Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)We bought this swim platform for our home on a lake for our 12 and 8 year old boys.
I unwrapped and inflated the platform in the garage using an air compressor.It comes with couplings for an air pump and vaccuum for inflation, but as I don't have an air pump and access to the vaccuum as a blower was not convenient, I wanted to use the air compressor.
There is not a fitting that works with an air compressor included.I ended up using a fitting I use to blow out the sprinkler system and some duct tape to create a fitting. It worked OK as the raft is only supposed to be inflated to 5 lbs of pressure and for the vast majority of the inflation there was only a pound or two of pressure.
This is when I hit my first glitch.I had no way to measure 5 lbs of pressure.So I inflated it until it seemed tight and then moved it to the lake for launch.In the end I had under inflated it.I sent my boys our for a test run and when they climbed the ladder the tube collapsed excessively.I would say that watching kids use the ladder is the best test of how much pressure to add.Of course this is not practical unless you are in the water, but I figured out I could float itout into 4 feet of water and test it.We had to add air one more time too as after a week of play the tube stretch a little I think.
The anchor is kind of underplayed in the whole description of this product, but it recommends an 80 anchor.I used 6 cement blocks as I felt that that was well over 80 pounds and would sink into the lake bottom enough to guarentee the raft didn't go anywhere.I purchased 30 feet of stainless steel chain to attach the raft to the block.I knew this was excessive, but as I didn't have exact measurements for the depth of the water, I felt I would just cut off the excess.In the end, this was an excellent move.The excess chain made working this much easier.I moved the blocks one at a time into about 11ft of water.This is much more challenging then it sounds as 11ft is a long way down when you repeat it over and over.I am not sure you can move an 80 lb anchor in a boat, so I didn't try, I stacked the blocks by walking on the bottom and bobbing up and down.This look like 30 minutes including rests after every couple of blocks.
Next I hooked an empty laundry jug to one end of the chain so I would be able to get to it from the surface using a stainless steel carabiner.Then I fed the chain thru the blocks and clasped using a stainless steel carabiner.Feeding the chain thru was several trips to the bottom and requires one to be a pretty strong swimmer.I wanted to use something I could quickly clasp and unclasp if I wanted to as this was 11 ft under.
Then I unclasped the laundry jug and reclasped it about 3 ft under water so I had access to the chain from the surface, but the jug was not in the way to attach the platform.I swam the platform out and clasped the chain to it with another stainless steel carabiner.Then I removed the laundry jug.I plan on using the laundry jug in the winter to keep the chain off the bottom so I saved it.
That process took a about 90 min as I had to rest several times from all the swimming.Long story short, there may be better ways to attach the anchor, but to establish a perminent anchor is a task you should think about before hand.I have seen several platforms blow into the neighbors swim area because of inadequate anchors so make sure you use something heavy enough and will sink into the lake bottom.USE:
As far as use, the platform works well with a single person on it.They can jump and lots of stuff.We had a birthday with 12 kids and the platform was a huge problem.First, it collapses in the middle with 3 or more kids on it.They just end up ina big pile in the center.
The only way to sun is to lay near the edge on the tube.The kids dont really get this and try to lay in the middle.I would not consider this a good platform for sunning yourself.
King of the raft, which was the most common game when I was a kid does not work well, though is probably safer then any other raft.The Bongo is VERY HARD to get on.The raft is very tall and the edge is rounded and slippery.So the only way and I mean ONLY WAY on the raft is the ladder.Even then after you are at the top of the ladder, it is a lot of work to get fully onto the raft.There is simple nothing to hang onto.The upside of this is there is nothing to get hurt on either.
Nightmare for poor swimmers.On a normal platform, swimmers come up to the edge and just hang on.Especially while waiting for someone else to use the ladder.On the Bongo, there are 2 hand holds, one on each side.These and the ladder are the only thing to hang onto.The sides are round and slipper and there is no way to hang on them.It is too tall to reach the top.My 8 year old, is an OK swimmer and we worry all the time that he will not find a handle in time.The old son helps him a lot to make sure a handle is accessable and is almost required.I could not recommend this platform for children who can not swim and tread water for a minute or two while they get to a handhold or the ladder.I am considering adding some ropes draped off the sides for additional handholds.Unfortuntely, they could become problems to entangle the kids, so I dont know. The platform should have a handhold on every section really.I am going to add a second ladder as the circumference of a 13" platform is like 40' which is a long way for some to swim in a lake.
