Do you drive a boat w/ one hand or two & when did you learn

[Horton]

I heard and interesting theory today. Testing the threory.

[thager]

Are you using 1995 as beginning of speed control?

[lpskier]

Really. How could you drive with two hands and hand-throttle. And run the stop watch. 

[Stevie Boy]

Left Hand Steering, Right Hand Throttle and Stop Watch

[Horton]

@thager Yes and I know it's not historically exactly correct. I remember perfect pass from the mid-90-ish so I just picked 95. 

[Dano]

If I take my hand off the throttle, the carburetors return spring will  cause it to return to idle.   Yes it is a strong spring.   It’s the key to making pp work well with cable controls.  

[keithh2oskier]

Always learned one hand on the throttle strictly for safety.  If the skier gets rapped up in a rope or handle and the split second for the driver to move the right hand to the throttle to return back to neutral or reverse could make a difference.  

Also as a driver, I had the rope come around my neck once (no shock tube) when a skier popped the handle on the 2/4/6 side.  Being able to already start slowing the boat down made the rope burn less intense than I think it could have been.  

[Zman]

Left hand steering, right hand throttle, foot pad for timer.

Although, for most of our early years no course, no timer needed. Skier just gave a thumbs up or thumbs down.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Zman

[swbca]

Back in 80's there was no choice without speed control.   Stopwatch and steering with the left hand and throttle with the right.  Surprising how consistent the times could be with your everyday drivers even if they weren't competitive skiers.  Though I do remember looking backwards to see the boat path whenever I missed a ball unexpectedly.

Edited April 2, 2023 by swbca

[Horton]

Driver yesterday claimed he uses 2 hands because he learned after the end of hand driving.  

[jlittle]

@Horton So what's the theory? I'd heard you could potentially fail your driving test if you removed your hand from the throttle while the boat is under power. 

[Horton]

I was testing the idea that if you were a younger driver you used 2 hands. Personally I think one hand is better but I am not an elite driver. As for the drivers test IDK if that is true.

[swbca]

Uncontrolled full lock spin

Off-Topic, but reminds me of one of my few worries about the sport.

On my 2004 ProStar if you let go of the steering wheel at 35mph the boat does a full-lock right turn within 3 seconds.  If that were to happen because of steering linkage or cable failure, the driver would be in the passenger seat and unable to correct the problem anytime soon.  If there was skier when this happens . . then what.   This would be a case for using the safety cutout cable on your wrist.

I knew 2 people that were killed by boat prop . . both were human error, accidental not foolish behavior, like knocking over a wine glass at Thanksgiving dinner.  And, I wintessed an Inboard-Outbard that ran into a large wood swim raft at speed because of steering failure.  The driver wasn't hurt but the boat sank before we could pull it in.  Has a steering failure ever been known to cause a skier related accident with ski boats ?

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by swbca

[Horton]

@swbca Any new ski boat will do basically the same thing when you let go of the wheel. I am sure there have been accidents but in the tournament skiing world I have have not heard of any such accident. 

I hit shore with a boat once when a cable broke going around an island. Scared the $h*t out of me. That boat was not well maintained and it was a long long time ago at a ski lake far far away....

[Horton]

I will say accidently killing someone with a prop is like accidently killing some one with a gun. A few basic safety rules and some comment sense will stop 99.999999% of it. 

[swbca]

@HortonOne of deaths was caused by a large roller boat wave that wasn't apparent to the driver because it was masked by water that was already choppy from wind.  It was a Boston Whaler which explains the problem.  The other was an accident where you know the driver, but people who knew  about it were kind not to talk about it.  It was a 'freek' accident. your .00000001 chance.  

Edited April 2, 2023 by swbca

[ETskier]

Right thumb and forefinger on the throttle, left thumb and forefinger on the wheel about 8 o'clock. Left forearm on my knee.  Still drive that way.  I found that a death grip on the throttle and 1 or 2 hand death grip on the wheel usually wound up as a terrible drive for the skier in the course.  We were fortunate enough to have somebody timing in the boat and also had the very early magnet automatic timing.  Now driving tricks in practice was fun in the pre-cruise era. If i did not have a pin person for toe turns, my left knee was on the wheel, left hand on the release. It was nice in the older boats the mirror was on the dashboard, easier to watch the left speedo and skier.

[ScottScott]

I never drove the course before speed control, but still prefer to keep one hand on throttle. I have heard of speed ZO loosing satellite and going full throttle, and other safety issues I want to be able to react quickly.

[Dano]

@swbca I think steering cables and linkages are the most under maintained items on a boat.  I am guilty of it myself in the past.  It won’t happen again. My steering cable was smooth and seemingly in good condition. But it had never been changed since new in 1989.   It snapped as I reversed from the dock.  I was lucky.  Next time it gets changed every 300 hours or 5 years whichever is first.   steering parts should be inspected yearly and replaced if there is any question. 

