Upgrade to speed control

[CliggityClow]

I have a 2003 196 and looking to upgrade speed control. Recommendations? Pricing info appreciated.

[aupatking]

I have a 2002 196 I upgraded from Perfect Pass to Zero Off. Best slalom hull I’ve skied behind, so worth it to me, but cost me a bit over $5,000 to do it almost 2 years ago. I believe it’s more now

[MDB1056]

Depends on your needs and level. Are u training for tournaments or just wanting better control for your personal skiing on your course. You can still go perfect pass stargazer with Zbox upgrade and be Very close , for a lot less.

[aupatking]

I read your post as you wanting to upgrade from Perfect Pass. As @MDB1056 says, Perfect Pass Stargazer is much easier and cheaper. Stargazer 3-Event is $1,389, with Zbox is $1,629 and you can do the install yourself. http://perfectpass.com/?q=systems

[Clydesdale]

I upgraded to stargazer/zbox. Very simple upgrade and I’m really pleased with the performance.

[CliggityClow]

Thank you all for responses! Sounds like stargazer/zbox is the way the to go if budgeting. That should hold me over a couple of years before a boat upgrade.

[CliggityClow]

@MDB1056 I am learning and skiing into 22 off at 34. Not ready for tournaments, but hoping to get there. @aupatking i saw you’re at weeks bay. We’re in Birmingham and ski at Lake Martin.

[ktm300]

Club promo boat sold early this year so we skied last month of season behind a PP boat with the latest software update. No Z box. I was surprised at how good it was. Different from ZO for sure but totally acceptable. Boat had mechanical throttle, TBI, and was down 90hp to the promo. I was expecting it to suck. It didn't.

[Inboardfix]

@cliggityclow our lake site is hosting the 2021 Alabama State Championships. Depending on where on Lake Martin your place is, it is 30-40 minutes away in Shorter, Al. There will be several M3-6 skiers participating who on a good day get into 22. You are definitely tournament ready and we'd love to have you join the fun.

 

When you start skiing again this spring come down and check out the site. I'll arrange for some of the above mentioned skiers to be there and you'll see you'll fit right in.

 

Also, I am a Perfect Pass dealer and can save you some money off the prices listed in the earlier posts.

[CliggityClow]

@Inboardfix thanks for the info! We’re not far from shorter at all and I’ll put the championships on my calendar. Do you have a date? My email is davidgordonthomas@gmail.com. Would you mind sending me info on perfect pass/zbox or any other recommendations you have. We’re still skiing although my dry suit is a little leaky! Was actually supposed to go this morning, but had to cancel.

[Inboardfix]

email sent. Forgot to mention in the email the lake owner is a Camaro dealer. In our climate I think you'll much prefer a full Camaro suit over your leaking drysuit. If you come down to ski I'm sure he'd let you demo a suit. Several years ago I tried one and haven't used a drysuit since (except while visiting manatees in FL, good grief that was cold).

[CliggityClow]

Ha. I’ve don’t the manatee swim in crystal river no wetsuit this time of year. Though I was 20 at the time!

[CliggityClow]

@Inboardfix got your email. Think you actually sold our boat to my father-in-law Robert Boldin. Small world!

[aupatking]

@CliggityClow if you ever make it down to the beach, we’re only about 30 minutes north. Come ski with us! We’ve got a few guys skiing at your level too. I’m hoping to rent a place on Lake Martin for a week this coming spring. I’d love to ski with you guys

[david_ski]

I picked up a 2003 196 with the EX330 that had been converted from PP to ZeroOff. We bought the boat because it had the ZeroOff upgrade. Prior to the '03-196, I had a '93 ProStar with a PP StarGazer and ZBox. We could never get the PP pull to feel the same as a ZeroOff boat. Whenever we would ski behind a ZeroOff boat it was never pretty. Now that we ski behind ZeroOff boats >90% of the time, skiing behind a PP boat is never an issue.

 

Back to the '03-196. With ZeroOff, the pull behind our 196 in the course feels the same as the pull behind a '14-200. The 200 has a better out of the hole response with the EX343 vs my EX330.

[CliggityClow]

@aupatking my main ski buddy has a great 3/2 on Lake Martin he rents out. One of the best views on the lake and not too far from two of the courses we ski. I can share his info if you ever want to check it out, but regardless I’ll be happy to take you out if make it up this way! I’ll reach out next time we’re in the area down there - we visit my mother every so often where she lives in Fairhope - so I don’t think that’s too far from where you are at all.

[CliggityClow]

@aupatking https://t.vrbo.io/RCK0gJvxdcb

[Deanoski]

just get the new z box and ski

 

[CliggityClow]

@Deanoski have you tried it out? How do you like it?

[Deanoski]

I have 1990 sn with z box it rocks it kept me from buying a newer boat with ZO the other boat we use at the club is a 2016 200 single puck c-1 on both boats feels the same or super close times are 16.95 16.97 all day long.

[aupatking]

To be honest, I had a 97 196 this year, while my 02 was in the interior shop, with the newest version of PP Stargazer and was really happy with it. You can’t go wrong either way you go. Tim at Inboard Solutions is right there by you and he is the man! He can do either one. He ZO’d my 02. I’m in Fairhope too. Give me a shout when you’re down here. We’ll ski

[ALPJr]

The skiers I train with are all using PP stargazer. I didn’t feel any difference skiing behind a couple different boats with ZO over the past few years. -15 to -32 / 30 to 34 mph skiers.

[jpattigr]

I have a 06 Ski Nautique with the 9.20 Z-Box and ski behind a 2 / 200's and new Prostar's with Zero-off and ski the same behind them all. The latest version of Z-Box was a big improvement over the early versions. Locks in way quicker and hold speed way better.

[Deanoski]

I'm also running the newest version of z box 9.2 great product