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Getting Air with a Tower


Headhunter 2317

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The tower will help you get up easier.

Then again if you have good technic than getting up should not make a difference. If you learn to get up standing up on the board with it under the water getting up is alot easier.

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Does the tower help a newbie wakeboarder like me get up on the board. Last year when trying to learn I didn't have a tower and the rope was attached to the transom where you would attach the tube or whatever and it felt like it was pulling me low across the water and it was hard to get up, I hope the tower helps pulling you up out of the water not across.

Yes, using a tower (or pylon) makes it easier to get up than just being pulled behind a boat without one.

Once you figure out the technique for getting up on a wakeboard you will find it is very easy to do behind ...anything!

Enjoy, summer is almost here!

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slightly off thread but I noticed a huge difference driving more so than riding,

especially if you have a big guy back there because of 4 mounting points versus one the boat experiences less side to side pull.  I didn't notice much more air time but I suck anyway.

Physics 101. It makes no difference. What you notice is more than likely attributed to height difference in pole vs. tower.

Thats not been my experience. A pole has much more of a significant tip because the pole extends below the axis of the pivot, thus causing more leverage. The tower mounts are all ABOVE the axis and therefore will tip less because the leverage is all above the axis and not above and below. think about it this way, if the tower mounts mounted below the water, the boat would tip a ton because of the leverage on the axis of the tipping boat. Also, think about a spark plug remover: you get tons more leverage the further you stick a screwdriver through it (stopping when its even), whereas if you barely put it through, your leverage would be less. In my experience, we had a '99 Rlx that I could almost dip the gunnel under. We put a tower on it and you could barely move it a foot.

I've been away for a while and not had a chance to post...

Again, your example of teh spark plug remover clearly shows the extra length provides the extra leverage.

Your theory with the pivot points is (I'm trying to say this nicely) not correct.

Understand this, if the rope attachment point is physicall in the exact same spot - reference the boat (X, Y, Z) and it is rigidly attached then the forces applied to the boat will be the same. With that said you could use a pylon, a tower, a welded cable that extended 20' into the air, then looped around 15' to each side, then rand back down and attached to the bow - you would experience no difference in how the rider could affect the boat. Remember, two key points to my example: first, the rope attachment point is in the same place (x, y, z) and the medthod for attachment is rigid.

Then you need to get out in a friend's DD with a tower. Pull someone from the tower. Fold the tower down then put up a fly high. You will see that there is a TREMENDOUS difference, even when the pull-point is in the exact same place.

Remember that the pylon goes all the way to the hull floor. thus, a 6 foot fly high acts like a 9 foot +/- lever. A tower simply cannot generate the same leverage even if the tow point is in the exact same place.

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welcome to the dark side.

Edwin...Is that really you? That new tower is really getting to ya. Biggrin.gif

The tower will make an awesome addition. You will really enjoy it. Heck, I am a mediocre wakebord wanabe and I notice a differnce. Crazy.gif

PS Edwin,love your avatar. My daughter is really into the count. Made me chuckle.

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I can't wait. My 4 weeks of waiting are almost up. I am hoping to hear from Wakeside soon.

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I think all you boarding studs missed the intent of the original post...I believe he's using the standard ski pylon on the SLXi, not an extended pylon.  You're gonna get huge air dude...welcome to the dark side.

Wow, you're right. In that case, disregard all this physics crap and just enjoy the best pull possible

Way more air! Hopefully less fatigue.

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Yes, on the days I ride behind my parents SeaRay (out of convience) I'm amazed at how I can't jump anything... I just work on surface tricks, handle passes etc. Still better than no pull, but clearly the tower adds some value

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If the original poster was using the stock short ski pylon, the points about "getting your back seat", "board storage", and "more air-time w/o being pulled down apply".

If the original poster was talking "extended pylon" then "board storage", and "driving pull" are essentially correct. I don't think you'll get more air from a tower vs an extended pylon, or more air time either that's real noticeable. The driver will need to compensate for speed a bit more with an extened pylon IMO just because the boat is pulled around a little more than with a tower. However, a good rider will pull (slow) the boat a bit with a tower too, so PP or a good driver can make a difference.

As far as X,Y, and Z, it does not apply because the pole is not nearly as rigid as a tower. It has only two attachement points, (1) on the ski pylon, (2) the cable. The side to side motion of a pole is much greater than on a tower in my experience.

Edited by jklein
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