Big Air General FAQ’s
What is the warranty?
We will repair or replace any defective part at no charge to you for a period of 1 year. After 1 year we ask that you contact us so we can review your situation. Typically we can extend warranties for years as long as there is no negligence. Click here to view full warranty
What is the refund policy?
Within 30 days of receiving your order from Big Air Wake Towers Inc., you may return any non-custom product. All parts must be in their original condition and packaging, and cannot be assembled, installed, or damaged. Items that do not meet these criteria will be returned to you and you will be charged for return shipping (All parts that have been assembled or installed are not returnable). All returns will incur a 15% restocking fee. Freight charges are not refundable, including orders that qualified for free shipping, and will be deducted from the refund amount.
How do I order parts that are not on your website?
Our parts page only consists of our most commonly purchased parts. While we do not list every part on the website, we will always do our best to try to accommodate your needs.
For us to best assist you, please take a photo of the part or the missing parts location. Take another photo showcasing the tower/accessory. If there are additional parts or any other needs, please send photos for those as well. You can never send too many. Email us at info@bigairwaketowers.com with these photos and quantities and we will be more than happy to assist you.
How long have you been in business?
We started this adventure back in 1996! We started with extended pylons and then proceeded to bring you the first aftermarket wakeboard tower a couple years later as the market changed. We started with the H2O tower, and while it was an exemplary tower, we no longer manufacture it as of 2020.
Tower FAQ’s
What types of towers do you offer?
Our goal is to offer universal wakeboard towers that are made to accommodate as many makes and models as we can with each tower model we design. Each customer has a different price point and style preference. Our goal is to reach as many customers’ desires as we can with our universal towers.
Our Tower Line Up consists of:
- Haus Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 78″-103″ width at mounting points. The tallest tower on the market and specifically designed to accommodate existing bimini tops on 20′ boats or larger.
- Wave Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 70″-103″ width at mounting points. Designed with modern styling in mind and racks are included with this tower!
- Cuda Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 72″-103″ width at mounting points. Our best-seller! This tower was designed with an OEM design at a universal price point.
- X Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 72″-108″ width at mounting points. Unique styling for those that want something a little different.
- Vapor Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 72″-108″ width at mount points. A simple standard tower design with loads of strength.
- Twister Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 72″-103″ width at mount points. An all-in-one tower with style and rotating racks included.
- Ice Tower – Aluminum tower, fits boats between 62″-103″ width at mount points. Great simple style at an affordable price.
PLEASE SEE THE TOWERS PAGE FOR CURRENT PRICING
Will your towers fit my boat?
Our towers are designed to fit a variety of inboard and outboard boats that range between 62″ to 108″ wide at the points where the front and back legs will attach.
- The Cuda will fit 72″ to 103″ wide
- The Haus will fit 78″ to 103″ wide
- The Wave will fit 70″ to 103″ wide
- The Vapor and X will fit 72″ to 108″ wide
- The Twister will fit 72″ to 103″ wide
- The Ice will fit 62″ to 103″ wide
(The tower is completely adjustable within its range.)
Please note that all towers require boats to be 16 feet or longer and have access under the gunnels.
If you are unsure of your boats width, you can quickly run a tape measure from side to side and get a rough measurement, or you can do a search for your boat. The search should allow you to find your boats beam width. The beam width is the widest section of your boat, from rub rail to rub rail. From there, you can determine which tower models will fit based on your measurement or beam width.
What are the differences between the towers?
The main difference between the towers is primarily the design.
The Wave, Haus, Cuda, Vapor, X, Twister, and Ice Towers are true universal towers that can fit any boat with a wide variety of widths. All of our universal aluminum towers are made with 2.25″ aircraft grade aluminum pipe.
- The Wave Tower is a reverse arch tower with truly unique styling. It features integrated board racks capable of holding up to four wakeboards. It collapses by removing two bolts on the front supports and loosening two bolts on the rear legs.
- The Haus tower is our tallest tower and is made to accommodate existing bimini tops. It collapses by removing bolts from the front legs and loosening bolts on top of the tower and on the rear legs.
- The Cuda tower is a reverse arch tower with insane styling, strength, and intelligent design to satisfy the most demanding boat owners. It collapses by removing two bolts from the rear legs and loosening two bolts on the front legs.
- The Twister, Vapor, and X Towers features a bottom bar that follows the line of your boat’s windshield for added styling and strength. It collapses by removing bolts from the front legs and loosening bolts on top of the tower and on the rear legs. The Twister tower also features integrated swiveling board racks capable of holding up to four wakeboards.
- The Ice Tower is made completely of aluminum and does not have any side support or quick release features. The Ice tower collapses by removing two bolts from the rear legs and loosening two bolts from the front legs.
Can I pull more than one person from the tower at a time?
