Need D3 ski advice

[jp]

I am looking for opinions on D3 X7 vs. D3 Fusion. I am planning to purchase 1 of these 2 skis, used. I currently ski a 66" D3 Nomad RC. Ski at 34mph running 22-28' off consistenly, 32'off much of the time, never past 3 at 35' off. Not skiing tournaments currently, just 2x/wk on a private site in Illinois. Any thoughts on either of these skies, or both? Also, my decision may be partially influenced by the fact I can get the X7 about $200 cheaper than the Fusion. Either way, any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Wish]

DO NOT rule out D3 Z7st. Great ski and fast as sh.. One of THE best of many I tested this past summer. Several on ski-it-again cheap. But did not ride X7 or Fusion. Sully can chime in on the Fusion.

[Horton]

Fusion is the most refined "fast" ski from D3. I never rode the Z7st but I spent a month on the original Z7. Fusion is Night and Day better.

 

They do not make the Z7 anymore because the Fusion is BETTER.

[MattP]

A little birdie told me that D3 could possibly be coming out with another ski this year. I could be wrong though.

[skibug]

Just my opinion FWIW.....I ride a 2007 D3 Nomad RC (68") as well and ski at your level. I skied on a Z7 ST for the 2 last months of the 2010 season through the 1st week of May 2011. The ski is faster than the Nomad; but, for me, not as consistent. I never ran a 32' on it (probably about 50 sets on it). I jumped back on my Nomad in May of 2011 and within 2 sets I ran 32'. I skied on 6 different skis last season including the Fusion (which I really struggle on, a ton of effort to run 28') all the time jumping back on the Nomad between trials. I ran over 100 32's in the 2011 season and the only other ski I ran 32' on was an Elite (maybe 15 of them and tied my PPB of 3 @ 35). I did not ride the X7. I wound up back on my Nomad to finish out the season as I was much more consistant on that ski. I know a lot of people are having a lot of success on the X7 and if I test another D3 ski; that is the way I will be going. Just my two cents.

[Horton]

@MattP

Yea that is always the case. D3 is always working on something new. The day the Fusion was launched they were working on the next ski.

 

Radar is working on the Enzo Strada, HO is working on the A3 or S3, Goode is working the SuperUltra Nano Double Twister and so on.

 

Any company that is not doing R&D is in a lot of trouble.

[skibug]

I heard from a little birdie that AM Skis are working on new skis too.....

[Horton]

Please do not call Radar,HO or Goode asking about these skis. I made the names up but I do like the sound of the Enzo Strada.

[skibug]

By the way...I do really want to find another ski that I am as comfortable and consistent on as my trusted Nomad RC....the quest will continue this season; but, I am limiting it to 3 skis.

[jp]

Thanks for feedback so far. Any thoughts on the X-7 by itself, or compared to the Fusion?

[Horton]

The X7 is more like the X5. It is a GREAT ski but you need technique to get wide. There are skis that get wide easy and skis that require that you keep a lot of line tension off the second wake. That is not a bad thing, it is an option. Skis like the X7 always turn and are extra forgiving. I like skis like the X7 but it is not for everyone. The Fusion is maybe less forgiving but is a lot less work and is a lot faster.

[thompjs]

Horton, I'm on a X7 and it works really nice for me. Could you explain the part about line tension some more?

I'm LFF and the X7 has the best offside turn of any ski I've tried.

[TWB]

I've had the X5, Nomad RCX, and now a Fusion. I skied most of last year on an A2, but ended the year back on my Nomad. I could get more buoys on the A2, but not as consistent as the RCX. I skied last week for the first time in 3 months and decided to take my RCX instead of my new Fusion. That turned out to be a good choice because this week I took my Fusion and just never felt comfortable on it. I skied much better on the Nomad after not skiing for 3 months than I did on the Fusion after skiing last week. The Fusion is faster and I had some nice turns, but it's going to take some time to get used to, so, it's going back on the shelf until summer. I couldn't keep it on that sweet spot that Horton talked about in his review and skied inside a lot of buoys at 28 off which is usually not an issue. The week before I ran some easy 32's and even felt wide and early at 35 on my RCX. The Fusion has me shaking my head right now. I know January isn't a good time to jump on a new ski, but I couldn't resist.

[ForrestGump]

Oh crap, I already emailed Dave Goode asking if I can get on the list for the SuperUltra Nano Double Twister that Horton let slip.

[Chef23]

@ShaneH I am sure for the right price he will make you one.

[teammalibu]

Shane

You better stick with the Double Lindy

[bigtex2011]

i have ridden both, and liked both. like horton says they are very different. I like to work behind the boat so the x7 was easier for me to feel comfortable. however, I ended up skiing with seth and we tweeked the fin and my style a bit and i'm really sold on the fusion. I ran a s...pile of 38's in practice and skied pretty well in some tourneys with it. I you are teetering, you could do the try before you buy with Seth... hope this helps

[Horton]

@thompjs

here is your answer and the best thing anyone ever wrote for BallOfSpray

 

http://www.ballofspray.com/tech-articles/87-what-the-heck-is-handle-control

 

[bishop8950]

What bigtex said. I dont mind working behind the boat, and appreciate flexibility in the turn, so stayed with the X7. The Fusions is sweet though (actually on it in my profile pic). Best bet is to try both if you can, and if you hook with Seth there is no better way to ensure you will end up with the right ski.

KB

[thompjs]

Horton that is great article. Also I'm lucky to ski from time to time with the first skier in the photos.

I was curious as to why the Z7 is different for handle control.

"skis that require that you keep a lot of line tension off the second wake."

[Horton]

The Z7 X7 rides deeper in the water. That is why it turns so great and why you need to control the line to get wide.

[Horton]

@skibrain No Darn! Must learn to read and write

[jp]

Thanks for the feedback - very helpful, and sometimes amusing. One more question. As mentioned, I ski mostly on a private site, but only at my scheduled times, so sometimes the conditions are not pristine - rollers off shore if we had a lot of rain, wind chop if the wind comes out ofthe West, etc. Is there a benefit to going with the deeper riding X-7 to get the most of my limited time on the water which often has less than ideal conditions? I get to ski about 2x/week, 2 sets each time out.