How shallow can you foil?

[airjunky]

It actually wasn't scary at all, there was no time for that! One second I was riding along setting up for a trick, the next second I was gasping for air and wondering what happened....I never saw it coming.

Edited December 23, 2009 by airjunky

[martinarcher]

Yea, that was a particularly brutal crash. Afterwards my wife & I took a jetski over to see what it was. About a foot under the surface was a LARGE treetop.... not a tree trunk, but all the branches! It looked like Medusa's head & all the snakes right under the Jetski!

I guess back when they were logging Lake Shasta, World War II started & all the loggers had to go to work for the war effort. So the logging stopped & the Squaw arm never was fully logged before the dam was done & they filled the reservoir up.

We were all pretty lucky that day. The boat never hit anything. And other than throw Jake down, he didn't really hit, or get tangled up in any of the tree branches. He was a little sore & rattled but nothing that a 222 & a bottle of Jack didn't solve.

All I know is if I crashed and looked down and saw that I would have had the willies!

When I crash on a wakeboard I usually "stand" on the board vertically while I wait for the boat to circle around. I guess it's kind of a balancing game I play while waiting. I've always done it. I did this as usual when boarding on a lake we were not familiar with. Turns out I was in about 8 foot of water that was a complete weed bed. The tops of the weeds were about 8 inches under the water. I was squirming around like a little girl trying to get on my back so they wouldn't touch me. If I would have known they were going to be all over my legs it wouldn't have been a big deal, but since it surprised me, it really freaked me out.

[Baddog]

All I know is if I crashed and looked down and saw that I would have had the willies!

When I crash on a wakeboard I usually "stand" on the board vertically while I wait for the boat to circle around. I guess it's kind of a balancing game I play while waiting. I've always done it. I did this as usual when boarding on a lake we were not familiar with. Turns out I was in about 8 foot of water that was a complete weed bed. The tops of the weeds were about 8 inches under the water. I was squirming around like a little girl trying to get on my back so they wouldn't touch me. If I would have known they were going to be all over my legs it wouldn't have been a big deal, but since it surprised me, it really freaked me out.

Takes a big man to admit that. Just getting in touch with your feminine side.

[martinarcher]

Takes a big man to admit that. Just getting in touch with your feminine side.

Hey - it is what it is. I'll admit it. My wife won't get off the boat in that lake after seeing that weed bed from the boat! I certainly make sure I don't pull any stupid tricks over that section of the lake anymore.

[Ronnie]

I've been knocked down several times from hitting something (even a small stick!!), my all time worry is getting the foil hung up and having to get out of it underwater. Hopefully after getting a full breath of air before I go under...

[Bill_AirJunky]

My wife won't get off the boat in that lake after seeing that weed bed from the boat! I certainly make sure I don't pull any stupid tricks over that section of the lake anymore.

Oh man, don't ever pick up any of those underwater LEDs for your boat..... you'll never get her in the water again!

[WakeGirl]

....

I guess back when they were logging Lake Shasta, World War II started & all the loggers had to go to work for the war effort. So the logging stopped & the Squaw arm never was fully logged before the dam was done & they filled the reservoir up.

....

FYI (so that doesn't happen again on another part of the lake ), it's both the Squaw & Pit arms that they did that with. You can see all of the trees as you go up the Pit arm, they're really prevalent. Good water up there, but kinda freaky-deaky because of the trees. I don't like to go there myself, at least if it's my boat.

[martinarcher]

Oh man, don't ever pick up any of those underwater LEDs for your boat..... you'll never get her in the water again!

Haha - I just put a set of them on the boat last fall! I guess out "home" lake is fairly clean.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Haha - I just put a set of them on the boat last fall! I guess out "home" lake is fairly clean.

Hehe, enjoy. We can see a good 20+ ft in the light if the water is clear. Plus they attract some of the biggest ugliest fish.

And to keep it on topic, I HATE when I hit those big fish riding my SkySki/Ginsu!

[Baddog]

I've been knocked down several times from hitting something (even a small stick!!), my all time worry is getting the foil hung up and having to get out of it underwater. Hopefully after getting a full breath of air before I go under...

Have you practiced getting out of the chair if submerged and stuck? Like a kayker, putting yourself in that tough position and getting out under controlled conditions is way better than learning it for the first time when it has become an absolute imperity.

[MalibuNation]

Hijacking my own tread ... have always loved skiing or boarding through the lilly pads ... human Veg-A-Matic.

I occasionally pull a tube (I'll be man enough to admit it) and yep, the riders always get one pass through the lillies ... it enhances their screams.

Edited December 23, 2009 by MalibuNation

[Ronnie]

I've been knocked down several times from hitting something (even a small stick!!), my all time worry is getting the foil hung up and having to get out of it underwater. Hopefully after getting a full breath of air before I go under...

Have you practiced getting out of the chair if submerged and stuck? Like a kayker, putting yourself in that tough position and getting out under controlled conditions is way better than learning it for the first time when it has become an absolute imperity.

MANY times. I also make sure that is the first thing I teach someone when they are getting on the Skyski for the first time.

[WakeGirl]

MANY times. I also make sure that is the first thing I teach someone when they are getting on the Skyski for the first time.

How do you teach that? Just curious.

[Ronnie]

I just make sure that they fully understand how to release the CinchMax Foot stays and the belt. The factory heel straps are not so much of an issue but the foot stays have to be released in a certain order or they will not come off. To get out of it with that equipment there are six hook & loop straps to pull apart. They ALL have to be pulled to get out.

[Bill_AirJunky]

I just make sure that they fully understand how to release the CinchMax Foot stays and the belt. The factory heel straps are not so much of an issue but the foot stays have to be released in a certain order or they will not come off. To get out of it with that equipment there are six hook & loop straps to pull apart. They ALL have to be pulled to get out.

I agree the FootStays need to be manually released. But even with a tight belt, If I'm just wearing shorts & a vest, I can slide straight out the back pretty easily. It definitely needs to be released if we're in drysuits, but your not usually messing with rookies on those days either.

I try to keep the rookies in deep, safer waters anyway, ie; minimal boat traffic, no weeds to freak them out, etc.

While I've heard of people getting stuck on the bottom occasionally, in 16 yrs of riding, I've never experienced it. I have only had one person in such a condition that we felt it was time to act quickly & get the boat back to him NOW. Water depth wasn't a problem that day...... Jake was riding behind a 40' SeaRay & blew a hole in his drysuit on a MONSTER, over-rotated wake roll. Let it be known that if your drysuit fills up with water, it will bring you down below the surface of the water. In any case, wear a life vest..... better yet, wear a USCG approved life vest!

[martinarcher]

Hehe, enjoy. We can see a good 20+ ft in the light if the water is clear. Plus they attract some of the biggest ugliest fish.

And to keep it on topic, I HATE when I hit those big fish riding my SkySki/Ginsu!

Haha - you and the fish both go down! At least you could have fresh fish for lunch.

[Baddog]

Haha - you and the fish both go down! At least you could have fresh fish for lunch.

The Ginzued fish plus the weeds, that's Sushi, baby!