What's a Tow-float and Why Is It Essential? | Open Water Swimming Tips

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You’ve seen the water dotted with them, but why should swimmers use a tow-float? First of all, let’s explain what they are.
A tow-float is a small, brightly-coloured inflatable that you attach to your body via a waist band and leash. It floats along behind you as you swim, making you more visible to other water users, particularly boats and jet skis.
You can also use a tow-float to rest on while you’re waiting for your friends to catch up, or even as a pillow to lay back and enjoy the sunshine!
There are a few different types of tow-floats, ranging from the standard inflatable, to a tow-float that is also a drybag that you can store valuables or even clothes in.
Drybag tow-floats come in a range of sizes from just big enough for a phone and keys - which is the most popular and useful for every day swims - to big enough for all your clothes, a towel and a few snacks - you can use these for point-to-point swims.
These days, with so many people using the water, we recommend all swimmers always wear a tow-float in open water. Small ones really do not slow you down - they float along behind you minding their own business and keeping you safe while you swim.
If you have any questions about tow-floats, pop them in the comments below.
#swimming #openwater

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12 сен 2021

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Комментарии : 27

@peterah7957 Месяц назад

I've just ordered one ! I have tried my friends first and they're great ...I was able to swim between small islands off the coast of Finland while being able to rest without anxiety. My only advice is always check for leaks before setting off and ofc buy a good quality one .

@said0725 2 года назад

Very informative 👍🏻thanks a lot 💯

@think-islam-channel 2 года назад

Are they useful for people who get into trouble when swimming. How long can you hold onto them as a float?

@strengthofabear2640 2 месяца назад

Ok since there's no response I'll give my two cents (literally just my two cents). If someone isn't that comfortable in the water then it's best to stay close enough to the shore or entry point so that if you start to struggle then you can make your way out. I would look at a tow float as a chance to take an occasional rest but you will still want to have balance and be comfortable in the water (inc temp) to make use of it like this. If you are comfortable and wearing a wetsuit (again taking water temp, wetsuit thickness, your own comfort in the water and how well you are feeling on the day) then you could stay there for a decent amount of time. Swim Ireland run courses, so could be worthwhile checking them out, I'm heading out on one myself this evening so brushing up on using a tow float and I was interested in the advice here.

@qwerrweterterhrhry 29 дней назад

0:47 I am using OWS 500 NABAIJI tow float sold by Decathlon shown in this frame for 2 years now. It is truly amazing - holds air for the whole summer, offers great visiblity for speedboats (essential if you don't wear a bright swimming cap), can be used for storing my house keys while swimming, it also has a whistle in case you got stranded in open water and its dark. The storage compartment is not really watertight though, so I would not put a smartphone in it without an additional bag. My weight is about 70kg (150lbs), it can buoy my weight for a long time without any issues.

@PabloGreg Год назад

Hello! Are those float bags useful for swimming Butterfly Stroke?

@joshiprasanna 3 дня назад

How to attach the belt to the float?

@Bravevanguard 8 месяцев назад

Hi, if I kept my phone in the tow float dry bag and needed to make an emergency call, how should I take the phone out and still have something to hold on while making the call?

@orangestoneface 12 дней назад

float with a sail to get to land would that work ...double barrel float u shaped or how ...and for sport...or flat shaped , sail pole up by neck if lying on it or two poles two sails or hm or one up in front of head , or sail on strings but thats kinda hard and cant go against wind. or floats for sail on string in front of swimmer that hold s it or tied to belt.

@tomospark4366 5 месяцев назад

These questions are amazing. How have you got this far in life? 😂

@FloOfContact 24 дня назад

I wanna use it to swim across the lake after a swim. Would it be suitable to put running shoes in it?

@mudrikabdulrahman8298 2 года назад

How many kilograms does it carry?

@cory4152 11 месяцев назад

Mmm would this work on my marine battery in case i tip my canoe

@patgilmartin 17 дней назад

I’m on a mission to end the use of tow floats in competitive environments. I have a theory that they’ve only become popular through some sort of shaming campaign, that almost views these things as mandatory. I have never once in my several hundreds of hours of open water swimming benefited from using a tow float. I’ve finally made the decision that these things are more trouble than they’re worth and don’t actually provide any practical benefits for me. Jerk boaters are jerks. They will cross 10 meters in front of you with or without a bouy. I’m suggesting if you need one of these for the flotation, or to rest, you haven’t done enough work yet in the pool and shouldn’t be in the open water. Bouys get holes and fill up with water and it’s like dragging an anvil. It can be very dangerous. They absolutely create drag. What is minimal drag to you? If it’s more than you’re used to it can be dangerous. These should only be used by beginners in a pretty controlled environment or extremely busy boating areas, and should never be allowed in races.

@orangestoneface 12 дней назад

how a bout a u shaped float with a sail ...

@jameslewis7011 Год назад

What size would be better for some who is 200lbs? 35L or 20L?

@ck21985 Год назад

I dont know how many kg are 200lbs? Just know which is ok for severel amounts of kilogramm

@arbanaskocudo 11 месяцев назад

I have this and problem is when wind lifts it in the air and hit you in your shoulders and head making swimming impossible?

@breizizel3256 9 месяцев назад

J'ai réglé le problème : quand il y a du vent je met quelques 👘 plus mon smart Phone ( dans un sac étanche ! ) la il reste bien sûr l'eau et ne vient pas vous gêner ....

@strengthofabear2640 2 месяца назад

Reduce how much air is in it and place something with some weight on the bottomof the bag section.

@jesuspikin335 3 месяца назад

Can someone who can't swim use a tow float?

@tongsllc 3 месяца назад

If you can’t swim, you should wear a life vest instead.

@whatsup_viral 2 года назад

Does towfloat protect you from undercurrent???

@MamaBanana 2 года назад

Unlikely to be much help until your back up, helping by giving you an opportunity to rest on it while you catch your breath.

@zefe3886 Год назад

@@MamaBananaErrmm sorry but riptide, rip currents or under tow does not pull you under. all you need to do is to stay afloat and ride out the rip current and swim parallel to it. People drown in them because they panic and try to swim against it. So having the tow-float will actually helps.

@T1Oracle Год назад

Any float will help. Rip tides have a large circle current that can pull you as far as a mile out from the shore. Since the current is circular, just floating in the current will eventually bring you back to shore. Since it can be difficult to figure out the direction of the current, it is now advised that swimmers just float instead of trying to fight the current. If you swim in the wrong direction you may find that you are not going anywhere and eventually you will become exhausted and drown. If you instead choose to float, you can be returned safely to the shore by the current.