bassfooter

@Andre Where was that shot taken?

@skihard - I like your ski. Looks just like mine, except an inch longer. I'm skiing better than ever after only 8 - 10 sets on it, coming off a 2011 X7. Have fun! @swc5150 - I think you should at least try one of these using factory settings.

@vtjc - I'm right about where you are ability-wise, and I just went from a 2011 68" D3 X7 to a 2015 67" Lithium Vapor without skipping beat. I am skiing better than ever after only 7 or 8 sets. My -22 and -28 passes at 34 are relaxed with tons of time and space before the ball, and I can feel my -32 attempts getting more relaxed and consistent. Those passes used to be a lot more work. I also went from 210 lbs down to 188 since October, which is why I went with the shorter Vapor. I also kept my binding set-up. People love those Vapors (and Senates and Stradas), and now I know why. @Horton has a great review of last year's Vapor here on BOS, and my understanding is that nothing has changed except the color scheme. Your mileage may vary, but I would at least try one out.

@Rivvy - Zbox is an upgrade to Stargazer; you have to have SG to use a Zbox. Stargazer adds GPS functions not available on PP Classic, such as mapping your course(s) so you don't need magnets. Zbox adds ZO-type features, most importantly, an accelerometer system. As @kstateskier said, you'll want to get the Start gazer unit dialed in before adding Zbox, because Zbox provides a few settings on top of what the Stargazer system comes with. Spend some time familiarizing yourself, and you'll have no problem, and the Perfect Pass support crew is awesome. We have SG on our '98 Nautique, and added Zbox last year. It works great.

Basic tool set plus spare impeller and belts. A can of Corrosion Block makes it on board every now and then because we're in saltwater. That stuff works like a charm.

I'm no expert by any means, but that's how I measured my front Wiley and it worked great.

@oldjeep - the '97 - '99 Nautiques (and maybe '00 - '01) have a battery well in the floor under the observer's seat with a snug, carpeted cover. @rodltg2 has the same problem we have on our '98-- the cover won't go all the way down because the battery is too tall. Drives me nuts (not a long trip). Thanks for the advice -- I'll try to remember it when this battery dies.

There are many people who ski well into their 70s and 80s. I just turned 55 and I've never skied better nor had more fun learning. I'm getting back into competition after 28 years away. Great times ahead!

@Youd270, my two cents. If you're running 32 mph passes after a "couple of years" and looking to get to 36 in competition, it sounds like you're athletic and young. I'd drop the coin on a Vapor Lithium, get it tuned at a nearby ski school and get busy. You'll have a ski you won't outgrow for a few more seasons that will allow to improve at your pace. Keep in mind I'm saying this without the benefit of watching you ski; if you're a scrappy mess at 32 mph, you might want to heed the advice of @horton. He's certainly way more qualified than I.

I'm an honorary Yooper, @oldjeep. Five years at da Tech. Oh, yaaaah, you betcha dare. Yer darn tootin'! I know enough about winter that I like to be able to drive to a lower elevation and get out of it.

@horton - It's actually very beautiful back there during winter. So beautiful, I moved to Southern California 32 years ago and never really looked back.

@Porkfight and @Rumjahn are correct: It's still the law in California and the flag only has to be up when the skier is down or otherwise in the water. With as crowded as our public waterways get, I feel it's actually pretty effective. This is especially true in the narrower waterways of the Colorado River and the Delta. Most boaters know to give you wide berth, and many will wave a hand to let you know they see you. As a driver, a flag up ahead tends to make you pay closer attention. No biggie. Having said all that, flying a flag while the skier is up sounds like a pain in the butt. I think it would be more of a distraction, flapping in your ears and blocking your view. Someone needs to take one of those flags to Springfield and bonk that politician over the head with it.

@eleeski - Come on down any time. Would love to pull you a set or two. I am doing a daily snow dance - Mammoth got rained on, adding insult to injury. Never seen anything like it. @Tyler_R - You really don't want to move to San Diego. It's the pits! I don't think it got much above 70 today.

Two very nice sets in San Diego this morning, but the sea breeze kicked up quickly and messed up my wife's second set. Went to the beach after rinsing down the boat and grabbing some lunch. Big surf and a stiff onshore breeze, but lots of warm sun and lots of people. Another friend had some nice folks from Canyon Lake out for some sets as well -- looking forward to tournament season with that crew.

