How many sets does a ski have in it

[jimski]

If you wear out a set of boots on a ski is the ski very far behind

[Horton]

Depends on how hard you ski.

[rodltg2]

What about getting heavier. I was on the cut off for a 65" now three years later I really should be on a 66". Am I loosing performance on the shorter ski ?

[MattP]

@rodltg2 I would say that if you are not at 36mph you would more likely be loosing performance out of a ski that is too small for you.

[rodltg2]

Great an excuse for a new stick and a reason for my bad skiing !

[MattP]

@rodltg2 How much do you weight? How many sets do you have on the ski and what kid of buoys do you run?

[Horton]

for my weight and skiing level I would expect the ski to be diminished after 250 sets. After 500 sets I would expect most skis to be all used up.

[DmaxJC_ski]

500 sets!!! At an average of 10 sets a year I should be good till I'm...... Well dead I guess.

[The_MS]

I am going on year 4

[volsandskis]

I wish I had access to getting my ski flex tested from time to time. I have been told in the past that a ski is really worn out after 4 years of skiing. Everyone has an opinion and I don't know what is correct, but that is what I have been going off of.

[thager]

Hmmmm...some body better tell Jeff Rodgers. I built a flex tester based on a YouTube vid. Second year on my Vapor and flex is the same at same temperature. Time will tell.

[TallSkinnyGuy]

What is the definition of "used up?" I know that with snow skis most people consider skis "used up" when they don't rebound quickly, thus making them feel dead. Might this be the same with waterskis? If a ski doesn't snap back to its original shape very fast after being bent during the pressures of a turn, perhaps this would be considered "used up?" I guess the definition would need to be more specific about the "used up" rebound rate in relation to its original rebound rate.

 

I suppose the flex would also be a factor in that if a ski required less pressure over time to bend it a certain amount this would change the performance characteristics of the ski. So perhaps it is a change in both flex and rebound rate that determine the life of a ski? I would imagine flex would be a lot easier to measure than rebound rate.

[bigtex2011]

I try to get 2 years out of a ski. I feel like it is worn out and I'm sick of looking it

[6balls]

I'm told my RTM manufactured Razor will last longer than most. Prob 75 sets a season, and missed last season due to surgery...should be good for a while. Still seems plenty snappy.

[Ilivetoski]

I know a skier who runs 39 and is a BIG guy and skis heavy... He is still on an A1. Another guy I know who runs into 39 is still on a 9900. He skis even harder than the first guy. I would never stop skiing on my vapor just because I hit 500 sets.

[PBD]

Let's ask Mr Owl

 

 

[Horton]

@Ilivetoski I garrentee those skis are not the same as when they were new.

[crashman]

Would a low level skier notice any difference? Would picking up a ski at a discount after it's "all used up" be a good way to get a good ski at a tasty discount? I'm guessing at -15/22 I wouldn't notice a difference.

[6balls]

Hard part is the deterioration is likely slow enough that you may not notice over time with no comparison. Jump on a new one next to it and it may be pretty obvious.

[Horton]

@Rico the way you ski I would think you would only get 50 sets out of a ski

[MattP]

@rico those scores at 5ball really do add up.

[bishop8950]

I think for most of us the break down in most skis today is slower than the rate of improvement in design. In other words if your ski is 3 years old it may still work fine but by then there will be better skis available which will be a better reason to refresh.

[eleeski]

Didn't someone measure old skis and find that they had stiffened over time? Makes sense as epoxy gets stiffer with age. Skis can last a very long time.

 

@bishop8950 has it right. Old skis get stale with time. New skis rock!

 

Eric

[eleeski]

@TallSkinnyGuy Most snow skis have wood cores that carry much of the load. Wood changes a lot with time and load. Plus the flex displacement is much more than a waterski. My Goode snow skis (all composite with no wood) have held up well for many years of hard bump skiing.

 

Waterskis don't flex much. The good ones usually flex the least. A good old ski can rock.

 

Eric

[9400]

over 1500 sets on the one I'm riding right now. It just got broke in good.

[Horton]

@eleeski skis get stiffer over time?

 

http://media.tumblr.com/fe497dd337d9af8479bb6398b9565d16/tumblr_inline_mg6n5ltl6X1rxe4lt.gif

 

[ForrestGump]

Almost positive that Goode's snow skis also have a wood core. At least the ones I've talked to him about. Just looked up 6 of them on the Goode website and they all have wood cores.

[eleeski]

Show us the numbers for the softening of a ski over time. I remember someone on this site did that and was surprised that some of the skis had stiffened.

 

Obviously things can damage and soften a ski. But normal ski use should not - at least the ones I build.

 

Perhaps that last comment will get me another Panda. I have to be in the lead for most Pandas.

 

Eric

[Horton]

@eleeski skis get stiffer over time the same way I get more talented with each beer I drink.

[andjules]

In this thread:

- data-backed opinions —> low

- opinions that support whatever you would like to justify (including 'I need to buy myself a new ski immediately' and 'my 10 year old ski performs just like new' ) —> very high

[Ilivetoski]

@Horton one of them has stayed about the same buoy count, the other is running more 39's every year. Maybe they arent the same but they still work pretty well.

[Horton]

You can drive a car 250,000 miles but don't try to tell me it is as good as new.

[eleeski]

@ShaneH My old Goode snow skis are foam core. At least foam comes out of the holes when I mount bindings. Some of the new ones are wood core and heavier (bad move in my opinion - but I haven't skied them). New marketing guy...

 

My wood waterski experiences make me not trust the longevity of wood. Wood softens, warps and rots - all of which ruins a ski. Old wood skis belong on a wall or maybe in a one ski for all tournament.

 

My old skis break. Then I certainly need a new one. If they don't break they are too heavy and I need a new one.

 

Eric

[EricKelley]

One of my favorite skis a Goode 9100 flexed essentially the same as new 9 years later. I have had catastrophic failures of them months of new. I think Dave's skis will not break down much over time. There either broken or OK. The earlier generation skis, Connelly's etc definitely had a lifespan. There is no one on the planet who stresses a ski like Kyle Jones does and he has ridden an HO believe A1 for 8 years and it is still good. This is an impressive feat for a ski as he flex's the boat pylon all the way to the motor box. He even flex's the pylon out toward the buoy. My hat's off to HO on that one. In my opinion, when buoys seem wider, you may need to hop on another ski and see if yours has broken down. I keep my old 9100 for this very reason.