that I had ever applied the brakes. I hit the dumpster with the throttle wide open. Result? Punctured lung, broken ribs, broken femur, fractured jaw (no helmet), broke both arms and was in the hospital for almost two months before I left.
1989: Fell off the roof of my brothers house trying to do fireworks on it. rebroke my left arm and broke my back.
1996: Messing around at other brothers house got kicked by horse after I did an M-80 next to the horse and scared it. Result? ruptured spleen, rebroke some ribs
2000: Another motorcyle accident: tried to jump over some garbage cans on a woefully underpowered tw200. broke nose, broke wrist, broke other ankle.
OK my point is I am obviously brave enought to do this thing. Now the point I am trying to make is that this thing is even dangerous around guys like me and my brothers who have had a life of doing extreme sports like I showed above. Even the smart guys like us can get hurt on this thing.
My heart goes out to all yall who lost someon to this contraption.
"OK my point is I am obviously brave enought to do this thing. Now the point I am trying to make is that this thing is even dangerous around guys like me and my brothers who have had a life of doing extreme sports like I showed above. Even the smart guys like us can get hurt on this thing."
Hummmmmmmmm
PS I like how he considers running someone over with a jeep an extreme sport.
i have had mine sense it came out. I LOVE IT BEST MONEY ever .i'm really good now
i run a 75' rope and a 85'. now i can stay at about 20 to 30 foot and rip back and forth across the wake all day... i have never crashed hard. because i not a dumb ass and just get on and go crazy. BUT your F*&^ing driver has got to be GOD on the gas..... SMOOTH up SMOOTH down on the gas. that s the trick if you want to call it something.
also about banning this great toy NO WAY .You think bicycles should be banned because # 784 bicyclists died each year
# About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries, and 27,000 have injuries serious enough to be hospitalized.
# Bicycle crashes and injuries are under-reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits.
# 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
# Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
I Dont think so..... your under your own control and if your not ready to DIE yes I said DIE than you had better go small not big and never ride over your head. make sure your driver is great. basically if you don't feel comfortable and confident with experience to back it Then DONT DO IT........dont trust someones driving skills by there word " O i',m a great drive while laughing" they will kill you Understand dont fly with them... make sure you drive understands that they can kill you.. point number 1
heres the Training Book i got about 1000 hour on this wing.
1. started with the 45' rope never go over 20mph start at 10 to 15 you have to get real good at controlling the wind at low speeds this will give you the feeling also when to bail out.
2. you have to pump it up with air hard that's key to ....
it took me about 100 rides to get up to 15' off the water and feel confident and comfortable. then i slowly went up 1 or 2 mph..
3. Also big point you can ride corners but your driver has to be bad ass For Real Smooth is the key. you have to be on the outside of the turn BEFORE the boat starts to turn. So if your going right, get out to the right before the turn starts also tighter turns farther out you HAVE TO BE go slow and feel it out. also DON"T take turns at over 22 23 thats when it get real unstable and high high % you will crash.. . start with Small turns.
i can rip a tight corner now... Looks so cool man i love this thing!!!
lets talk about Going BIG 50' 60'
4. if you find yourself this high you had better have as much time on the wing as me or more because You will die. i got up to about 55' and brought it back down thanks to my bad ass driver.it real unstable over 40' so that being said its a good launch platform send it up to 60' and let go in a good form you can hit the water right. that fun for sure.. do it all day you only get that high with the 85' rope Caution
5.here is one more thing LET GO IF THE WING STARTS TO FLIP LET GO it's your only chance to rite you body for impact...people that hold on get flipped harder in the air and when you hit the water your not ready so bail sooner than later. also when your up in the air and the boat loses speed LET GO don't let it set you up to go head first into the wing when it crashes.. that s how people brake there neck.
thats it
happy flying
my heart go out to the dead that this sport produced.
please take my advice seriously..
Their are a couple of things that will make your ride on the kite tube much safer.
1. Make sure the tube is properly inflated!
It did take some time and practice to find out what the pressure should be. That was one mistake SPORTS Stuff made. The manufacture should have had device to check the pressure in the tube. To low of pressure will cause the wings sides of the tube to cave which will cause the tube to become severely unstable. To high will cause the tube to expand and possibly rupture and it will not glide across the water very easy (will act more like an anchor not letting the boat plain out.)
2. Make sure the wind is at a minimum (5mph max) The lake should be just about like glass.
This part extremely important. I only take the kite tube out in the evenings when the wind is down and the lake is free of traffic.
These are just a couple of things that you can do to insure a safer ride. Good communication and and experienced driver is also a must.
I have looked at all the videos of people crashing on the tubes usually sending the person to the hospital and from what i can see there was absolutely no common sense used. A couple of the videos i watched showed every one in the boat drinking including the driver and they were going at speeds of 30 plus mph and at 30 feet or higher. WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN!!
This is a great tube and i will never give mine up. If you follow these tips and use some common sense you WILL be fine!
I would also like to buy another tube just for backup in case the tube gets a hole or cut in it. So if any one wants to sell theres please e-mail me at kyleleejohnson@hotmail.com
Sorry your boyfriend had a bad experience.
when comparing it to another sport i would have to say that i would compare it to snow skiing. you need to have control at all times. but un like snow sking you need to make shore the driver of the boat understands what you want to do!!!! if you think your going to get hurt at 15 feet or 20 feet then bail out at ten feet. i don't see whats the problem? i know my limit and i bail out at 10 feet most of the time.
BROKE MY SONS NECK WE WERE BEING SAFE IM GLADE HES NOT DEAD
THERE NOT A SAFE TOY
BobbyD
I feel lucky to be alive, but my life has changed.
soon to be 3 years ago, a wind took my wego. The boat was at 33 knots/hour. I had surfed 3-6 feet in the air for over one minute, when the driver changed course and his attention was pointed at the changed waters, just for a few seconds. At the same second a wind hit me, In 3 seconds I was 30-40 feet in the air.
I broke my spine, and have had other complications (nervedammage, muscle dammage) because of the impact.
I was at very good health, fit and strong, good at sports, had no injuries before this accident.
The accident changed my life. Have diffulties sitting, standing, jogging, jumping, skiing, almost everything I enjoyd before, is become "no can do".
IT'S NOT WORTH THE RISK FOLKS!!!