Intex 58825e River Run I @ Amazon.com
Most helpful customer reviews 121 of 121 people found the following review helpful. Until I found this tube last year, I had never seen a vinyl tube that had a hole larger than about 12 inches. This caused me to sit up too much in the tube and made my back hurt. It also made it hard to paddle. The hole in this tube, the Intex River Run, is proportioned more like a regular rubber tube. The great thing is that you can blow it up at the river yourself and when the trip is finished the tube has a screw out quick release valve that deflates the tube in about 30 seconds. With the black tubes you have to stop at a gas station and blow them up, then cram them into the car or tie them onto your car for the final leg of the trip to the river. Black tubes also take a long time to deflate. In addition the black rubber tubes will give you “tube rash” under your arms from rubbing on them while paddling and they get very hot in the sun. This vinyl tube stays cool in the sun and has a mesh bottom that makes it great for kids. If you do not like the mesh bottom you can cut it out without damaging the tube. I left mine in. Black tubes also dry rot after only one season and inflate unevenly. I have seen vinyl tubes in service for years. I bought one of these tubes last year to try it out and I loved it. However, after the summer started and I got to try it for real, they were sold out everywhere. This year I am buying several more. A great purchase for any toober. Update to my original review, August 12, 2011. Three years after my initial review I still rate this product ***** (5 Stars). I now own seven of these tubes. With proper care these tubes can last two or more years, maybe longer but I use them at least weekly during the warm months in LA (that’s Lower Alabama) which lasts from April till October and two years is about what I am comfortable with. I have had three spring a leak after heavy use and two I was able to repair with the included repair kit. One was popped by a sharp stick and was not salvageable, the hole was about two inches. These tubes are very comfortable, allow you to get in the water and stay cool, great for kids of all sizes (the mesh bottom will not let a kid slide out), and they do not heat up in the sun. One note, I have seen this toob marketed as the River Run, the River Run I, and the River Run II. I cannot tell the difference other than the name, they all have mesh bottoms, cup holders, side handles, an inflatable headrest, and ropes around the outside. Go figure. Overall, the best tube I have ever seen for flat-water floating, I have heard of people using them for going over whitewater but I have no experience with that. For a pool, lake or slow river it cannot be beat. 42 of 42 people found the following review helpful. 28 of 29 people found the following review helpful. |
Great tube for flatwater