Togiak

So, I was considering buying this tube because I wanted something that would seat me up higher in the water than my U-boat I had for a long time (which served its purpose but has since been replaced by the Togiak). Let me start by saying this is a GREAT TUBE!!!! I tried it out today in a local lake and caught several bass and an 11" crappie. I was very comfortable. I had to move against a very strong wind and moved much faster than I anticipated being able to move. But I was amazed at how comfortable I was the whole time. So, this tube uses 2 pieces of foam underneath the seat that seat you up higher in the tube. But they don't JUST seat you up higher. They FEEL better, too. As someone who has sat on the 'sling' style seat standard on most U-boats, I can honestly say this tube's seat is MUCH more comfortable. And it seats you up higher in the water, too. Not WAY higher, but a little higher. The main advantage is that your arms aren't digging into the pockets the way they would on a U-boat because you're up higher, away from the pockets. Less digging in of your elbows.Let me DISPEL the reviews written by all of the other people who talk about how the seat has 'no support'. What the heck are you guys talking about? Sure, when I took it out of the box, there was no support, but I had to ADJUST IT. There are STRAPS. You just adjust the straps to angle the seat how you like it and you have no excuse to not be comfortable. They don't 'collapse' like people are saying they do, that's pure nonsense. Obviously the people who wrote those reviews saying that about the seat don't realize how to adjust a simple strap. This is a very comfortable seat, and I was very comfortable when I was fishing earlier (after I adjusted it). So everybody who is saying that the seat has no back support is either lying, too stupid to realize that they need to adjust the straps, or weighs 400 lbs.I like the color of the tube, it's fairly easy for boaters to see. Not super concerned about this. A camo color scheme would have been cool too, but I can get into the gray/yellow. It's like you're a giant floating hornet out on the water...haha.In all seriousness, one thing that drew me to this tube besides the AWESOME seat was all the pockets. It has so many pockets on it, and then, on the outside of those pockets, you have more MESH pockets! These are useful for holding small, little items you would use often. The pockets are awesome. The only complaint I have about them is that you can't fit a full-size tackle tray in them, but that's not the end of the world, because you can fit a tackle box or backpack behind you.Behind you, there is a mesh 'space'. Anything you put there will get wet. However, I found out very quickly I could put my PFD (which is just a flotation cushion) back behind the seat, and then put my backpack on top of that (my backpack is what I use to hold all of my trays and other fishing essentials). Putting the backpack on top of the cushion helps to seat the backpack up higher, off of the partially-submerged mesh back and keep the backpack drier. But in all honesty, I make sure to never keep anything in there that I don't want to get wet, so even if it does get wet, it's not the end of the world.The D-rings on the side are nice. Lots of different mods you can do with these, and they are pretty much standard on every tube, so I'm glad to say that this tube has several D-rings. Nothing special here. Happy to say you get several with this tube.Another really cool feature is that you get BACKPACK STRAPS with the tube. This is really nice for when you have to carry the tube any distance more than 20 feet. It's hilarious though, wearing them...looks like you have a huge jet pack strapped to your back. Walking down the side of a road to a lake, you get some....interesting looks from people in cars. To say the least. But honestly, I don't let it bother me. You're going to get some weird looks fishing in this thing, anyway.Seems very tough. Obviously, the mesh will protect the bladders to some extent. Even if you did pop them, it's not a huge deal, just use a little tube of aqua seal which you can pick up at gander or dicks sporting goods for around 5 dollars. But the whole tube seems pretty tough. So far, I am VERY impressed by how tough it seems.The best thing about this tube is how portable it is. If I deflate it, or even half-way deflate it, you can quite easily fit it into the back of even a small car. I actually was able to fit this tube deflated, plus another float tube I lent out to my buddy for the day in my trunk.In conclusion, this is a REALLY nice tube. I'm not saying that there might not be anything better out there, but why would you use anything else? This is SUCH a great tube, just make sure you adjust the seat's straps so that it supports your back properly. And to the person who said that the stabilizer bar has 'sharpened' ends, sure, they are pointed, but the stabilizer bar is just a PVC bar...you could go to ANY hardware store, buy a new pvc pipe, and use a hacksaw to cut it to size and there you'd have a new bar with 'non-sharpened' ends. Not to mention, if you leave some give in your air bladders when you inflate them, they shouldn't be a problem. This is a great tube, it is a huge upgrade from U-boats, in my opinion. I love this boat.

The other reviews here are great so I'll compare the Cumberland and Togiak for you. I purchased this and the Cumberland. Both have "backpack" straps for short hauls (unpadded). Both are roomy! This is a little smaller and rolls into a smaller bag (not included), is lighter, and has more though smaller pockets. There are no rod holders on either, but the Cumberland has two drink holders while this has none. The Cumberland has a large storage pocket net on the seat-back while this one doesn't. The valves are different - this deflates slower but is idiot proof while the Cumberland has better valves but keepers that may break eventually. Inflating with the Classic Accessories Hand Pump is equal.I'm 285 6' and while I can't lay back comfortably on either to sun, my bottom rides above the water on both. The Cumberland is much higher, however. Don't count on back support from either but the Cumberland probably wins by far if you are lighter than me.All this said, we aren't using these for fishing - we use them for snorkeling at the Lauderdale by the Sea reef park. We rarely get on top because they both pull easily through calm water (if it's not calm or there's much of a wind, we don't go). Neither has a diver-down flag (required here) slot but with the Togiak I can use medium size office binder clips on the side of the seat. With the Cumberland alone you'd need to let the flag float too. There are no tow-rings so you have to use the d-rings on the bottoms (not a problem). With a long bungee, rope or backpack strap you can make a side-handle for each to hang a game bag, spear and lobster snare. This will also support tanks very securely with a hookah setup and probably a pump as long as its heat doesn't melt anything. You'll have to bring extra bungees as tie-downs though... don't wait until you are on the beach!We are never in surf so can throw our gear into the front mesh bow on our way into or out of the water. It's easier to gear-up chest-deep. My wife and I wear standard web dive belts with reels to tow the tubes - we do not kick out on top (we might miss a turtle or tarpon). Our son gets to ride.We tie them to stay together while resting. A light kayak anchor will keep them in place, and there's plenty of room up front for small ice chests (they get wet though).I thought we might be able to relax in these on the beach but the seatbacks just aren't comfortable enough and the sun will expand the air in the tubes dangerously.

Plenty of room for storage. This thing has like 10 pockets. After several outings, seems pretty stable. The mesh area in the back is a decent live well, also suitable to a backpack but strap it down if you want to keep it.Would be five stars except for the following:1. The rod holders that are advertised are really nothing more than straps to hold down your pole as you maneuver in the water. I was assuming it would be something you could drop the base of your rod in and it would sit upright so you could troll hands free while floating.2. The pvc pipe in the front that keeps the pontoons from squishing you is a three piece deal so it comes apart pretty easily. Granted, I get in and out of my float quite a bit while I'm in the water, but it's still a minor inconvenience. Why it isn't just one piece of pvc I'm not sure, but a cheap fix none the less.3. While the seat itself is quite comfortable (Don't throw away the foam in the package because it is your seat!), the seatback lacks some rigidity. It's a pretty cheap stadium seat design. There is a sleeve in the back of the seat I could put some foam in, perhaps I'll give that a try.It is also notable that the fill valve on the bladders is smaller, not suited to most quick fill pumps. There is no larger quick deflate valve. That doesn't really matter to me because I have a pump with a deflate feature and it works just fine.All in all, I'm happy with my purchase and it suits my needs just fine. Would buy it again.