[Rob Brownfield]

That's broadly true Rob but is not beyond argument, much depends on what is physically beneath the water line and fundamentally how that is 'orientated'. Trust me on this one 

Yup that's a reasonable statement, but, again.......much depends on what is physically beneath the water line and how that is 'orientated'.

Really custom made small drogues I trust.....

H

Hamish, I am talking about float tubes and humans...as that is what the post is about If we were talking ships, subs and stuff that is meant to be in/below the water I would totally agree with you, but humans are not designed for float tubing

Same goes for the second point.

As for the drogues, nope, off the shelf Fox Rage drogues. These are smaller than normal drogues and take the form of a "windsock" rather than a parachute. I believe they were originally designed for European tubers fishing the large Italian and German reservoirs when "drop shotting" for Pike, Zander and Perch.

I personnaly would not like to use a drogue as I think you could end up in all sorts of difficulties if not carefull.

[Ben Dixon]

Hi Rob,

You're a scientist, there are calculations on drag coefficient that clearly show an item in water has considerably more drag than when in air.

Did I state anything to the contrary Rob? 

It is beyond arguement that if you are sitting low in the water you will be less effected by wind than if you sit high in the water.

What Hamish Rob but, I would have thought that common sense, no?  You'd need to balance the additional effort require to move a bidet tube around against the reduced effort required to move a higher riding tube and take into account any possible greater effect of wind on the latter.  I think you'd find it to be about the same.

HOWEVER, by sitting higher in the water, you have less drag beneath the surface, so, given certain conditions, it would be easier to paddle against the wind than if more of your body is in the water.

Personally, I have found this to be the case and when sitting and fishing I am far more comfortable in a higher position.

Oh, fixed yr grammer for you mate.  That'll be my good turn for February.

Cheers

Ben

[terrier]

Drogue and Float tube in the same sentence sounds suicidal 

These days I certainly prefer sitting that bit higher, my personal preferrence. Move about quicker, stay warmer, better vision, easier casting.
And have been out in some fair choppy days and felt 'safe', even if my belly didn't feel that great at the end of the day!

[terrier]

I have no doubt that there's pros and cons to all designs but what pleases me most is that a 'new' tube has made it onto the UK market.



If your speaking about the snowbee one, a new design it is not!

[Hamish Young]

Rob - I am referring to float tubes and their users, not submarines or ships, as I am well aware that this is (loosely) what the thread is about. To ensure I haven't entirely lost my marbles I can confirm that this thread on the new Snowbee tube is in the sub-forum titled 'Float Tubing' and not 'Merchant Shipping' so I therefore feel I am posting in the correct place.

To be honest I can't really be arsed going over this (as I am suffering from nicotine withdrawal symptoms and am a bit 'crabbit') but, before you say anything further, consider different tube designs, human anatomy and how the occupant is sat/positioned in different tube designs and what their leg positions and lower body positions are likely to be.
Then consider the first two points that I posted previously...... carefully.

It is agreeable that a 'new' tube is on the market.

H

[terrier]

New, if new is classed as different colour and badges
Design been around since 2010

[Rob Brownfield]

This lot do tubes too...but I think they are Sparton ones from old stock?

http://www.pikeflyrod.com/boat-tackle/201-piketrek-floattube-float-tube.html

[Allan Liddle]

Yup accept that argument guys, end result as Mike and Hamish point out is the fact it's really down to personal preference.

For me i like the sitting low in the water but equally accept that there are advantages to sitting high, the imrpved vire for one.

Personally i've never felt comfortable on pontoon boats but to be fair i've not spend nearly as much time on them than in a low rider, but enough to know they're not for me.

What it has highlighted for me is the fact i've always felt anglers (who have tried them) fell into two camps on the float tube front, you either like them or not.  But now there's the added 'depending on what kind it is' thought added to the equation. 

Life's hard.........................

[Euan Innes]

This lot do tubes too...but I think they are Sparton ones from old stock?

http://www.pikeflyrod.com/boat-tackle/201-piketrek-floattube-float-tube.html

Sure looks like a Sparton to me Rob. 

Tubes are like Marmite - you love 'em or hate 'em. Like Bamboo and carbon fibre, vinyl and mp3, Alfas and Volvos. I could go on. What is good that folks like us fish from them and someone has come up with a new tube on the UK market.

To be honest I can't really be arsed going over this (as I am suffering from nicotine withdrawal symptoms and am a bit 'crabbit')

Some say that emotions can't be conveyed on the interweb but I now think differently. I think it has to do with tone..... 

 

[Alex Burnett]

Drogue and Float tube in the same sentence sounds suicidal 

Hamish...Would Life-raft Sea-Anchor work well on a Float Tube as a drogue?