SAFETY:
The lack of anything hard on the raft make scrapes, cuts, ... from the platform almost impossible.The safety concerns come in a couple of areas:
Underneath - If someone is bouncing and someone goes underneath, they will literally have someone jumping on their head.As the person is underneath no one can see them if they became injured.There has to be a strictly enforced policy against going underneath.Unfortunately, the kids love the cave underneath.
Few Handholds - There are only 2 handholds and the ladder to hang onto (tho underneath there is also the anchor line).Poor swimmers can tire trying to find a place to hang on.
Collapsing - When the platform is loaded with 3 or more kids, they tend to get hurt being thrown into each other in the middle.These are usually very minor injuries.
Difficult to get on - It takes a lot of work to get on and people tend to have to rest a little while to make it up.
Jumping on people - Seems like this would be a problem, but I think it is no worse then any platform.This platform is taller, so maybe they would hurts someone more, but we did not see this.The energy of bouncing is absorbed by the water so the kids don't really bounce very high and it is far enough to the edge that they don't really jump high and into the water.To jump high they are in the center and don't go high enough to land in the water.SUMMARY:
The kids have a lot of fun bouncing on the Bongo and playing, but have to be watched due to the dangers of going underneath.If your kids are good about following safety rules, this can be a great entertainment in the summer on those hot days.
Rave Sports Bongo Bounce Platform (13-Foot)
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RAVE Sports Bongo Water BouncerProduct Description: When the sun beats down and the lake's icy cool water beckons, the Bongo water bouncer from Rave Sports answers the call. Quite simply one of the greatest summertime accessories ever, the Bongo water bouncer inflates quickly and anchors easily, created a water-logged playground for kids and adults alike. The Bongo looks like a huge inner tube, but with a trampoline-like surface on the top for lounging or bouncing. The Bongo's soft center is ideal for bouncing fun--simply take a couple of warm-up jumps and then bound gleefully into the water--but is also stiff enough for relaxing on a toasty afternoon. And getting out of the water is just as easy as jumping in thanks to the durable boarding ladder, which includes steps that extend deep into the water, hand holds molded into each step, and boarding assist handles at the top. You can even attach multiple water park attachments to the Bongo, such as small slide and log attachments.
The Bongo water bouncer offers a trampoline-like surface for bouncing or lounging. Although the Bongo is similar to a traditional water trampoline, it also offers a few key differences. First, the Bongo is easy to transport, meaning you can set it up quickly and use it anywhere. If you have a large pickup truck, you can even stow it in the truck bed, although Rave Sports recommends that you don't drag it across the ground. Second, the Bongo doesn't have any metal parts, so you needn't worry about corrosion. Finally, the Bongo can be used on land or water, making it far more flexible than most water trampolines. Like any inflatable product, however, the Bongo tube should not be exposed to rough edges or sharp objects like rocks and sticks.
The Bongo water bouncer comes in three sizes--10, 13, or 15 feet--that accommodates several friends or an entire family. Even better, the bouncer's 1,000-denier polyester, UV-treated PVC material (with heat-welded seams) is extremely durable. In fact, it's the same high-grade material used in many ocean-going inflatables and inflatable military boats. As a result, you can use the Bongo in the ocean and other saltwater locations, as there no metal components aside from the stainless-steel anchor rings. Best of all, the Bongo--which requires a water depth of at least 8 feet--sets up easily. You can use the included two-way hand pump for the 10- or 13-foot Bongo or an industrial inflator/deflator (not included) for the larger 15-foot version. It takes roughly 5 minutes to inflate the Bongo with a high-volume inflator/deflator and 20 minutes with the two-way hand pump. The water bouncer also comes with either a day-use anchor bag (Bongo 10 and 13) that can be filled with sand or rocks or a fixed anchor harness (Bongo 15) on the underside of the tube.
The Bongo carries a lifetime warranty against defects in material or workmanship.
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