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Does the boat/ski make a big difference in you skiing ability???


Planefreak

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I've been riding a 20 year old kidder redline for a while now. It used to be difficult for me to get up on but it has gotten a lot easier after riding it for 4 or 5 years. Behind my boat it usually takes me one or two tries to get up. Behind my friends boat a 40 year old jet boat with considerably less power I almost always get up on the first time with the exception of last friday. It took me two tries. The interesting thing is that his boat never works right. If you floor it it sputters and dies and backfires a lot and I like getting up behind it better but skiing behind it less. After I'm up and making good hard cuts the boat starts moving and speeding up and slowing down. I feel like I ski a lot better behind my boat. What about you? What do you ride and tow with and how does it affect you?

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ski.. definitely! the redline was a classic ski. it has nothing on modern skis, but thats another thread..

Your comment about your friends boat backfiring etc when getting out of the hole demonstrates the problem. The driver of your boat is probably giving it too much curry to try and get you up. While your friends boat which 'lacks power' is applying power more smoothly to the skier. There is a saying '60% driver ability, 40% skier ability' when getting single skiers up. Smoothly applying throttle and doing it progressively makes a big difference and jamming the stick down is NOT the right way to drive, regardless of the skiers ability. Why be harder on the skier than you need to be? Time and time again ive seen at ski schools, people going to get better at their deep water starts and barely have any troubles while they are there. Simply because the people driving the boat have good experience and 'know', how to drive a ski boat.

Jet boats are somewhat terrible to ski behind because they have no strength and resistance giving you less feel with the boat and is not as consistent when you pull and release compared to your inboard.

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ski.. definitely! the redline was a classic ski. it has nothing on modern skis, but thats another thread..

Your comment about your friends boat backfiring etc when getting out of the hole demonstrates the problem. The driver of your boat is probably giving it too much curry to try and get you up. While your friends boat which 'lacks power' is applying power more smoothly to the skier. There is a saying '60% driver ability, 40% skier ability' when getting single skiers up. Smoothly applying throttle and doing it progressively makes a big difference and jamming the stick down is NOT the right way to drive, regardless of the skiers ability. Why be harder on the skier than you need to be? Time and time again ive seen at ski schools, people going to get better at their deep water starts and barely have any troubles while they are there. Simply because the people driving the boat have good experience and 'know', how to drive a ski boat.

Jet boats are somewhat terrible to ski behind because they have no strength and resistance giving you less feel with the boat and is not as consistent when you pull and release compared to your inboard.

Plus1.gif

The driver makes a huge difference, My Wife is one of the best I know she has learned to apply the power smoothly and progressively. It makes a bigger difference while teaching kids.

REW

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I always train new drivers to "roll" the throttle forward rather than jab it. Works most of the time. However, when i fail to get up on the first try it's usually the gloves, the angle of the sun, that fish that jumped over there, specific gravity of the water, etc.

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Skiing behind different boats does impact somewhat the way I ski. It doesn't impact my ability to get up. I would say if you get up consistently behind the jet boat people are giving you too much gas behind your boat. As stated above you need a more progressive pull up out of the water. I would always rather be pulled up too slowly rather than too hard.

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I always train new drivers to "roll" the throttle forward rather than jab it. Works most of the time. However, when i fail to get up on the first try it's usually the gloves, the angle of the sun, that fish that jumped over there, specific gravity of the water, etc.

Skier excuse #486 "You were watching" Thumbup.gif

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The boat makes all the difference in the world. With that said the driver can make even more.

Better boats have cost me big $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ :)Whistling.gif

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I always train new drivers to "roll" the throttle forward rather than jab it. Works most of the time. However, when i fail to get up on the first try it's usually the gloves, the angle of the sun, that fish that jumped over there, specific gravity of the water, etc.

Skier excuse #486 "You were watching" Thumbup.gif

Then there is the old standby: too much pizza last night.

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ski.. definitely! the redline was a classic ski. it has nothing on modern skis, but thats another thread..

Your comment about your friends boat backfiring etc when getting out of the hole demonstrates the problem. The driver of your boat is probably giving it too much curry to try and get you up. While your friends boat which 'lacks power' is applying power more smoothly to the skier. There is a saying '60% driver ability, 40% skier ability' when getting single skiers up. Smoothly applying throttle and doing it progressively makes a big difference and jamming the stick down is NOT the right way to drive, regardless of the skiers ability. Why be harder on the skier than you need to be? Time and time again ive seen at ski schools, people going to get better at their deep water starts and barely have any troubles while they are there. Simply because the people driving the boat have good experience and 'know', how to drive a ski boat.

Jet boats are somewhat terrible to ski behind because they have no strength and resistance giving you less feel with the boat and is not as consistent when you pull and release compared to your inboard.

Did I mention that it has a footprint gas pedal? And even flooring the boat it still takes 5 seconds to get out of the water. I do think its the smoother power because of the lack of it that gets me out easier. It just seems like behind my boat that if I'm just a little off that its magnified by the quick throttle and causes failure. I'll think I'll try having the driver go a little slower next time and see if that helps.

When I pull by friend behind his boat I'm constantly turning to try and keep it straight. I noticed it when i'm skiing behind it too. As soon as I change directions there is a short pause where the boat turns and rope has some slack.

Either that or the wake came at the wrong time or someone got soap on the handle or the boat cut out or I should've eaten that last dog

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