What fuel do you use VS what is your best score this year

[Horton]

Read the options carefully please

[Than_Bogan]

Thanks for including "my" option!

[vtmecheng]

What’s “high octane?” I just use what the manual says to and spend my minimum mental acuity thinking about skiing. Is there an option for that?

[Horton]

by the way that last option is not meant to be derogatory. I just needed some other option for people who insist on chiming in but really don't have a strong opinion

[Cam]

In the U.K. most boats run on LPG and there are some big scores behind them.

[Horton]

@Cam there's boats are tuned specifically for LPG. correct?

[Andre]

LPG= -15 @ -20% power...i think.

[Jody_Seal]

I think some of you are being way over the top Anal and elitist.

It's only watersking for gods sakes!!

 

[keithh2oskier]

 

[jayski]

So are we're insinuating someone who hasn't run 38, (this year alone yet) has no objective opinion or capability to comprehend or post legit judgement/observations/facts on the relevance of higher octane fuel and shorter line length???

 

Annnnd are we also insinuating all shorter line skiers have the mental superiority to those that do not???

 

Asking for a friend...?

[Horton]

@jayski I'm saying that as performance level goes up the finicky little details become more and more pertinent. Every one of us cares about every buoy but those who run the most buoys generally have the best perspective on those critical small details.

[jayski]

@Horton so to clarify to your last statement someone like @Jody_Seal is clueless and cannot be trusted because he hasn't run 38 this year..

 

Just lookin to understand the thought train your conducting...

 

Disclaimer: no offence to anyone named in this post or insinuating a lack of mental capacity in relation to skiing ability or insinuating a greater mental capacity due to a greater skiing ability or a greater or lessor mental fortitude in relation to athletic ability?

 

[UWSkier]

I have an old boat so I run 87. But I have my zbox connected to a NO2 bottle to generate swing. It's sweet on C3+!

[Horton]

@jayski I'm just saying I cringe when a guy that runs 39 makes a statement and a bunch of guys who ski nowhere near his level dismiss his statement and then it becomes a running joke.

[vtmecheng]

@Horton people are really bad at providing subjective judgments. A blind test with a number of skiers would have to be completed using different octane gas in order to really determine if it actually is something they can feel. Then, based on some comments, the test would have to be completed at higher altitudes or different temps. A simple poll on here will simply show anecdotal evidence and have little meaning. An engine control systems engineer would at least be able to provide an idea of possible hp differences when using different gas. Then it comes down to how impactful that hp difference actually is, which may also be dependent on the boat.

 

That’s a wordy way of saying that the pole results won’t provide much actual evidence one way or another. I’m ready to go back to reading about whispers and pineapples.

[jayski]

@Horton sorry I cannot buy into your thought process, I cannot discredit guys like @Jody_Seal or any other guy that has spent copious amounts of time with engines just because they don't run 38...no offence just sayin my piece

[ski6jones]

I skipped this thread the first couple times I saw it because the topic seemed ridiculous. I should have listened to myself. Now let that be a lesson to me!!

[Horton]

@jayski yes Jody has my respect 100%. He knows is $h*t as a mechanic.

 

I am just saying the highest level skiers should not be disregarded. Just because it does not make sense to you does not mean it is not true.

 

[RichardDoane]

The word is “buy” not “by”

[KalebP]

@Horton The octane rating is the fuels ability to prevent pre-detonation, a higher octane can withstand higher compression before self ingniting (pinging).

Octane number dosnt create horsepower some higher horsepower engines demand the higher octane because of compression ratios/timing. If your boat dosnt ping/pre ignite before the spark, putting in a higher octane is gonna do fuck all no matter how short your ski rope is lol.

[skibug]

@Horton I don't fit any of those categories because I only get into 38, but don't run it. My ski partner runs through 38 (and sometimes 39) every set. 87 octane for, at least, the last 22 years. He DOESN'T think the octane used makes any difference.

 

BTW......Ask what kind of fuel they were running this weekend at the Trophy Lakes Stars and Stripes tournament.

[markn]

High octane is not important in new boats and have run 38 off or deeper, both 6.0 and 6.2 engines.

[Horton]

@skibug do you guys practice behind a current generation / new boat? yeah I looked you up I know you have a ProStar. Of the the engines available I suspect that the Ilmor 6.0 MPI is the least sensitive.

 

feel free to vote for your ski partners score

[JackQ]

Using high octane will help your scores about as much as flipping a coin before you ski. Sometimes you ski better when it is heads, other time tails. You have a better chance to ski better with your lucky shorts, than expecting the octane of the your fuel to do so.

[Than_Bogan]

@JackQ If it comes up tails, you might as well just stay on the dock!

[ALPJr]

So who’s going to start the lucky shorts thread :)

[Zman]

I'm impressed by how many people have run 38 this year....

[ScottScott]

I hit the wrong button.....

 

Actually no, I'll stay with it. I accept that it can make a difference to those running 38/39 or shorter. But since that ain't me....it ain't important.

[kurtis500]

This HAS to be a trolling thread... The assumption is someones skill level gives them insight on the octane level used in a boat. LOLOLOLOL

[Horton]

@kurtis500

 

[Horton]

As skiers progress in the into top levels of the sport every little thing must be in place for ideal athletic performance. With the newest boats and especially with the DI motors lower octane changes the way the ZO & engine respond to the skier. If you spend 80k to 125k for a new boat and that boat owner’s manual specifies premium fuel why would you be unwilling to spend about and extra 10% (+/-) for the premium fuel.

 

I have a older backup boat in my driveway. I only put 87 in it because it does not make a difference.

