Tubing Southampton

Tubing, also known as inner tubing, is the recreational activity of riding an inner tube, either on water or on snow.

When on water, the tube may be conveyed by the current of a river or pulled behind a motorboat or personal watercraft, resulting in a more high-speed experience. On snow, the tube is usually ridden down a slope much in the same manner as sledding. Some ski resorts even have specially designed courses for tubing. Alternatively, a tube and its rider may be pulled through the snow behind a snowmobile.

The tubes used in tubing may be actual inner tubes from tires, or, as is often the case, inflatable tubes designed for recreation. Recreational tubes may include handles for the rider to grip as well as sleeves made from synthetic fabric to prevent the tube from become elongated while being towed. Such tubes made for riding on snow usually have only small indentations in their centre rather than a hole. This prevents the rider and the tube itself from dragging on the ground.

Tubing on snow is often considered to be dangerous because the rider has little control over their direction and orientation as they travel down a slope. Severe injures have occurred when riders have struck trees or other obstacles while tubing. Courses intended for tubing are often free of such hazards and may have banks along the periphery of the course to guide riders along a safe path.