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#1 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 7:03 AM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Wake is scary big

Has anyone ever skied behind an older competition ski boat? I have an 80' Ski Nautique and the wake just doesn't want to flatten out. I am skiing at 75' line @ 32mph and that wake is still big. My question is, is there a way to get it to flatten out besides more speed?

http://www.proskicoach.com/forum/uploads/6306_524-2.gif

Last edited by vrod69 (Sat, Feb 13, 2010 7:03 AM)


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#2 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 7:12 AM

ColinBuchanan
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: SkiTek
Foot Forward: Left

Re: Wake is scary big

get your hips up

 

#3 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 7:31 AM

Essvar
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: Dawn
Foot Forward: RFF

Re: Wake is scary big

As a fellow old boat long line skier, try 15off and 34mph you will feel your ski more solid under foot and less slack in the rope. Oh and a smaller wake smile But that is a bi-product of the other two elements.

 

#4 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 7:52 AM

trichter12
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Regular
Skis At:
Foot Forward: Left

Re: Wake is scary big

As Essar stated, 15 off is really the longest you should go.  full length wont do much for you. the shorter and faster you go, regardless of boat, the better it will be.  keep in mind that all the equipment and boats are made for a certain speed, and most of the time its 36mph.


Travis

 

#5 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 4:07 PM

h20dawg79
Karma:   10 
Water Ski Sage
Skis At: Old Hickory Lake, TN.
Foot Forward: left

Re: Wake is scary big

Yes, 15 off max. length.

#2. You must also keep your ski on the "cutting edge" all the way through both wakes. Just make your turn, get into your pull position and "Slice through" as opposed to flattening out your ski and "bouncing over"...

#3. Do not Look at the wake or focus on the "impact"... You must get set into your pull and focus beyond the wakes and just allow your knees to flex slightly, while you hold your solid athletic form as your ski "Slices through" like a knife...

"Just Do it"smile


"Warning" -the Surgeon General has determined; That the preceding statements accurately reflect the views and opinions consistent with "DSS" (Delusional Slalomitis Syndrome) a highly contagious life altering condition... (Handle with Extreme care & Patience)

 

#6 Sat, Feb 13, 2010 11:19 PM

Thomas Wayne
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor

Re: Wake is scary big

Skied behind that exact boat plenty in the mid-80's.  Trust me, the wake will flatten out like butter after you shorten past -28'... if your knees survive.

TW

 

#7 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 12:39 AM

2gofaster
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor

Re: Wake is scary big

Try 50lbs in the nose. It works for the later boats.


Shane Hill

 

#8 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 1:09 AM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

Thanks for all the input. I will try this, My goal was to go 15 off at 32 this season maybe I will just start off with that and see where it takes me.


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#9 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 1:45 AM

h20dawg79
Karma:   10 
Water Ski Sage
Skis At: Old Hickory Lake, TN.
Foot Forward: left

Re: Wake is scary big

"U kin Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiT"! wink


"Warning" -the Surgeon General has determined; That the preceding statements accurately reflect the views and opinions consistent with "DSS" (Delusional Slalomitis Syndrome) a highly contagious life altering condition... (Handle with Extreme care & Patience)

 

#10 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 5:22 AM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

Like I said I will try. But every time I get behind this thing the wake is big and It doesn't look like it flattens out until you get into the rudder spray tail area or until you get way back but I don't like skiing on a long line everything just feels wrong.


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#11 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 12:42 PM

MattP
Karma:   
Slasher
Skis At: Searching
Foot Forward: Left

Re: Wake is scary big

i agree with 2gofaster put some weight in the nose, this did wonders for our old 84 MC, You can do any thing you put your mind to! Keep up the hard work BJ.


Looking for a place to ski near Kennesaw, Ga.
-MattP

 

#12 Sun, Feb 14, 2010 1:10 PM

Slicer_Al
Karma:   
Regular
Foot Forward: right

Re: Wake is scary big

I have an '84 Nautique, once you get to 34mph, there will be a big difference.  Go 15 off. Work on your technique.  Two things I did was take out the back seat, less weight in the stern area the better.  (Half a tank of gas is a lot better then a full tank.  Last thing, call Acme propeller and tell them you want a smaller wake, they will tell you the prop to buy. Which will help make the sofeter.

Just ideas that should help alitte.

 

#13 Mon, Feb 15, 2010 12:41 AM

miski
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Jepawhit, Lyons, SkiTec
Foot Forward: Left

Re: Wake is scary big

For me, keeping edged through wakes was definitely not the cure-all - I was doing this, but still just flying off wake.  I was thinking "cut through it" and ended up overloading, ended up with shoulders pulled ahead of my hips, and it was ugly - I fought this for all 2008.                 

In the end, it was loading less and letting my hips and ski to swing back under and advance forward ahead of my shoulders - now I rarely feel the wake! Anytime I do get bounced at all now, my ski and hips aren't leading my mass-center enough and the wake is a bigger disruption.

 

#14 Mon, Feb 15, 2010 3:56 AM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

IT ALL MAKES SENSE BUT BEING A NEWBEE TO SKING ITS STILL HARD TO CROSS RIGHT. I MEAN THE WAKE AT 32 MPH AND 75 ITS TALL AND STEEP AND THE FARTHER FORWARD YOU LOOK AT IT ITS JUST NARROW AND STEEPER. I SWEAR IT'S ABOUT 1.5' TALL. MY NAUTIQUE ISINT LOADED DOWN WITH ANYTHING. 2 PEOPLE ON THE BOAT 1 SKIER, DOESN'T HAVE A BACK SEAT. THE ONLY THING DIFFERENT ABOUT IT, IT HAS A MONSTER WAKE TOWER. SO TO ME ITS SOMETHING WITH THE BOAT, NOT JUST ME, CAUSE I KNOW I HAVE PROBLEMS.


