Wakeboarding

[2kwik4u]

In my old I/O boat with the 3.0L 4cyl and stainless prop it was full on "hammer down" to get a skier/boarder out of the water. With the new Yamaha (AR190) it shoots out of the water MUCH faster and requires a more "svelt" touch to the throttle to keep the rope in the boarders hands. I have told the wife "A smooth, fast and progressive move from just above idle to full throttle. Then once on plane, pull back slowly to 6,250 rpm".......she is capable of feathering the throttle to maintain speed. It's SIGNIFICANTLY more work than our old I/O was to maintain that speed .

I will say it is more of a chore than I expected to keep the little AR190 on plane at 18-20mph for the wakeskate. A good pull out to the side and I will slow the boat just enough that it wants to drop off plane. Especially if it was close already. That is my biggest complaint with the 190 as a tow boat. Otherwise the wake isn't overly large, and has a decent edge to it that is fun to "play" on. Riding a wakeskate make the size/shape of the wake far less important than a wakeboard or surfboard. Most of my "fun" is done out in the flats. No ballast, no bindings, no setup, no board rack needed. Toss a rope out, grab a vest, and have some fun.

In conclusion we'll be getting RideSteady or PerfectPass this winter for certain. Not so much because we HAVE to have it to work, but it will decrease her stress levels while driving and that will lead to more board time for me.

 

[haknslash]

When I need to be very smooth with the throttle I will rest my hand on the binnacle housing and use the shaft of the throttle lever rather than grabbing at the top of the T on the throttle handle. This helps take out a lot of the over-correcting that can happen with these boats/engines.

I would love Ridesteady but $$$$

 

[J-RAD]

When I need to be very smooth with the throttle I will rest my hand on the binnacle housing and use the shaft of the throttle lever rather than grabbing at the top of the T on the throttle handle. This helps take out a lot of the over-correcting that can happen with these boats/engines.

I would love Ridesteady but $$$$

Christmas is coming... cheaper than perfect pass and I don't know if they still have the promotion going on, but they were offering $100 off for before and after pics of the install.

 

[haknslash]

Christmas is coming...

Awww thanks for the gift Santa!!!

Seriously though I'd like to have it for sure as my wife simply cannot get the hang of it. It's on the wish list.

 

[Ronnie]

I'm going to continue to live with the throttle sync and cruise assist for my wife and guest drivers. Once the boat is on plane and they hit the target speed they just need to press the cruise assist button once to engage it and keep the boat on a straight course. They can also use cruise assist going into and out of turns (+/- 8 (@200 rpm each) which allows for a lot of fine tuning of the speed without the sudden spike or drop in power associated with sensitive throttles/those not familiar with the throttle's throw. We use the usual hand signals to communicate needed speed adjustments (everyone that boats with us knows them and I emphasize the distinction between the thumbs up and ok signals).

 

[WetWillie]

Just got my new board in and will be trying to coach the wife proper throttle and cruise assist usage this Sunday!

 

[KXCam22]

If your wife pulls YOU I would highly suggest buying some type of speed control ASAP. It will save you tons of divorce money later. Consider it an investment in harmony. Seriously, twin jets are hard to speed control, while any wake boat has a single prop AND speed control. I have the perfect pass and it is the first option I would put on a new boat before it hit the water. Cam.

 

[MattFX4]

Update to my original post.... we went out this past week and practiced and finally got a system down. My wife pulled me up and was a little rough at first but she finally got to an acceptable speed and used the cruise control to fine tune the speed. She was bouncing around 18-20 mph and it was a much better experience. I still thing a speed control system would be much better, but it was a lot better this time out.

 

[MattFX4]

Wife boarding. Question, I uploaded in HD but it looks like crap compared to actual video on my phone. How do you upload in HD?

 

[J-RAD]

Update to my original post.... we went out this past week and practiced and finally got a system down. My wife pulled me up and was a little rough at first but she finally got to an acceptable speed and used the cruise control to fine tune the speed. She was bouncing around 18-20 mph and it was a much better experience. I still thing a speed control system would be much better, but it was a lot better this time out.

I wish I were still getting out... but we're done for the season here... Practice is what makes the difference. The more you do it the more you learn the characteristics and handling of the boat. She'll learn to anticipate and feel the changes in speed.

Even though I felt we did fine without the speed control, it's REALLY nice to have...

 

[KXCam22]

Even with practice it is hard to keep an even speed, especially slow when surfing. Cam.

 

[MattFX4]

I wish I were still getting out... but we're done for the season here... Practice is what makes the difference. The more you do it the more you learn the characteristics and handling of the boat. She'll learn to anticipate and feel the changes in speed.

Even though I felt we did fine without the speed control, it's REALLY nice to have...

No doubt I really want the ride steady system. I may splurge for it.