I do alot of float tubing. Over the years I've also owned quite a few tubes and most of my friends have tried several. Everyone of them had vinyl bladders, and to date the only leak I've seen in any of them was not the vinyl it was the valve leaking. I fish in pretty extreme conditions in my tube... super hot in summer and I break ice to get out when I can in winter so I think my tubes get tested. Almost anything made by Caddis has been good to me... and if I was still in a tube, I'd use a Navigator by choice. I now use a pontoon, but I was really liking my Navigator before I switched.

I've owned a one of creek companys tubes and got to fish one of their pontoons for a while as well. No complaints there and alot of their stuff comes with lifetime warranties. Currently, I use a fishcat9 pontoon. I actually prefer a tube, but I really needed a motor for some of the lakes I fished so I moved to the pontoon. I like it better than the odc pontoon and I've used it quite a bit and it's quality stuff.

If you have any specific tubes in mind post it and if I've seen it I'll let you know.

Also, consider your size when purchasing a tube. I'm a decent sized guy at 6ft 215 and I love that Navigator, but my 5'10" 150 lb friend absolutely hates it. He sits so high out of the water that the wind pushes him around and he's in a terrible position to get a good kicking stroke. When I'm in it my weight makes it dig in just right and it performs well. Ballpark, I'd look for something around 75 - 100lbs over your weight. I also firmly believe in multi bladder tubes. I would never go out without a pdf but I consider it almost as important..

One last thought... alot of companies advertise about getting you high out of the water. In my experience, the higher out of the water I am, the more uncomfortable I am. One of the greatest benefits of the tubes is the fact the water supports your weight. Dress appropriately, and I can't think of a more comfortable way to fish. I've dozed off numerous times in the tube over the years, but never once fell asleep fishing any other way... If you really do need more distance then get a longer rod.

I may have been lucky, but I really haven't had any bad luck on tubes. For the most part any decent name brand should be adequate and buy from a company with a good return policy. I tried several tubes originally until I found the one I liked.

All of this is for U boats, I've never tried a circle tube so I can't really comment on 'em. I've seen plenty in use, some in bad conditions and I don't really consider the safety as a factor of not wanting one... they just don't appear to maneuver well and seem cumbersome.

That should be plenty to chew on...

Later,
Jambalaya