20hp to pull a tube?

Question

we have a boat with a 20hp motor its a out board we will be eirther pulling a 2 person tube or just a normal flat tube

will that be fine to pull someone on a tube.

it would be like 220 pounds with both of us... with me it would be 120? and with another guy it would be 100

Answer 1

No, you need a minimum of 50 HP to pull a towable.  Pulling a tuber on a 20HP outboard is a joke, all you will do is waste gas and put excess wear on the outboard engine.  I knew about this requirement when I was 9 years old back in the "newbie" days for me regarding boating.

Unless a pontoon has 90HP or larger engine, don't bother doing much tubing or kneeboarding with a pontoon boat.

A light fish & ski 50 HP boat could probably pull a tube or kneeboarder okay.

For serious kneeboarding and tubing, you need a 70HP or better engine.

For waterskiing and wakeboarding, you need a 85HP or better engine on a boat.

Answer 2

It will pull a tube with one of you on it, I doubt two.

I used to pull my kids with a 20HP and a 14' V hull when they were little, like 80 lbs or so. It would pull, but not fast at all. It would barely move me, and I weighed then around 240.

If you already have it coming, (the motor), try it and see what it does. That is a lot of strain on the motor though.

Answer 3

You might be able to move the the tube but it's most likely not going to be able to get the boat or the tube on plane. You're going to end up torpedo-ing it under water. I wouldn't expect to have a whole lot of fun on a tube if a 20hp engine is pulling it. How big is the boat the engine is on? We have a 24' pontoon boat with a 75hp motor on it and that's not worth tubing behind. We also have a 21' Four Winns with a 265hp V8 I/O drive which is amazing for tubing. Good luck...