A banana boat, also known as a water sled and often referred to simply as a banana, is an inflatable recreational boat meant for towing. It was invented by Glenn Matthews in the late 1980s. Different models usually accommodate three to ten riders sitting on a larger, main tube and resting their feet on two laterally flanking tubes which stabilize the boat. The main tube is often yellow and banana

Banana

Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....

-shaped. Some models have two main tubes. During the ride, the driver of the powered boat attempts to flip the banana boat upside-down by doing sharp turns. Riders should always wear life jackets for safety reasons.

Riding in a banana boat is considered to be a safer activity than water-skiing or other towed-water sports, and is similar to tubing

Tubing (recreation)

Tubing is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.-Water:Tubing on water generally consists of two forms: towed and free-floating, also...

. It is generally safe to ride at 4+ years.