Oh! Gizmo

The Wego Kite Tube…

The Wego Kite Tube looks fun but I’m sure that I’d just get injured on my vacation with this.? I wonder how high you can get with this thing?From OhGizmo: When inflated the 10 foot diameter tube takes on a basic wing shape which is important since t…

Nothing like the ol’ death in the family due to watersports to make trips memorable.

Flugdrachen zum drauf sitzen…

F?r nur schlappe $599 bekommt wohl das geilste Spielzeug was man sich vorstellen kann. Einfach an ein Boot h?ngen und schon hebt man ab. Link zum Hersteller. Hier noch ein Video. [via]…

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

THis shit is fucked up.

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!!!

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.

http://www.heytone.com/movies/movies.html

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.

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.

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.

umm…I was going to buy one of these things to try out but I am kinda scared now..what should i do?

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.

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!

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???

Insane Sport

i just got off riding one of this and had a blast. nothing like it. cant wait to do it again

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.

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!!!

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!

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.

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.

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).

If you think about everything is thid world is dangerous to humans even the air we breath. Do things at your own risk.

We are here for a good time not a long time!!!!!
Have fun!!1111

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/

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!!!!!

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!

Is this thing on

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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

Wego kite tube pulled fom the market, the END!

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.

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!!

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?

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.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blONIrF1g2o&search=kite%20tube

Just out of couriosity, how many critics have actually ridden a kite tube?

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

I hope whatever “comparable products” Sportsstuff has to offer can produce the 10,000 hits a day my site has been bombarded with.

Anyway, I strongly recommend people return this thing. Remember a picture is worth a thousand words:
http://www.heytone.com/movies/movies.html

It was fun while it lasted.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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)

Just letting everyone know i only sent the first two comments from K.Webster the other one is not me.

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.

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?

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 - 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!

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.

Forgot - “Sonny” go to your room and do your homework, NOW!

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.

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?

well not all of us are named after a dictionary…..go fly on your damn kite tube

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