From one skier to another since 2007.
I've been kinda busy so here is the condensed diary update for this week so far. Made it out 3 days in a row! Monday was real nice. Ran several full passes all at 15/31 behind the searay. Felt early, wide, and in control. Nice carving turns. Tuesday was the opposite - ran one full pass but struggled to get wide, felt jerky- in a word 'bad'.
Went with KYskier again tonight behind the response. Keep in mind the difference between a 135hp i/o and a 340hp v8 inboard with perfect pass. If I pull hard behind the searay it really slows the boat down - the malibu doesn't miss a beat. Nailed the opener at 15/30 really smooth. Nice and wide/early and I felt in control and fairly smooth turns without forcing anything. The next pass I decided to give a thought to moving the speed up to 32 and eventually 34 which should be a 'real' tournament speed. 32 is a bit different than 30. The pulls were easier, the ski sits higher and the timing will take some getting used to. The next half a dozen pulls were all 15/32 and the most I ran was through 5 ball twice. I kept pulling too long thinking I had to rather than trust the speed I generated across course would propel me all the way to the buoy. My revised goal may be to increase the speed to 34 and try to compete in a 'real' tourney rather than only INT. To a non-skier 4 mph doesn't sound like much but behind the boat it is a big difference.
The last pass I thought I nailed but did a bit of a wheelie at 4 ball and was way late into 5 and there was no way of turning to make a run at 6. Once again I am learning that the inboard pull actually makes me work way less to gain speed as I am not slowing the boat down. I will say that switching back to the searay was a bit tough earlier in the week with not only the start but the wake crossing is way different ( I don't think the ski comes out of the water behind the malibu but behind the searay I get a little air ). I may try to get a set in tomorrow and friday early but we will see - my hands are pretty rough.
Hopefully I can get some video shot next week even if I suction cup the gopro to the windshield! It really seems to help analyze what I am feeling versus what my body position really looks like.
Any magic tips on increasing the boat speed and learning to adjust edge change/timing?
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No magic tips I'm afraid,
No magic tips I'm afraid, just good old practice and really good gates. Once you have your body position somewhat figured out, it's time to work on getting a really good gate and one ball. Think both WIDE and EARLY. You need both of these to get a good start in your pass.
Get a nice wide pull out, as wide as the turn buoys, this helps create the angle you need for the gates. Then make a gentle turn in that ramps up to full speed/intensity through the gates. Keep the ski on edge through the gates and do not let up the pull too early. Don't aim for the ball, aim for a spot at least 10 feet upcourse. The angle gets you wide and the strong pull gets you early.
There is really no such thing as being too wide and too early so try to exaggerate this. In my opinion, a good gate and one ball are the key to running the faster speeds.
Magic tips, open your hips
Magic tips, open your hips
As boat speed increases, the
As boat speed increases, the biggest difference is that the pull is just plain stronger and the boat "gives" less. The boat is running a higher RPM relative to the speed and on top of that the boat is getting closer to running the speed that it was actually designed to run. Since our inboard hulls and running gear are fixed (non-adjustable) I would imagine that they are designed to run 34-36mph specifically. Handling certainly is the best at those speeds, as is tracking and wake size/softness. The closer you get to 36, the stronger and more dialed in the boat is, both left to right and front to back. 32mph seems to be where the boat just starts to get it's bite so any overpulling or poorly timed pulls will start to bite you. That tolerance becomes less at 33, much less at 34, and probably even less at 36. The timing gate to gate is a very small difference but man, that boat pull is night and day different IMO.
I feel like 32 mph is where
I feel like 32 mph is where the SKI starts to come alive. The ski gets nice and crisp and more responsive. Way more fun. The differences between the SeaRay and Malibu are also night and day. The delay you get by pulling the SeaRay down helps you to be early. With the Malibu you have to be on the right path. And, as Joel says, even more so as your speed goes up to 34 and 36. This same difference is felt between boats with speed control and those without. I am the only one at my lake with speed control and guys that are "better" than me on their own boats can't even ski behind mine... like a whole pass! They're not exactly lined up for rides with us!
T...agree with getting as
T...agree with getting as wide as you can for zero ball. Lucky always had me lining up with 2,4,6. Jodi wanted me 2 boat widths wider than that!