Our limit for riders is one (1) on the Ice Tower. Two (2) riders for all other towers.
Are the towers collapsible?
Yes, all of our Big Air towers are collapsible. This is primarily done by removing one section (front or rear) of bolts and loosening the opposite section. Typically 4 bolts total.
- The Ice Tower will collapse to below the height of your windshield.
- The Haus, Vapor and X Tower will collapse to a height between 10 to 18 inches.
- The Twister Tower will collapse to a height between 18 to 26 inches.
- The Ice Tower and Storm Towers will collapse to below the height of your windshield.
- The Vapor and X Tower will collapse to a height of 18 inches.
- The Wave and Cuda Towers will collapse to a height of around 26 inches.
If you need assistance in the collapsing process, please contact us. We are happy to help.
Can I pull a tube from your towers?
No, tubes and other inflatables displace so large an area of water that the surface tension creates a drag force that well exceeds the safety limits for the towers. The towers are only recommended for skiers, wake boarders, knee boarders, and air-chair riders. View our BLOG POST for more in-depth information.
Do your towers move, shake, or rattle?
When you tower is installed correctly, you should have very minimal movement, if any, and no noise.
What is the weight limit on your towers?
We do not use a numbered weight limit for our towers. For towers with a single horizontal bar at the top like the Ice Tower; we limit to 1 adult rider. For our towers with dual horizontal bars at the top like the Vapor, X, Haus, Cuda, Twister, and Wave; we limit those to 2 adult riders.
How long does my boat need to be?
Please note that all towers require boats to be 16′ or longer and have access under the gunnels.
How far apart should I place the legs of the tower (from bow to stern)?
The stance for the Wave, Cuda, X, and Vapor Towers is non-adjustable and consists of the following:
- Vapor and X – 66″ between front and rear mount*
- Haus – 66″ between front and rear mount
- Twister – 66″ between front and rear mount
- Wave – 38″ between front and rear mount
- Cuda – 39″ between front and rear mount
Optimal positioning for the legs of the Ice Tower is somewhere between 40 to 50 inches apart but can be extended to 60 inches.
*Due to UPS ship-able boxed dimensions, newer revisions of the Vapor tower will have a 66 inch front to back stance, older revisions will have 70 inches.
Where should I take the measurements for the towers?
The placement of the tower is completely up to personal preferences. The most popular place to mount tends to be somewhere mid-ship, often straddling the windshield, but farther forward or aft mountings work equally well and are becoming increasingly popular. One thing to consider: you will need to install a backer plate for each mount on the inside of the hull. Make sure to take measurements at a place where you have access under the gunnel. Another consideration is where the tower will be when the tower is in the collapsed position.
If I give you my boat’s make and model, can you determine measurements for the Towers?
While we did keep a small database of the measurements of the boats we have fit in the past, we cannot guarantee a good fit if we use database measurements. We have no idea where previous customers chose to mount their tower on their boat and, if the tower was placed fairly far forward or aft, the measurements can vary widely. If you do choose to use database measurements and there is a fit problem with your boat, we will do our best to find accommodations that will make it work. However, the customer will have to pay for both the shipping of the new piece(s) to them and the return shipment of the old piece(s) to us, if applicable.
I have a Big Air Tower, but I am not sure what model. Can you tell me what I have?
Of course!
The best way for us to help is for you to email us a photo of what you have. Installed, or not, it doesn’t matter. Please try to showcase as much as you can. More than one photo helps as well. Send your photo(s) to info@bigairwaketowers.com
I have the exact same boat as one pictured in your gallery. Can you use those measurements for my boat?
While we did keep a small database of measurements for our formerly offered H2O tower (as mentioned above) we have no idea which measurements go with the boats in our gallery. All of those pictures were sent in by our customers and we don’t keep track of which boat belonged to which customer.
Your photo gallery doesn’t have a photo of the same boat I am installing on. Can I still mount your tower to my boat?
Yes! Our towers are truly universal and are made to accommodate many makes and models. Choose the model you like best. Ensure where you plan to mount (your choice) will fit it with the specific width range noted for that tower. Then, since mounting location is your personal preference, check the hull internally to ensure you have clear access to that location. All of the pictures in our photo gallery were sent in by our customers and we don’t receive photos from every customer.
Can I move my tower to another boat?
Yes. With our towers having a universal fit, if you are mounting at a wider width than the original installation, you may have some holes exposed. This does not propose an issue with the performance of the tower, but to some it is an aesthetic issue. Additional bolts can be purchased to fill these exposed holes. Additional mounting hardware can be purchased as well if you are moving the tower from one boat to another and do not want to remove the original mounting hardware from the hull.
For older previously offered H2O towers, 2014 and older, we recommend only moving if your boat widths are within 10 inches of each other, as these were made to measurements provided at the time of the order.