Alex

[Ben Dixon]

Hamish...Would Life-raft Sea-Anchor work well on a Float Tube as a drogue?

Alex

Alex, what have you done?!

H, can we have the short answer please? 

[Hamish Young]

H, can we have the short answer please? 

Twat 

Hamish...Would Life-raft Sea-Anchor work well on a Float Tube as a drogue?

Alex

That's all a drogue is (a sea anchor) so in principal a 'sea anchor' from something like a 1-2 man life-raft would be around the required size for a float tube and something from an 8-12 man life-raft would most probably be ideal for most drifting boats.
So yes, it should work.

H

[Rob Brownfield]

That's all a drogue is (a sea anchor) so in principal a 'sea anchor' from something like a 1-2 man life-raft would be around the required size for a float tube

Which is basically the drogue I spoke of earlier...
http://www.fishingmegastore.com/fox-rage-drogue~14465.html

[Alex Burnett]

Alex, what have you done?!

H, can we have the short answer please?  

Stirred the pot!!!!!

That's all a drogue is (a sea anchor)

That's why I asked the question.

Something like this might also work:


Dimensions of triangular large opening is 12" x 12" x 12" with the sock length of 28".
Overall length from the narrow end to the D ring is 5 feet.

 

Alex

[terrier]

That's not the picture of a drogue I had in my head  .       Can see that working

I was only thinking of a para type drogue, and would have though if you'd stick it on the back of a tube on a windy day you'd be upside down in little time.


Would still need to be fairly careful when you attached to tube though?? Too far back on tube and if it got caught on rock or were out on choppy waves still a risk of getting flipped over from behind or attach too far forward and it's in the road of your legs/flippers.
Or am I just over thinking this ???

[Sandy Nelson]

Something like this might also work:


Dimensions of triangular large opening is 12" x 12" x 12" with the sock length of 28".
Overall length from the narrow end to the D ring is 5 feet.

Can you get them at 6ft, we could get one for Rob

S

[Allan Liddle]

You could always just eh, move yer feet, pretty sure the fins slow you down. 

[Mike Barrio]

You could always just eh, move yer feet, pretty sure the fins slow you down. 

Yep

[Will Shaw]

Re: the high/low in the water thing:

I have the Guideline drifter and if memory serves you can adjust the ride height to suit by adjusting some of the straps that run underneath the pontoons. Am I right? (Mine's in the shed just now and I can't be arsed to run out and check!)

FWIW I really like the high seating position, but yes it does spin in the wind!

Cheers

W.

[Ben Dixon]

Re: the high/low in the water thing:

I have the Guideline drifter and if memory serves you can adjust the ride height to suit by adjusting some of the straps that run underneath the pontoons. Am I right? (Mine's in the shed just now and I can't be arsed to run out and check!)

FWIW I really like the high seating position, but yes it does spin in the wind!

Cheers

W.

Correct re the straps Will!!  I find the Shakey bidet also spins in a wind though!

Cheers

Ben

[Hamish Young]

Odd, I've not had the problem of a shakey type tube spinning on me when fishing in a breeze.
Then again, to be fair, I've not done much in that design as it really was not intended for someone who carries as much 'casting ballast' as I currently do

Going back to the drogue thing, I'd say it would be worth a try but have a knife handy to cut the line if you need to.
I've never felt the need for a drogue (that I can recall) as the pontoon style Caddis tube I have has been incredibly stable in a drift even in the worst water conditions, as Allan says a wee bit of gentle 'finning' has always seen me right.

H

[Euan Innes]

What you need are big ass fins. The diver size ones that I have are like anchors in a big wind and gentle finning make the Shakey really stable and controllable. At the end of a long day on a big loch you can really motor back to the car too.

The whole tube thing, sitting high or low in the water, is only part of the package. What you have on your feet is just as important and can make or ruin a days fishing. The wee flippers that come with most kits are pretty crap and it is worth spending money on a good set.

And like trimming a boat, weight distribution and bladder inflation pressures also play a part. Too much air and the tube will not sit right, too little and you have no control and you fight the tube. So many variables! But once you get all that sorted, there is nothing finer. The day on Loch Nam Bollocks during last years Highland Fling, might have been fishless but it was the best float tube day as far as control goes. The Red Oktober 2 was perfect, but it took work and a lot of trial and error to get it there.

Nothing finer that a good day in a tube 

 

[buzzerman]

There is good and bad about both styles. Used both Sparton tubes bullet proof but if you fish all year round being sat so low in the water it's pretty damn cold. That's where the higher sitting tubes have the advantage. Would not like a drogue seems to me a hazard the art of finning does not take long to master.