Boogie Board vs. Tube: Need to buy one

What are the pros/con of boogie board vs. the tube?  What's your preference?
I need your suggestions so I can pick one and buy one-preferably used.
Will be diving from my yak mostly, but will need something when I'm not using a yak (for spearfishing and abalone diving).  thx!

Tube....con, absolute pain in the neck to get through the kelp or generally drag around, my tube has a hole in it and needs patching, expensive for what it is, not much storage space.

Buy a boogie board.

Dive tube give you more storage but can go flat on you.  Dive board won't go flat and with some modifications for storage (attached net material on it) is my choice.

For shore-diving I use a tube. It has more flotation and easier/safer OTW storage than a normal boogie board. A new inner tube will last a long time if you take care of it by freshwater rinse and store in a dry place out of the sun. Tube cover has backpack straps so you can easily pack your abs and other gear up cliffs and keep your hands free. Most guys I see use a tube. Hardcore types that penetrate deep into the kelp and move around covering a lot of bottom use a float like a larger crab buoy or just a sturdy empty laundry detergent plastic jug. My tube has a separate zippered pocket on top that will hold my ab iron & gauge. I put my lic, ab-card, gloves, snorkel, mask, hood, and fins in a duffle bag that also goes over my shoulder so the abs don't slime my other gear. If you must buy a used tube-cover make sure you buy a new tube to go with it. Of course your kayak is the ultimate diving platform. jim

I like the drop it in and forget it ease of a tube when going for abs. Tubes are terrible for fish because the fins will puncture the tube. I hang my fish on a stringer from the bottom of the tube but then I have to worry about seals and kelp tangles. I usually dive from my yak so it's not an issue. I am in the process of building a board. I've been dragging my feet but I'm almost done. I would recommend building a board. Use a big net bag and ziptie it down.

I like the drop it in and forget it ease of a tube when going for abs. Tubes are terrible for fish because the fins will puncture the tube. I hang my fish on a stringer from the bottom of the tube but then I have to worry about seals and kelp tangles. I usually dive from my yak so it's not an issue. I am in the process of building a board. I've been dragging my feet but I'm almost done. I would recommend building a board. Use a big net bag and ziptie it down.

Started with tube & will never go back... board works better for most norcal shorediving.  More versatile and customizeable.  Tubes turned out to be almost one-time use for me.   


Instead of the zip-tie'd net bag, I'd suggest using a motorcycle bungee cargo net like this:



You can either use the net as-is or remove the metal hooks and zip-tie to board in other manners.  Lots of possible configurations, but a small bungee cargo net, couple gun straps, & an anchor point for kelp-clip & stringer are good starting points.  I shore-dive so infrequently (use kayak mostly) that I've procrastinated on installing bacpack straps.  However, after my last shore-dive hike experience, I bought a set of backpack straps to add...  

Hi Diver:

 I'm going to build this one.
                                  Sea-ya
                                  Ernie


http://abaloneten.googlepages.com/diveboard-float

Thanks very much everyone for the intel.  This is better than Google- getting responses to exactly what I need, and not search results such as "how to boogie board"

Hi John:

 Help is worth more than Gold! I have some spare time amd don't mind
the Paybacks to NKCA. That's our unfair advantage over Yak Sites.
                                                                                Sea-ya
                                                                                Ernie

I have had both and if you look at it this way. It is a no brainer:

A tube with or without a cover:
·   - A tube is like a tugboat (it is like pushing a log through the kelp).
·   - A tube doesn’t ride very well through the surf line.
·   - A tube goes flat and you have to pump it up.
·   - There is not much storage inside of the tube. 

A boogie board (if set up right):

My boogie board has a lanyard on it and I clip a large goodie bag to the lanyard. I have also drilled holes on each side to attach clips for anchoring the end of the goodie bag to the boogie board. in the past I have had a (10 ea.) limit of rock scallops, a limit of Abs, my Ab iron and Ab Gauge, and my 35’ anchor line in my goodie bag at one time. Plus you can flip the boogie bag to where it is under water so the fish cops don’t see you measuring the small under size abs your buddy says is good.

·   A boogie board skims right over the kelp.
·   A boogie board, you can surf the waves at the surf line.
·   You just have to load your boogie board. Not pump it up.
·   A boogie board can carry a lot more shit (in and out of the water.)
·   A boogie board will take a beating.

If you have a race between a tube and a boggie board. The boggie board will win everytime.

Have fun.

You can rent a tube for cheap, or borrow one to see if you like it. Then use a members board and compare what you like about them before you buy one. I'm old school and use a tube, NEVER had a problem and love how small they are to store and transport.  Back in the day,70's we used surf mats w/onion sacks,or innertubes w/fish netting wrapped around it. That was before boggie boards and dive tubes. Look at all the ideas and if you are handy,build one,it's not that difficult especially with all the material available today.

does anyone carrie a board on there yak?

does anyone carrie a board on there yak?

I do, and it works great.  I just bungee cord it across the front and chuck er in when I get to the site.

I used those tubes for years and I'll never go back.  For all the reasons everyone's mentioned, the sponges are better.  In addition to the cargo net on the top, I put clips to clip on straps on the underside, so it works like a backpack as well.  You can beat the piss out of a boogie board with no problem.  Just let all your surfer friends know that you're using it for diving    SoRRy FiShUnTer.

I don't think anyone has mentioned how difficult it is to see a boogie board when in the water. It is very low profile and can disappear easily if there is minor swell. I would recomend rigging a flag on to it if you decide to go this route

The flag is a great idea! If you need a flag mount let me know. Installed one right after I heard the first boat pass over.