Swapped out Thrust Vector XV for Cobrajet fins...opinions

[swatski]

What makes you say that? I'm just curious lol. I like that they are less deep in the water and have built in fangs. Plus for the price, shit I paid $220 for the TV's. Only what $160 for the vipers.

I love the design. It is very elegant, IMO, in its simplicity.
Combines Fins, Fangs, and Tabs functionalities IN ONE PIECE of equipment.

I initially (incorrectly, I think) thought that the tab functionality could interfere with wake surfing, as regular trim tabs definitely do. However, I do not believe that is the case, after I thought about it a bit more. In fact, if anything the Vipers may improve the wake by curving a deeper groove under the steering nozzles, and the positioning (centered exactly under the nozzles) makes them not interfere with the wake building - unlike regular tabs that are positioned closer to the outside chines.

I always come back to this pic, courtesy @Williamsone46, whenever I ponder Yamaha JB steering issues, I find it to be super informative as far as what is going on down there at speed, lol.



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[Arcadyus]

@swatski so it does effect surfing dude. But for the better it helps tracking a ton and because of that the stock cruise control works great. It's also easier to get everyone out of the water. I surfed ropeless for about a min today on one run and I feel the vipers had a part in that. The coolest part for me was turns. Before when going into a turn at say 40 the boat would slow down you throttle back up and are lucky to be at 30 when coming out of the turn. Today boat slowed down but when I gave her throttle something strange happened. She gripped hard as fuck and sped up as she went through the Apex of the turn. That shit was amazing. The steering is about 5x times harder to move when at speed which I love. I also did something cool at the dock. I reversed all the way around the dock and tied up on the other side like a boss. This dude is a new to him 08 212x with cobra steering looked at me like I was from another planet lol. Thanks Jeff for making a great product at a great price. Also thanks for not being a PC internet yuppy.

 

[swatski]

She gripped hard as fuck and sped up as she went through the Apex of the turn. That shit was amazing. The steering is about 5x times harder to move when at speed which I love.

Awesome. (I wanna say: "I told you!!!" but I never had Vipers, lol)
But same thing happens in the turns with Ultimates or even AKs.
Kind of hard to describe...

Funny thing (kind of) - I actually have an X-ray from when I broke my back when first testing the AKs with megas... I got a little careless.
I would recommend wearing lanyard clip for WOT runs with those fins, no joke.
(saved my a$$ that day for sure)

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[Arcadyus]

You broke your fucking back? Jesus. Yeah I need wear the lanyard when going WOT. I have also had a back surgery. Back problems suck.

 

[swatski]

You broke your fucking back? Jesus. Yeah I need wear the lanyard when going WOT. I have also had a back surgery. Back problems suck.

I did, I did. LOL
Thank God I don't have any back problems, it was just a clean break at T4, no compression fracture (oblique fracture, no surgery required). But I was lucky I had the lanyard clipped in, I was alone and couldn;t move for a few minutes...

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[Arcadyus]

Did you fly out of the boat?

 

[swatski]

Did you fly out of the boat?

No, thank god. I flew out of my chair across the deck (doing a hard turn to strbd) and hit the bench on the port side, I think. It was like a split second thing. I pulled the lanyard that was still attached to me to stop the boat.
(it was VERY unexpected - something like - when you wakeboard and suddenly catch the front edge and face plant..., lol.) It was weird. And very unpleasant.

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[Arcadyus]

Oh shit. Never wakeboarded but snowboard and that yup hate catching a toeside edge.

 

[mdchachi]

No, thank god. I flew out of my chair across the deck (doing a hard turn to strbd) and hit the bench on the port side, I think. It was like a split second thing. I pulled the lanyard that was still attached to me to stop the boat.
(it was VERY unexpected - something like - when you wakeboard and suddenly catch the front edge and face plant..., lol.) It was weird. And very unpleasant.

Holy crap. Glad that it wasn't worse. Do you wear the lanyard as a matter of course? Or just because you were solo? It really hasn't occurred to me to attach it to me yet. But so far I haven't gone solo or felt like I was getting whipped around.

