Symptoms of skiing on wrong size ski.

[ToddF]

I think there are a lot of people who are tweeners when it comes to ski sizing.

So if have skied on a ski that is too big or too small. what are some of the symptoms of being on a ski that is the wrong size.

 

Example if I ski X buoys on a 67 which is too big and move to a 66 would my bouy count go up, and life would be great or I wouldn't really notice much?

[Horton]

@ToddF I think the tweener thing is maybe a little over played. A ski that is on the small side will tend to over turn, be touchy and not be as fast. A ski that is oversized will turn slower but be more forgiving. The common consensus these days is if you are on the border you should go to the bigger ski. Ride the biggest ski you can turn.

 

Add 6 balls? That is unlikely unless your current ski is WAY too small.

 

Also please note that each factory adjusts the size between skis a little different. There is not hard and fast rule about what the difference is between a 66, 67 and 68. Generally ski lengths are marketing definitions defined by what size skier the design team things will best ride each ski. Clear as mud?

[disland]

I always found the ski length thing interesting. For most people the front 2 inches of the ski dont get wet. So if I take a 68" ski cut the tip off is it a 66", not really but you can see how things get confusing. Maybe the ski mfg's should disclose the wetted area. Some are advertising the total surface area. These would be good statistics. Remember a long time ago you could only buy a baseball bat by length. Now they have all kinds of stats for them.

[Chef23]

@disland you are in Panda territory with @Horton on the surface area issue. I don't think ski size is that simple and generally if you are a tweener I don't think changes sizes is going to pick up a full pass. I find that smaller skis are less forgiving particularly I'd you are starting out and skiing less than full speed. A friend of mine working on running 34/15 consistently moved to a bigger ski this year and he looks much better on it and his slower passes are much more consistent.

 

I do prescribe to the ride the biggest ski you can turn well theory but also understand that skis can be too big and be hard to turn at your faster speeds/shorter line lengths. I am a big guy and would love to try a 69" Vapor but don't have the extra $1500 for a science project.

[disland]

Ouch, I never got a Panda.

[Horton]

@disland it is only a matter of time

[Stevie Boy]

I recently move to a 67" from 66" ski, my skiing improved immediately, I was no longer having to get myself out of the hole if I had released too early, the ski maintained speed better in the turn giving me a smoother hook up, cross course speed was better, deep water starts were less effort, and I was not puffing after 8 passes, wish I had done it earlier, modern skis turn very well these days, I guess a lot of people could ski on a ski one size up, with no problems and make it a whole lot easier on themselves.

[thager]

Just a thought but If longer is better for warm water would it make sense to go to shorter identical ski then for colder water, say 67" down to a 66"?

[igkya]

Longer is better? I've heard that before.

[Waternut]

Having been on a 2 different D3 Quests that were on both ends of size due to my own weight fluctuating so much, here are my experiences.

 

Turning when in perfect shape coming into the buoy makes little to no difference provided you've tweaked your bindings and fin to suit your normal style of skiing.

 

When you come into the buoy too fast and/or narrow, the shorter will be easier to get around the buoy but harder to make a smooth/clean turn so you will have to exercise some extra patience. The larger ski will want to keep going and requires more effort to slow down but will make a cleaner turn without wanting to stop. In this case, the shorter ski is more cooperative and forgiving IMO.

 

When you get to the buoy really early, the shorter ski will be much more inclined to break you at the waist BEFORE the buoy because it starts to dive down into the water. The larger ski will keep you moving and will be more tolerant of poor handle control. In this case, the longer ski is more forgiving.

 

Binding placement and wing adjustments can help bring the two ski's more in line with each other but inevitably, one will work a little better for you than the other depending on your style and your level of fin tweaking ability. IMO, if your fin tweaking skill is lacking, you're better off with the larger ski since the stock numbers will be closer to what you need.

[skialex]

If your buoy count goes up as the water gets colder or you run more tail wind than headwind passes, chances are that your ski is small for you. Or too big in the opposite case. Either that or something is wrong with the ski's setup such as wrong boot placement.

[mwetskier]

@disland -the very first jobie ski produced came from the only mold they had -a 67 ' ' and they cut 2 inches off the tail for the 65 ' ' model. i guess that was less obvious than 2 inches missing from the tip would have been.

[mwetskier]

@igkya -according to the denali adams thicker is also good.

[ToddL]

@disland Pandas aren't so bad. It's the Styx song references that sting a little.

[ToddL]

@mwetskier, That's what she said.

[Horton]

@ToddL wait till I ban you

[GOODESkier]

Great thing about a few businesses and a few ski manufacturers is that they will keep building you skis until you feel the best fit. So if you think you might be on the wrong size ski, you could try a different size.

 

I had an XT that was for all intensive purposes too big for me. I loved it. Now moved back to the correct/recommended size of the flex tail. Works even better. BUT the correct sized XT never worked well for me. I revisited that this spring when I skied on it for a few weeks waiting on the flextail to arrive. It was hard to run 35 on it, and I never got thru a 38 on it.

 

So, not sure it is all about size.............. Maybe some engineer can enlighten us all?

[ozski]

This subject is full of land mines. My 66 Helix is clearly a faster ski than my 67 Quest.. And it turns better for me - both sides. I can hop on the Quest and match my scores on the Helix but its more work. The point is you can't look at the number stamped on the tip of the ski and make a call. Them be just guide lines, its about what works for the individual.

[Waternut]

@ozski I'm not sure that's the best comparison because the Helix is a more aggressive/faster ski and also has a wider recommended weight range than the Quest. I don't know your weight but I'm betting that you're inside the recommended weight for both sizes in the two different ski's.

[GOODESkier]

Moral of the story...... buy from a company that lets you try multiple skis until you are happy. I am always pleased with the outcome when I do this. Any my buoy count is pleased too!