As others have posted a 18 inch diameter net and PFD are required. Also, a warning device such as a horn or whistle is required. A mirror works on sunny days and a white light at night is required. I have rod holders on my kayak so I take two rods. I'll hang a flashlight that is visible from all angles on one rod at night. Tubes do allow one to hold position well. With half your body in the water and fins on your feet, wind is less of a factor. I use a drift anchor (a cone shaped bag in the water) to combat wind. Kayaks can skim through inches of water and travel OVER kelp. This permits fishing in very shallow water or right in the thick of kelp beds. Transporting and storing a kayak is more problematic than tubes. Cost is higher though one can buy used. I have fished lakes in the Sierras but a tube would have been great on the more remote hike-in lakes. Some impoundments don't permit tubes. I fish Lake Casitas where kayaks are permitted while tubes are not. I fish kelp beds that sometimes require going out through surf. Since kayaks are faster, I can time the break, sprint and make it out. Surfing in is fun (when skills are developed). Both tubes and kayaks have their applications (as spinning and baitcasting reels do). Decide what sort of fishing you mostly do, factor in cost, transportation and storage considerations, then get the one that suits you. Both get you off the shore and allow you to access more water. That can only increase the odds of successful fishing.