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#15 Mon, Feb 15, 2010 3:23 PM

Pl0tz
Karma:   12 
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Lake Anna's "hot side"
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

yeah dude.. when i was a beginner... i think i was on 75' foot line for maybe two weeks (at the most) of slalom skiing as a beginner... my coach/bud took of that extra line saying it would improve my skiing and it did. for both me and the wake 75' is a TERRIBLE spot to slalom. and if you are comfortable skiing and wanna fix your form loose that 15 feet! and just like everyone here has said the wake will get smaller and not as wide. its just easier.

i know for my fam's boat, 1999 Supra Launch, the "failed" wakeboard boat, doesn't have the BEST wake for skiing.. its big and not exactly soft. but i just played around with the boats wake plate and my rope length to find the best spot to cross the wake. I've been known for kindly ask guests to slide a bit left or right to get the wake just right. big_smile so i say, next time your out on the water, make that day a experimental day and change your rope length, speed, if you have a wake plate (which I'm guessing you don't)  etc continuously mess with them until u think it feels best. You'd be surprised how much of a difference the smallest things can make when it comes to your wake and skiing. 

guud luk!!!!

h20dawg79 wrote:

"U kin Do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiT"! wink

-plotz


i swear this site is turning into my home...

 

#16 Mon, Feb 15, 2010 4:57 PM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

OK I will Try all
Thanks Guys


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#17 Wed, Feb 24, 2010 10:08 PM

skibrain
Karma:   
Regular

Re: Wake is scary big

Even in an '04 LXi that we most frequently ski behind, the back seat comes out and 1/4 tank or less of fuel is preferred. Less weight, less wake.

My experience with the older Nautiques was not so much the size of the center table, but the rampiness - the dip on either side that made life exciting. And my all time best OTF fall was behind a Nautique - edge change too early and airborne after the wake, burying the tip, coming clean out of both bindings, executing a front flip with both my feet slapping the water so hard they were bright red.  Spontaneous "perfect 10" scoring from the driver and spotter.

It is really hard to laugh when you have your wind knocked out.

 

#18 Wed, Feb 24, 2010 10:38 PM

HO410
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Outlaw Lake
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

Got to go hit the snow up at Taos and Angel Fire a week ago. I have been through many more mogul fields than jumps and this trip was the first time that I was able to attack moguls with confidence instead of limping around them. What I found was that, when hitting a jump, I often absorb most of the upward motion with my knees. This is good in the moguls, and the occasional ski-cross race, but bad when you're trying to pop off a jump. Alternately, you get jostled around if you take your jump knees into the moguls.

h20dawg79 is on it.

Get acquainted with the red loop, there are not many reasons to mess with all that rope.
Soft knees will allow the ski to bump without taking your body along for the ride: to me this feels a lot like absorbing a jump instead of popping. Harder to get your head around is keeping the ski on edge through the wakes. Whether you are skiing behind a 24' barge or a Nautique 200, wakes can get in your head. Be confident and move through them instead of being timid and riding over. Your skiing will take a huge leap forward when you start to ski through the wakes.

 

#19 Thu, Jun 3, 2010 2:59 PM

vrod69
Karma:   
Regular
Skis At: carter lake,co
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

Well I finally made it out last weekend. man was it great. but i would have to say i spent the morning playing with the rope length and @32mph i cant get the rope any shorter than 10 off, it puts me right on the rudder spray. this weekend i am going to try and up the speed to 34-35 and see if that gets any better. the wake looks better but i am still working on form and learning a new ski so hopefully it will get better in a few weeks.


Just about to get on the water, WAHOOO!!
Bj

 

#20 Thu, Jun 3, 2010 6:59 PM

Jhughes
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Lake County, IL
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

Your boat could be several hundred pounds heavier than you think- 30 year old boats have a habit of collecting water in the foam under the floor.

As for the wake crossing, take it one step at a time. Proper wake crossing technique is the most difficult concept in slalom for a beginner, and in most cases it's simply water time that helps you figure it out.

 

#21 Fri, Jun 4, 2010 5:29 PM

BudMan
Karma:   
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Bud Lake
Foot Forward: Left

Re: Wake is scary big

Many years ago, I skied with someone who had an old CC. The wake was awful. He then bought a small trim plate from Subra (I think) that mounted on the stern under the swim platform and it was like a miracle. He made a few adjustments and turned it into a near perfect slalom wake.

Last edited by BudMan (Fri, Jun 4, 2010 5:30 PM)


Life is great! Enjoy every minute!

 

#22 Fri, Jun 4, 2010 6:41 PM

Pl0tz
Karma:   12 
Slalom Mentor
Skis At: Lake Anna's "hot side"
Foot Forward: Right

Re: Wake is scary big

vrod69 wrote:

Well I finally made it out last weekend. man was it great. but i would have to say i spent the morning playing with the rope length and @32mph i cant get the rope any shorter than 10 off, it puts me right on the rudder spray. this weekend i am going to try and up the speed to 34-35 and see if that gets any better.

you're running into the rudder's spray when running 10 feet off?? is it just me or does that not sound right? you shouldn't be running into the boats spray that far behind the boat and if you went faster, i'm pretty sure the boats spray will increase. Just my two sense. wish i could make a suggestion on how to fix you're problem instead of pointing out whats wrong... sorry man.. i agree with what Jhugges was thinking.. if there's extra wait like that then it'd change not only the wake, but boat performance drastically! good luck man

and keep at it mate!! don't let the big bad wake get into you're head big_smilebig_smile

-plotz

Last edited by Pl0tz (Fri, Jun 4, 2010 6:43 PM)


i swear this site is turning into my home...

 

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