 

[swatski]

Holy crap. Glad that it wasn't worse. Do you wear the lanyard as a matter of course? Or just because you were solo? It really hasn't occurred to me to attach it to me yet. But so far I haven't gone solo or felt like I was getting whipped around.

Generally not. But I was alone in a part of the river that is notorious for hazards. That's when I clip the lanyard in. I have learned it the hard way in the past driving (mostly) outboards, have hit a thing or two with the lower unit.
I have never been thrown off a boat come to thing of it, but have been hit in the face by a windshield few times. Had one of my dogs fly out once (yes, he was wearing his life vest).
When I boat with family and putz around/cruise or do watersports, I do NOT clip the lanyard in. Everyone on the boat knows to hit the RED BUTTON (@Mainah push button start/stop mod I have installed) in any emergency.

I have looked into the electronic lanyard that @Foobar posted on, seems like a no brainer.

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[mdchachi]

Generally not. But I was alone in a part of the river that is notorious for hazards. That's when I clip the lanyard in. I have learned it the hard way in the past driving (mostly) outboards, have hit a thing or two with the lower unit.
I have never been thrown off a boat come to thing of it, but have been hit in the face by a windshield few times. Had one of my dogs fly out once (yes, he was wearing his life vest).
When I boat with family and putz around/cruise or do watersports, I do NOT clip the lanyard in. Everyone on the boat knows to hit the RED BUTTON (@Mainah push button start/stop mod I have installed) in any emergency.

I have looked into the electronic lanyard that @Foobar posted on, seems like a no brainer.

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OMG I just saw the other back injury thread of yours. https://jetboaters.net/threads/warning-2015-18-yamaha-“ar”-boat-owners-with-forward-swept-wakeboard-towers.14828/
Thanks for that because I hadn't given it much thought and hadn't been cranking down the tower bolts like my life depended on it up until this point. Now it will be closer to top of mind.

 

[Jameson Clark]

Awesome. (I wanna say: "I told you!!!" but I never had Vipers, lol)
But same thing happens in the turns with Ultimates or even AKs.
Kind of hard to describe...

Funny thing (kind of) - I actually have an X-ray from when I broke my back when first testing the AKs with megas... I got a little careless.
I would recommend wearing lanyard clip for WOT runs with those fins, no joke.
(saved my a$$ that day for sure)

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I am so happy to hear that I'll have more turning power now! I just ordered the Magnum AK with fangs today. Coming from a sterndrive, I was disappointed in the turning radius of the boat when on plane. I actually got nervous one time... I was in a narrow cove and had a skier fall and went to turn around in an area that I would have had PLENTY of room in my last boat and was VERY close to running out of room with the 212x. Hopefully the Magnum system will help with that!! (Fingers crossed)

 

[MidnightRider]

I am so happy to hear that I'll have more turning power now! I just ordered the Magnum AK with fangs today. Coming from a sterndrive, I was disappointed in the turning radius of the boat when on plane. I actually got nervous one time... I was in a narrow cove and had a skier fall and went to turn around in an area that I would have had PLENTY of room in my last boat and was VERY close to running out of room with the 212x. Hopefully the Magnum system will help with that!! (Fingers crossed)

I come from years of I/O and O/B boats and with the AK fins it now turns as responsive and sharp as any those boats I've owned.

 

[swatski]

OMG I just saw the other back injury thread of yours. https://jetboaters.net/threads/warning-2015-18-yamaha-“ar”-boat-owners-with-forward-swept-wakeboard-towers.14828/
Thanks for that because I hadn't given it much thought and hadn't been cranking down the tower bolts like my life depended on it up until this point. Now it will be closer to top of mind.

Yeah, that was different.
Different injury, on the way to Bimini I just got bruised up and my sacroiliac joint was a bit effed up, apparently.

I think the awareness with these towers is important, but... We still had people arriving to Bimini with lose AR tower wheel bolts this year (after crossing in lake-like conditions...) So, awareness only goes that far, I guess.

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