Tip For Sportube Packing

[Stevie Boy]

Having recently purchased Sportube, I was staring to experience the difficulties of packing it, I have over come these difficulties and can now pack my Sportube with ease.

 

#1 Must Have Fin Protector

#2 Must have Hardboard approx 7" - 71/2" width, make cutouts at the end to allow hardboard to go to the end of the inner tube.

#3 Put the ski on top of the hardboard, level with the back of ski, cut the hardboard approx 4" - 5" short of the front of ski.

#4 Tape ski/bag, to the Hardboard.

#5 Get tent bags or folding chair bags, load with gear.

#6 Tie bags on ski front and back, put any other gear in gaps.

#7 Slide rear of ski into inner tube, then slide outer tube over the front, push home and then back off one or two holes.

#8 Mark outer tube location with tape and draw line on it, with instructions not to go past line.

 

This makes it easy to pack, you just slide the contents in or out.

[6balls]

Bungee all my clothes, vests, suits, handle, towels to ski ahead of and behind bindings. Put fin block on ski. Stand 1/2 sportube on end and drop ski in there. Put other 1/2 sportube on while the ski and 1st half sportube still upright. secure position with pin.

Done.

[jrs]

My Sportube is covered with golf company logos. When traveling, some airlines will charge for waterskis but they never charge for golf bags. This can save you $150 each way on many flights. Keep in mind if you are talking to TSA the bag contains waterski gear. If talking to the airlines it's golf equipment.

 

The pin that comes with a Sportube is nice but the airlines will loose it. Tie the pin to the handle with a small rope or cable. For extra protection of TSA not assembling the pin correctly, add a bungee cord from the handle to any one of the empty holes on the other end of the tube. This will hold the two tubes together in an easier way than the pin.

 

Add bright duct tape on both tubes like arrows pointing at each other to help TSA understand how to reassemble and how close the tubes should be when assembled correctly.

[ForrestGump]

Yep, I'm convinced that @MS taught his baggage handlers to toss that pin in the trash just before they put it on the conveyer to come out to you. lol. I Had a mile walk underground at 2am to get to my truck on the way back from Diable Shores and wouldn't you know I pulled my sport tube off the rack and scattered it's contents everywhere because the goons pulled the pin and didn't replace it. Grrrrrr. Then I was scrambling to find something to lock the two halfs together.

[ForrestGump]

@jrs A lot of airlines will not charge for ski bindings. I always mark mine as ski bindings. They've never questioned me.

[The_MS]

I always carry some zip ties in the tube in case that happens. I tape them on the inside so I can grab one if needed. It is the TSA clowns that fail to put the clip back in through the 2 holes. They are too busy watching the Porn monitor walk through body scanners.