Big spray / Inefficiency?

[JAS]

Wondering if ski designers look at spray patterns as they test new shapes and bottom textures. Considering conservation of energy, it has to go somewhere. My S2 seems to send a monster wall of water compared to Goode 9800.

[Horton]

@JAS‌ I think it is a fun esoteric conversation topic but I would bet a case of beer that ski designers do not use spray height as a metric

[eleeski]

For a beer, I will!

 

I certainly look at the spray to check things. Weird patterns indicate that some tuning is in order. Very weird spray might make me give up on a crappy ski. Or really go at it with the grinder. But a good ski can have big or tiny spray. I have found that the spray size is irrelevant to buoy count.

 

I do adjust the speed on tricks to make the spray right. But that's totally different.

 

Eric

[Onside135]

Wait…what? I thought big spray was the goal of every instructional thread on this site. I'm so confused. Have we learned nothing from @Taelan28? I think the quote was "i likes the spray"...

[JAS]

@Horton I'm sure you are right, ski design process seems a little like that of a surf board shaper with good dose of reverse engineering. Lots of trial and error. Was watching GS ski racing video with commentary about minimal snow spray in turns = least amount of speed loss. We are constantly hearing about carrying speed through water ski turn, got me thinking.

[matthew]

bring back @Taelan28‌ !

[Wayne]

Ever since the first stepped bottom ski I always wondered if ski companies test their skis in any type of flow bench, similar to a wind tunnel for cars.

 

I have long since forgotten much of my fluid dynamics classes but we did some lab experiments to look at the flow characteristics of different surfaces in pipes and open planes. It was interesting back then and makes me curious now that I have a practical application related to a hobby.

[estrom]

I thought chicks dig the big spray?? Seems like a good marketing concept...the "Chick Spray Coefficient." Ski X has a CSC of 8 on a scale of 1-10. No??

[Porkfight]

If someone made a ski that was designed to throw big spray, it would be my Parker Strip terrorism stick.

[DefectiveDave]

I would argue that big spray = efficiency because otherwise you're probably digging the back of your ski into the water like me. In which case you are creating a large cavity with the energy directed down course rather than anywhere useful.

[Horton]

spray is converting skier energy into water displacement. It means you are sliding. That is not always a bad thing but the guy with the biggest spray may not get the biggest score.

[eleeski]

The boat has 300+ hp. Efficiency (small spray?) is irrelevant given how much energy is available. Snow skis only have gravity so efficiency matters. Big spray adds stability. Tradeoffs make spray a minor factor in how good a waterski feels.

Eric

[slow]

Sprays are bigger when more of the ski is the water. That being said the old Mapples from 2001 put up a wall. Look at some old photos of Parrish in waterski mag. Maybe becouse it was the last is the tunnel design high end skis.

[ALPJr]

Spray is what drew me into the sport. Heck then a few years later the magazine named after it came out. http://www.waterskierslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/170-AWSKB81-SWS-Camille-cover.jpg

[Drago]

Big spray is rad!

[BWHITE]

How about mapping the curve of the upper edge of the spray? Moving out-bound with tight line after the edge change results in a slowly rising curve and efficient front foot carved finish gives an even topped long radius top curve to the end of the spray. (Probably needs an efficiency curve map dependent upon line length.)

[JAS]

@Horton can you ship that case of beer or do I need to pick it up?

[Horton]

@JAS a marketing spin and engineering are not the same thing

[ToddL]

@Horton has improved his slalom scores so much that his spray has gotten smaller... Maybe we will need to change the web site URL, too... bitofspray.com

 

[skidawg]

Or "weelittlespray.com"

[Adam Caldwell]

If the ski doesn't put up a massive wall of water then why would you want to ride it? No one looks cool going down the lake with shoulder height spray....Triple overhead at minimum.

[Adam Caldwell]

and when did I end up with this profile image @Horton...lol

[gt2003]

Looks like its "nosprayatall.com" right now...

[Jody_Seal]

yea Buddy! Finally a thread about "BIG" SPRAY!!

[boarditup]

Is there a ratio between hair and spray?

[mikegile]

If you are looking for big spray, try to find an old Torque Supercomp.

 

You may not make many bouys, but nothing compares to the spray of that bad boy!

[Than_Bogan]

@adamhcaldwell @Horton The Brain icon is awesome! Probably the second best "evil" genius of all time, after (of course) Dr. Doofenshmirtz.