Hovercraft vs. Big Easy-- comparisons?

[Guest]

Does anyone have real life comparison for the Hovercraft vs. Big Easy? Is the Hovercraft just a rebranded Big Easy? Thanks in advance

[Broussard]

 

Completely different skis.

 

The Big Daddy is more of a traditional shaped slalom ski.

The Hovercraft is essentially a stretched version of their Freeride ski.

[joeroberts37]

Thanks -- edit -- sorry, meant Big Easy. I have never rode the Hovercraft, but if the experience is similar, not sure its worth the coin.

[chrislandy]

They are completely different beasts.

 

Having ridden an equiv. of the big easy and got the hovercraft, I can quite comfortably say I prefer the hovercraft and have consigned the other one to the wall of shame.

 

IMO the Hovercraft is a much more versatile and fun ski, yes you can actually run the course but slower, you can mess around on it, freeski, the deep water starts are soooo easy it's unbelievable.

 

I can see it as my teach a DSW ski, my 11yr old has used it to surf on and generally mess around, the wife has got up on it.

[aupatking]

Thank you @chrislandy for that info. I believe the Hovercraft being short and wide, instead of a ginormous beast, like most beginner slalom skis would be an invaluable help to the new skier keeping the ski stable and in front of them when they start the deep water start. That’s just my thinking though. Have they stopped doing that stupid “direct connect” only setup though? I haven’t bought one simply for that reason

[Siouxcitysmitty]

I bought the Big Daddy for the occasional guest on the boat who's a newbie or hasn't got up on one in a long time. Haven't tried it myself, but, nobody likes it. Even strong slalom skiers that have tried it describe it as difficult/clumsy to ski on. And apparently not that easy to get up on. I bought a "deep-v" handle that helps some, as apparently the ski it so wide that starting with the rope on the "inside" of the ski is offset so far, it adds some difficulty. FYI - just passing along the feedback that I've collected.

[chrislandy]

@aupatking it's not short! it's huge! Imagine a normal 67" slalom ski but stretched in width to wider than a trick ski, but it does have edge to edge concave, is light as anything.

 

I bought mine as a package so it came with the bindings, it doesn't have inserts for standard plates.

[Garn]

We had a Big Daddy for years to help newbies get up on or for big skiers. I skied it a few times. Didn't like it. Squirrely, didn't want to turn. Like somebody above said, "difficult/clumsy" to ski on.

 

We got a Hovercraft a few years back. Night and day difference. First, its so easy to get up on that you almost don't even have to be moving. We have eliminated combo skis and put beginners straight on the Hovercraft. But the magic of the ski is what happens once you're up. It turns, jumps, carves - it is fun and easy. We ski it in the course and I've gotten up to 32 off on it (at slower speeds obviously). There is no comparison between the two skis.

[joeroberts37]

Great feedback! Thanks to all! Sounds like this would check the box for what we are looking for. Basically looking to offer the full gambit of watersports to friends --- beginner to advanced.

[Cent]

My Hovercraft came with bindings. Ski works a very slow speeds.

[aupatking]

My wife has smaller feet than our 9 year old girl. I would like to be able to put large bindings on for teaching young/teen boys too. I’ve found that a binding that is too loose makes it just as difficult to ski as a bad ski. I just don’t believe that anything that fits a size 11 is going to be decent for someone who wears a size 5. And extra bindings..... well, let’s just say I’ve got that covered. That’s why I don’t like the proprietary binding system. You’re HO, not Apple :D

[chrislandy]

By the looks of it, the hovercraft is the last model with just direct connect, all the others now have both standard plate & direct connect. (I presume they are using up boot stock with hovercraft package deals)

 

a neoprene sock works well for my son

[BraceMaker]

@chrislandy that is the case, I'm not sure if they're trying to use up stock on those deals since they have "plates" available for all of the boots its just do you screw the boot to the plate and the plate to the ski or the boot right to the ski.

 

To @aupatking point - this has been driving me nuts, the two solutions I have come up with. First I'm buying a 65 - our 67 just gets such good use and most of our smaller and lady skiers don't need a 67 so I'm going to add a 65, mounting a smaller adjustable binding on that ski.

 

Which brings up the second solution which I think is ideal - 3M VHB tape a MOB release to the ski. Build up 2 or 3 front boots. Then its like going downhill skiing - pick a boot size, adjust the release to skier size and toss em in. I like this idea because then I can use my hardshell on the hovercraft.

[Ski_Dad]

I've skied the hovercraft a few times - just a note that it's not for high speeds. Feels good at like 16-20 mph. Mid 20's and it's too high in the water and unstable. Never skied the big easy but I know that is completely different.

[KRoundy]

I’d never put a beginner on hard shells. A newbie is all over the place and doesn’t need to be locked in. JMHO.

[chrislandy]

@KRoundy @BraceMaker is talking about the MOB system where you can bolt any binding to the plate, that way you can have 3x soft bindings on different plates and just swap them over with different skiers, then if someone has a hardshell on an MOB and wants to use it then you just swap that plate onto the ski.

 

@Ski_Dad yes, anything over 34kph / 22mph and it gets quite squirrely, it could probably do with a more traditional larger, but double fin as an option so you can ski with more weight forward without the fins releasing.

[BraceMaker]

@KRoundy Chris nailed it - technically one could really crank the MOB down till it didn't release and use it as a swappable binding system.

 

I think we can all agree beginners do not need hardshells, but I also think we can all agree many of the "beginner" bindings are stupidly dangerous laced up affairs that can easily be over tightened to the point that people get fractures. A "elastic" front binding with a RTP - cranked down on the platform till the elastics aren't stretchy to get support is about the worst case scenario. They do ski nicely thought.

[Venturer]

Skied on my Hovercraft 6 times this month. Really like it much better than my old Connolly Pilot. Super easy to get up on, and not tiring to ride around on. Fairly agile but has a bit of a wakeboard feel. I like it as a 63 yr old who wants to keep skiing without too much body strain.