Edited April 2, 2023 by Dano

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Interesting topic.  We recently had a driver test for Regular and the Sr testing drivers told him he needed to start driving with 1 hand vs 2.

So I played with this a little and noticed that if I had 2 hands on the wheel my “connection” from the wheel to the boat was at my butt.  So there is a lot of “slack” [go ahead and insert joke here] between the movement of the wheel and the driver’s body – shoulders, core all have to move to move the wheel.  When I use 1 hand (as I have for years), I have much more fine motor control of the wheel, i.e. I can move the steering wheel with just my wrist and have much faster, and more subtle control of the wheel since my right arm is anchored on the arm rest and provides a solid connection.

On the other hand, one of my favorite elite level drivers used 2 hands and moved the Holy Snot out of the wheel.  As boat judge, watching out of the corner of my eye, I have never seen any driver move the wheel more aggressively.  But behind the boat, it was awesome.  I think he was the exception, not the rule.

While there is very high degree of “what you get use to” and “what the driver is comfortable with”, I’m definitely of the opinion that 1 hand on the wheel is better for the majority of drivers.  Too bad so few people learn to drive a car with a manual transmission these days.

[lpskier]

It’s funny. Reading the description of how people drive, you can pick out who drives Nautiques. For example,   @ETskierdefinitely drives a Nautique. 

[RAWSki]

When I installed a New accuski system in 2000 the manual actually suggested driving with two hands lightly on the wheel. (partly because you could shut down the throttle with a tap of the foot)   I find myself switching between 1 and 2 hands sometimes because of the boat or skier.  I enjoy driving the ProStar more than the Nautiques..... I think because I have spent most of the last 30 years with LH drive boats.

[Ski_Dad]

i usually have my right hand on the throttle even with PP/ZO.   My dad always said you want to be ready if something happens.

[igkya]

Concur with @Bruce_Butterfield and did a similar test driving one-hand vs 2-handed and found it much easier and less corrections when driving one handed.  Conversely, I find driving a vehicle on the highway to be easier and more controlled with two hands.

[Shell]

I have always had one hand on the wheel  and one on the throttle at all times, I feel that’s the safest method. 

[MI3Eventer]

The best driving instruction I received was from @kurt and that was right hand always throttle, left elbow resting on your left thigh/knee and holding the wheel at about 7:00 or 8:00.  When I drove with two hands I over corrected and this fixed that issue, especially in the newer MCs it's very easy to over steer with how well they hold the line.

 

Pulling a big jumper though once I am lined up though it's two hands through the course or they will pull you out of line.

[morfoot]

Learned to drive a boat that was an I/O in the 80's and taught to ALWAYS have a hand on the throttle even though I didn't need to.  Why would I need to do that?  The throttle stays put wherever I leave it? ....... SAFETY young man. You never know when you'll need to throttle back in case of rough water, obstacles, other boats or whatever. A split second can ruin or save the day. Always, ALways, ALWAYS keep your hand on the throttle. That has been and will always be the case when I'm driving a boat on fresh water.

[Horton]

@Bruce_ButterfieldI agree. Also seems that some 2 hand drivers tend to be later on the wheel and then move the wheel more. 

[Broussard]

I always drive with the left hand on the wheel and right hand on the throttle or at least resting on the armrest with the throttle easily in reach.

I learned how to drive the slalom course firmly in the cruise control era (2011) but had also been driving outboard center consoles and I/Os growing up so I was used to having the left hand on the wheel and right on the throttle.

I think that using the left hand to drive allows you to feel what is going on at the other end of the rope better and helps lead to a better pull. In my experience driving with two hands generally causes one to overcorrect and react later as Horton and Bruce mentioned.

Side note: I wish the posts showed the user's poll selection like the old Vanilla Forum 

[UWSkier]

Only time I might involve a second hand is going around a really tight turn island, otherwise, it's thumb and index finger on throttle, thumb and index finger on wheel.  This is how I drive old boats and new from the big 3.

[ETskier]

@lpskierTrue, mostly Nautiques last 25 years. Although, I had Ski Supremes in the 80s and a Mastercraft in the 90s.

[Drago]

One of my favorite drivers of all time drove with 2 hands. 4-4:30 & 7:30- 8 o'clock. I've tried it and it was pretty nice, but I prefer one hand @ 8:30-ish, depending on the boat. 

[coach3]

Having your left hand as primary steer is my preference, and I have the seat a bit too close to the steering wheel so my arm is connected to my body and I find it easier to make small movements being connected. I flew fighters as a young man, and during tight formation and high speed dive bombing jet control much more precise with your arm connected and planted on your body. If I could only ski that way. Hmmm

[BraceMaker]

First few boats I HAD to have my hand on the throttle because if you didn't it would creep towards neutral.

[6balls]

Safety folks.  Anyone have a rope shot around your neck when a skier popped the handle.  Other scenarios as well in recreational boating gotta be ready to pull power quickly.