 

Ok now even I am sick of this conversation.

 

[dave2ball]

There is no tournaments that I know of that run 91 or greater octane and people have had many PBs.

[Horton]

@dave2ball all the Orlando tournaments run 87?

[kurtis500]

@horton you definitely need to give yourself a triple panda

[Horton]

@kurtis500

 

Have you ever run a slalom course? Have you ever competed at a state or national level in any sport?

[kurtis500]

@horton Explain what that has to do with octane? People have been waiting for that answer. Otherwise stick with what you know

 

and dont forget your triple panda

[slow]

You guys are pissing in the wind without a blind test

[Horton]

@slow yes I agree. 100%

 

@kurtis500 so you admit you know ZERO about the finer points of shortline slalom? The point is the a microscopic change in the way the boat responds makes a difference to what the skiers feels.

[kurtis500]

@horton

 

"So are we're insinuating someone who hasn't run 38, (this year alone yet) has no objective opinion or capability to comprehend or post legit judgement/observations/facts on the relevance of higher octane fuel and shorter line length???

 

Annnnd are we also insinuating all shorter line skiers have the mental superiority to those that do not??? "

 

And here you go again...in the same thread.

 

I admit you know ZERO about octane levels and how it relates to engine and boat performance even though a few have explained it well already. We are suppose to believe you can sense octane levels but not tell us how much your ski flexes, the rope stretches, the ski tow bends, the RPM of the prop shaft and how much it twists under torque, how much the prop blades flex and the other "microscopic" changes that occur. Your 38 off runs give you no magical powers to sense octane. sorry... but its been a fun read

[Horton]

@kurtis500 it is fully within the realm of possibility that I have drank the Kool-Aid and am wrong about how octane affects boat performance.

 

I am 100% sure that you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. The fact that you aggressively assert your opinion in a web forum for which you have zero practical knowledge knowledge is ridiculous. You are a troll.

[RichardDoane]

I learned from a seasoned water ski industry professional and fellow skier long ago to and learn from and listen to people that are better skiers than me, so if @AdamCord and @Horton think that it matters, it probably does. People without a member # and tournament scores have no credibility.

[Cnewbert]

I voted for #2 because there is no way at my level octane will help or hinder my skiing. But it’s enough for me that my owner’s manual recommends the higher octane the better. I’m guessing there’s some reason since they gain nothing from higher price gas sales. I may be pulling numbers out of the air since I don’t track gas consumption for my Ilmor 6.0L by the hour. But say I burn 4 gal/hour for the sake of argument. I can presently buy 93 octane ethanol free gas for $3.68/gal. 89 octane is roughly $0.15 cheaper in my area. So I would save $0.60 per hour by using the lower end of the recommended octane rating vs. the higher end. If I put 175 hours on our boat annually (Florida), I would save a whopping $105 per year using the cheap stuff. That’s equivalent to one pair of good ski gloves plus a few beers. Since I didn’t exactly take up water skiing to save money, I’ll go with Ilmor’s Best recommendation.

[MarkTimm]

@Horton what are you running in your Prostar? I have a 2020 with a 6.0 87 E10 seems to work very well. Adam Cord ran 39 behind it, so I guess it is ok. My Previous boat had a GT40 and I initially ran 92 octane straight gas, no ethanol, when I switched to 87 E10 there was a noticeable difference with that motor.

[Horton]

@MarkTimm owner's manual says to run premium so I run premium.

[Dysco]

Not a boat engine, but a modern engine with actual data. Most importantly, the hotter the engine got through successive dyno pulls (like successive slalom passes) the high octane produced LESS horsepower. Lower octane produced more and more consistent horses.

There's millions of guys who can't stand up on skis, but they know a whole hell of a lot about building engines and producing power, and have the data to back up what they did and the results, not just a placebo effect from 37 feet away.

https://nasaspeed.news/tech/engine/octane-vs-horsepower-separating-fact-from-myth-in-the-debate-over-which-fuel-makes-more-power/?amp

[kurtis500]

@horton "I am 100% sure that you have no idea what the hell you're talking about. The fact that you aggressively assert your opinion in a web forum for which you have zero practical knowledge knowledge is ridiculous. You are a troll."

 

 

In your rage post (can tell by the spelling) you just proved what a couple of people have been saying.. you think your skiing ability gives you knowledge to talk about things you really dont have knowledge of. And then when its pointed out you throw a fit and point out their skiing ability compared to yours in an attempt to shut down the conversation... lulz

 

Here's what the guys that built the motors did to make it easy for everyone. Using dozens or more dyno pulls with real dyno sheets (not a 38 off skier attached to a rope behind a boat) they are able to set a minimum octane required. All done by reading the dyno sheets, knowing what the motor is made of and adjusting for a varied amount of conditions it can be ran in.. They then tell you what to put in the gas tank... easy... If you put in a lower octane than THEY SAID then you run the risk of the motor retarding the timing and running less efficient. If you put 100 octane in it you wasted your money and gain 0 hp. Serioulsy, this is decades old knowledge.

 

Curious...do you also have the ability to sense all of these? because they happen..

-ski flex

-rope stretch

-ski tow bend

-prop shaft twist

-prop blade flex

 

 

 

[Horton]

@kurtis500 done with you

[UWSkier]

@Dysco that article is not applicable to a 6.2DI at 11.5:1 compression. His engine is 8.8:1 which is why he got those results. If he cut down the heads to get that engine to the same ratio as a 6.2DI, he'd blow it up running 87.

[dave2ball]

@Horton yes they do.

[Horton]

@dave2ball Hmmm ok interesting