Bimini FAQ’s
Will your tower fit around my factory bimini?
It depends on the boat and on the bimini. For us to determine whether or not our tower will bind your bimini, we will need four measurements from you.
- Width of the boat where the front legs of the tower will attach.
- Width of the boat where the rear legs of the tower will attach.
- Height of the bimini from the tower mount locations.
- Width of bimini at the top.
Email us with those four measurements and the type of tower you are interested in and we will let you know if the tower will bind your bimini or not.
Can I get a Collapsible Bimini shipped with my tower?
No. Even when we have measurements from a boat to build a tower, there is too much built-in adjustability in the tower to make a custom bimini for it before it is installed on a boat. All Big Air semi-custom Biminis must be made to measurements taken directly from an installed tower. Should you wish to order the bimini at the same time of your tower order, please note “pending” in the required measurements. This will allow us to process the portion of the order we can fill and set the bimini on hold to wait for the bimini measurements after it has been installed.
How is the Big Air Super Shadow different from the Big Air Tube Top Bimini?
The Super Shadow and Tube Top Biminis are both a universal bimini that is only offered in one size (76 inches square). Both options also come in a variety of colors. The Super Shadow Bimini is strictly a bimini shade. It is not intended for any type of storage for cargo. The Tube Top Bimini has additional reinforcement along with tie down straps to hold your inflatable up and out of the way securely.
Do the biminis collapse?
The Big Air Collapsible bimini does, yes. It will accordion fold just like a factory bimini. A storage boot is provided as well.
Neither the Super Shadow bimini nor the Tube Top Bimini styles “accordion fold” like factory biminis do. The canvas is very easy to remove completely for travel off of the water, or if you just want some sun. The frames are designed to be semi-permanent, but part or the entire frame can be removed by undoing some wing nuts and removing some clamps if needed for storage.
Can I trailer the boat with the bimini up?
You can trailer and tow your boat with the bimini frame up, but YOU MUST either remove or furl the canvas. Highway speeds are not comparable to water speeds.
How easy is the bimini canvas to remove?
The bimini canvas can be removed rather quickly. We use clips, just like the ones on your life jacket, to attach the bimini around the frame for the Super Shadow and Tube Top Biminis. The Collapsible Bimini’s canvas will remain in tact on the frame, just accordion fold and store in the provided storage boot.
Can I get the frame in black?
Unfortunately at this time we are not offering these services. However, if you are interested in color matching your frame, we recommend checking with your local powder coater.
Will the tow rope interfere with the Super Shadow or Tube Top Bimini?
No, the shallow downward angle of standard length tow ropes allows the rope to pass above the frame and not interact with it.
I’m having trouble choosing a canvas color.
With options to choose from, we understand how it can be a little daunting to match existing colors in your boat. We strive to represent our product colors as accurately as possible, but variations may occur. Due to differences in monitor settings and calibration, please note that the colors displayed on our website may appear differently on various screens and devices . To ensure the utmost satisfaction with your purchase, we are pleased to offer the option of sending physical sample swatches. If you require precise color matching, kindly reach out to us, and we will gladly dispatch sample swatches for your verification. Feel free to contact our customer support team for assistance or to request sample swatches.
Installation FAQ’s
Can I install your tower myself, or do I need to have a professional install the tower?
Of course you can install your tower yourself. We like to see you have a friend or two help in the process, but our towers are primarily installed by our customers. Although, some of our customers do not feel comfortable installing their tower on their own and prefer to have their towers and accessories installed and supported locally. To view our list of Big Air Wake Tower retailers, click here. Please contact our sales office at info@bigairwaketowers.com or 855-252-5314 and we will gladly email a copy of the instructions to you if you wish to review them.
Do you know of any installers in my region?
We do keep lists of retailers, marinas, etc. that we have dealt with in the past; however the vast majority of our customers choose to do the installation themselves. If you do chose to have a retailer or marina do the install, our best advice is to find someone local that you trust with a drill and your boat’s fiberglass.
To view our list of Big Air Waketower retailers, click here.
How hard is the tower to install?
The towers generally will take two people around 4 to 6 hours to install. Most of that time will be drilling the various installation holes. Please contact our sales office at info@bigairwaketowers.com or 855-252-5314 and we will gladly email a copy of the instructions to you.
How many holes will I have to drill into my boat?
Our towers use a single bolt, 3″ diameter circular mount. This leaves you only drilling 4 holes into your boats hull.
What size are the tower mounts?
Our towers use a 3″ diameter circular mount.
Is there a specific location that I need to mount your tower?
No. You can mount the tower anywhere along the hull, as long as you have access to all of the mounting points. If you are having a tough time identifying where you would like to mount, we recommend using our Big Air Tower Visualizer! This program will allow you to upload a side profile image of your boat, and test our towers on it! To use this program click here.
