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Rope length behind '14 VTX?


SG223

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I'm sure that this has been a well covered topic, but I couldn't find any threads when I was searching around this morning. I have a 2014 VTX and I'm curious what rope lengths others have found to be ideal? I'm an open water skier, no interest in the course, just looking for that "sweet spot" with the wake. I thought I had read that 15' off puts you behind the rooster, and 22' puts you in front, is that right? If these are right, does one seem to put you in a "softer" or flatter part of the wake?

Also, I'd welcome any guidance on adjustments that others make to the boat (e.g. ballast) to help with the wake. I've been skiing a pretty long rope (a bit behind the rooster), and especially with just my son driving the boat, I've noticed a pretty large "swell" on the outside of the wake (driver's side), curious if others have experienced that and what we might do to address it.

Thanks in advance for time and insight, apologies for bringing up what is likely an old topic.

Scott

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I ski 15 off on the rear pylon (I don't have a center pylon) at 32mph. Typically I have 4 people in the boat and have the bow ballast tank about half full. If I don't add the ballast, the wake looks bigger, but is still fairly soft.

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ahopkins22LSV

I found off the center pylon I was more in the rooster tail at 15 off than 22. 22 off seemed to put me a bit in front of the rooster tail. 22 and shorter does have a bit of a dip though. We found that having the bow ballast full flattened and softened the wake. There were two guys in the boat with about 1/4 tank of fuel. I only skied it at 36 mph, but here are a few videos.

Disclaimer: I am not a 32 off skier, just wanted to see what it was like that short and I hope to do a comparison with a few shots from the 2016 promo video.

15 off:

https://youtu.be/Sb3seZ3xsxo

22 off:

https://youtu.be/WyIpmIOaEXQ

32 off:

https://youtu.be/8ai95nS5fPQ

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For less skilled skiers like myself, I've found 15off at 32-34 mph off the back pylon to be the best for open water. Wake is a bit smoother off the back pylon thank the center pylon. Full ballast up front. Less gas the better, but that is hard to manage for us.

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I ski 15 off on the rear pylon (I don't have a center pylon) at 32mph. Typically I have 4 people in the boat and have the bow ballast tank about half full. If I don't add the ballast, the wake looks bigger, but is still fairly soft.

Agree with this. When I first demoed the VTX before buying one, I was intimidated by how big the wake looked, but then was surprised by how soft it was.

The amount of gas in the tank makes a big difference in the wake.

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I have to chuckle a bit because I can give my opinion now and then 3 of us will have commented based on our ski morning together with a bunch of trial and error. So take Ahopkins opinion as the expert, as you can see from the videos he posted. My personal opinion as a much worse skier than him, is that 15' off from the rear pylon is the best.

I never realized how much the weight location mattered either. This morning I skied with 3 others in the boat. On my second run I thought the wake was noticeably worse than the first run. I realized that both spotters were sitting on the rearmost bench. I dropped and made them move to the traditional spotter seat and it much better.

They claimed they couldn't tell a difference from the boat which leads me believe that I'm turning into a wake snob!

If you are only skiing with the driver, I'm not surprised that you have a bigger swell on that side. Maybe try filling the ballast on the leftabout halfway to see if you can level the boat. Of course that weight will be in the back, which is what I'm also trying to tell you to avoid.

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ahopkins22LSV

Expert is a bit of a stretch, but thanks for the compliment! :lol:

Best thing to do is make a pass at a certain line length, speed, pylon; then drop and try something else right away so you can have how both felt.

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I found off the center pylon I was more in the rooster tail at 15 off than 22. 22 off seemed to put me a bit in front of the rooster tail. 22 and shorter does have a bit of a dip though. We found that having the bow ballast full flattened and softened the wake. There were two guys in the boat with about 1/4 tank of fuel. I only skied it at 36 mph, but here are a few videos.

Disclaimer: I am not a 32 off skier, just wanted to see what it was like that short and I hope to do a comparison with a few shots from the 2016 promo video.

15 off:

https://youtu.be/Sb3seZ3xsxo

22 off:

https://youtu.be/WyIpmIOaEXQ

32 off:

https://youtu.be/8ai95nS5fPQ

Andrew, great videos. What ski are you using ?

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Just a thought....if you are happy with open water skiing and have no interest in the course you could always take 2 traditional slalom lines and modify them to make 1 line that has additional take-offs...say 18off or 25off or whatever hits the perfect spot to your liking. it would also give you some more flexibility if you have additional crew or fuel that day.

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OK, not a VTX but a 21' LSV. Rope on the rear pylon. We just tried these this weekend, my son in the course.

At 15 off crossing was good.

At 22 off crossing was better.

At 28 off crossing very rough.

I try to get 2 people in the bow, driver and observer. No ballast. I try to be under 1/2 tank (20 gallons).

People placement is a huge factor. I try to watch the wake in the mirror and even have them move left to right to balance the weight across the centerline. If you are paying attention, moving a few inches can make a visual difference in the wake balance.

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short hi-jack > it would be interesting to see that same test with a slightly shorter ski. Seems like a lot of "air" at all three lengths, i wonder if a shorter ski would ride a little lower and stay in the water?

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Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this, I played around at different lengths and different speeds, and things sure change a lot depending on the variables. At 15' off the rear pylon and 34 mph, seemed like I was hitting a bit of a high spot from the rooster tail, but at the same time, the "swell" on the outside of the wake seemed less (of all the combo's I tried today, that seemed best). I think I may try getting back just a few feet and see if that helps. Bumping up to 34 mph sure seemed to help with the skiing part, just need to find the right spot behind the boat.

Loved the videos, but I'm not ready for 36 mph, and to be honest, I'm not sure I'm that comfortable with my ski jumping around like that!

Thanks again to everyone for taking the time to respond.

Scott

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ahopkins22LSV

Andrew, great videos. What ski are you using ?

Looks like a 2015 HO Syndicate V-Type?

It is a 2015 66" D3 Quest 45. Best ski I have ever riden.

short hi-jack > it would be interesting to see that same test with a slightly shorter ski. Seems like a lot of "air" at all three lengths, i wonder if a shorter ski would ride a little lower and stay in the water?

Are you asking me? Jeep is right I wasn't on edge all the way through. But at the longer line lengths and 36mph if I actually cut all the way through the wakes I end up pulling way too long. Especially in open water. I was trying to simulate course skiing.

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  • 4 months later...

Just a thought....if you are happy with open water skiing and have no interest in the course you could always take 2 traditional slalom lines and modify them to make 1 line that has additional take-offs...say 18off or 25off or whatever hits the perfect spot to your liking. it would also give you some more flexibility if you have additional crew or fuel that day. '

Or you could buy a Masterline progressive rope, they have additional loops all the way up to 38 off, I just pulled them off so I only have the 18',25' and 30' extra loops. there is also a company called in-tow that makes custom ropes..bought 1 from them with just the added 18,25 off loops.

http://www.jlbmfg.com/

http://www.masterlineusa.com/collections/ropes/products/10-75m-progressor-mainline

Edited by Skier007
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