Can I mount the tower opposite of how you show it?
Yes. While it may not be our initial design or preference, we know customers are looking for something different. For example, many customers choose to mount the Cuda tower by the windshield sweeping towards the stern instead of the back of the boat sweeping towards the bow.
The only exception to this is the Wave tower. This tower is to remain mounted at the stern, sweeping to the bow.
My boat’s hull is less than 3/8" thick, can I still install your tower?
Yes, for hulls under 3/8″ thick, you will need to reinforce. Recommended reinforcement materials are aluminum sheeting (scrap yards are good places to find this), marine grade plywood, or a fiber glass kit. Reinforce the hull until the hull thickness is 3/8″ or slightly greater. The optimum area to reinforce is roughly 4″ by 8″ but we understand that you will probably be working with a limited space, so just do the best you can with what you’ve got. If you use aluminum, or marine plywood, we do recommend that you put a little epoxy or some other sealant between the hull and the reinforcement material and then use the gasket and backer plate that we provide.
For ease of searching, we have a reinforcement kit available. To purchase, click here.
My boats hull is curved where I plan to mount the tower. Can I still install?
Yes. While we prefer to mount onto the flattest section possible, sometimes we still see slight curvature. Our mounting hardware provides you with (2) sets of gaskets, a flat gasket and a curved gasket. These gaskets help absorb the curvature of the hull.
What’s the advantage of your aluminum kit vs. your plywood kit?
The advantage of aluminum vs. plywood is that the aluminum can be shaped to conform to your hull. This means you will have a better fit to your hull.
Why do you offer different adhesives for your reinforcement kits?
When using flat aluminum sheets, the 3M Marine Sealant 5200 will work more as a sealant instead of providing a very strong bond. The 3M Marine Sealant 4000 UV is the best product to bond to metals without the use of a metal primer. It will also bond very well to fiberglass and can be used below the waterline.
What is the difference in the 3M adhesive choices?
3M 5200 is a single part sealant that cures to form a firm, rubbery waterproof seal. When fully cured, this high strength marine adhesive remains flexible and suitable for use where shock, vibration, shrinking or swelling are concerns.
Use 5200 on wood, fiberglass, hardware, motors, on fiberglass transoms, seams, joints, between struts, and planking stern joints. This permanent adhesive bonds and seals: fiberglass deck to hull, wood to fiberglass, portholes and deck fittings, motors on fiberglass transoms, under moldings, hull seams above and below water line, centerboard trunk joints, between struts and planking, stern joints and more.
3M 4000 UV is a fast cure medium strength sealant used to bond and seal metal, gelcoat, fiberglass, wood, and plastic. A one-part polyether adhesive sealant with excellent UV resistance, 4000 cures to a firm, rubbery, watertight seal. This sealant is ideal for bonding deck hardware, hatches, portholes, railings, and navigation lights.
Suitable for use both above and below the waterline, 4000 Fast Cure is sometimes more appropriate than 3M 5200 polyurethane for parts that may never need removal or replacement.
Billing and Shipping FAQ’s
How long will my order take to ship?
Most products will usually ship the same/next business day depending on when the order is placed.
Bimini Tops are considered a semi-custom item and are made to order. Normal lead time on a bimini top is 3-10 business days, plus shipping time.
Most products ship via UPS Ground (to the continuous 48 states) which usually takes three to five business days. Small parts items will generally ship USPS Priority Mail which is a 2-3 day service.
View US map of UPS Shipping times from Duncan, OK 73533:
Can I get it shipped faster?
There is no way to rush production, but you can choose to upgrade your shipping to 3-Day Select, 2-Day Air, or Overnight. These shipping upgrades are currently available through our online checkout. Please contact the Sales Office at 580-252-5314 if you need additional assistance.
Do you ship Internationally?
Yes! We offer International shipping through our online checkout in which you can also choose your shipping speed. Shipments are made via UPS International shipping.
If your country is not available, please feel free to reach out to sales@bigairwaketowers.com for additional support.
Are there any customs fees?
Yes. Most governments will charge a tax or fee on the item when it crosses the border.
If your billing information is outside of the US but you are shipping to the US, customs fees will not be applied to your purchase on our end but can be charged when crossing the border.
When will my card be charged?
We will charge your credit card at the time your order is placed. A receipt will be sent to the email address provided at time of order.
Will I receive a tracking number?
Provided that you give an email address when you place your order, we will forward a UPS or USPS tracking number to you by the end of business the day your item(s) ship. Please check your Spam or Junk folder too, as order emails can get filtered out.
Do you offer free shipping?
Yes! Orders over $200 will receive a free shipping option during checkout. This offer is valid only for the lower 48 US states.