A couple summers ago, we snagged a '98 196 with a mere 273 hours from some nice folks up in Sacramento. I cannot imagine a better value for a family who wants to improve their buoy count, but can only dream of affording one of the newer ZO tugs. Thoughtful design, outstanding build quality, excellent tracking. Looking forward to many years of service with a little TLC and preventative maintenance (and several cases of Corrosion Block -- we're in saltwater).

My wife is a wonderful and willing driver - a natural. I am the luckiest guy on earth.

@skibrain‌ The Barefoot 200 came out in 1991. It has a V-hull with a great hole shot and good top-end, but it tracks poorly, so it's not very good for course skiing. The Prostar 200 before it is actually pretty decent in the course at slower speeds and longer line lengths. It's basically their Prostar 190 hull -- tracking fins and all -- with a different layout for an outboard. It's wake is almost non-existent. I would recommend this boat to anyone who needs or prefers an outboard rig for serious skiing. Both are great rigs, but are no substitute for an inboard when it comes to trick wakes and slalom course performance. Plus you can't beat an inboard's full swim platform for convenience. A recreational club here in San Diego has one of each, and they love those boats to death. They beat the crap out of them pulling skiers year-round on Mission Bay and at the Colorado River, where they can run them up on sandbars without any concerns. You don't want to do that with an inboard. The Yama 200s on those things are thirsty, but bulletproof.

@eleeski‌ - Some downhill skis have a hole in the tip. For climbing skins? Anyway, with as little snow as Mammoth and Tahoe have right now, you can put holes in your bases just by skiing on them.

Saturday morning sets planned here in San Diego. Sunday morning, too. Spring suit at most for me, maybe trunks and heater shirt. My wife has her full suits packed, but she has an excuse. She's a native Southern Californian.

Whole bunch of us trunkin' it in San Diego today. Water mid-60s, air just over 70, but the sun felt a lot warmer than that. College tournament next weekend, but we'll be back out after that.

@SkiNGurl‌ - What @giantjoe‌ said, plus arms straight! An "easy-up" handle that fits over the ski will keep the ski in front of him until he's moving fast enough to stand up. A "wide-body" ski as shown above works wonders, and a ski like that will help him learn the basics once he's up. But whatever equipment he's on, he needs to keep his arms straight and not stand up too soon.

@SDNAH2OSKIER‌ - I'm one of the weekend morning crew. We're in a blue and white '98 SN, but there are several regulars there whose boats fit that very description. @Moggie‌ - What @eleeski‌ says is true. I go for weeks or months on salt, then do a weekend or a tournament on fresh. I find I have to be careful at first because the ski seems to sink more readily. On the pullout or turn-in, it feels like I could "mush" the ski if I'm not careful. After the first couple turns everything feels normal. Just ski. Best advice ever!

There are a good number of ballers here in San Diego who ski mostly in saltwater. We use lots of water to rinse off the boat and ski gear, then flush the engine a solid 5 minutes. Disassemble your fin block and take the bindings off every few weeks for a good rinsing, just like @Moggie suggested. As for the boat, some of us inspect our exhaust risers annually, and reassemble with fresh gaskets. The risers usually need replacing every couple hundred hours, even with most "freshwater cooling" systems. A dripless shaft seal is worth every penny in saltwater. A few of us douse our engines and drivelines with Corrosion Block every few months. A can is about $20 US, and I think it delays, if not outright prevents, expensive repairs down the line. Your painted steel trailer is on borrowed time in saltwater -- galvanized or aluminum rigs are the way to go. Most of us run disc brakes because drum brakes basically melt away in a few months, even with diligent rinsing. Some of us use Salt Away or the equivalent, others say it's a waste of money. Your mileage may vary. Saltwater skis faster than fresh. You ride higher in the water and it just feels more slippery. The nearby desert lakes feel like molasses at first. We don't have bull sharks that I know of, but we do have jet skiers and rowing team coaches in small chase boats that throw rollers into our course from the no-wake zone they train in. Your bull sharks are probably far more intelligent, sociable and pleasant to deal with.

@AdamCord - Might you be able to share who "we" is in your post?

@Texas6 - Thanks to the considerable talents of an incredibly creative local, we're enjoying a self-adjusting slalom course in the tidal waters of Mission Bay in San Diego. You cannot begin to imagine the amount of time and hassle this system has saved us over the years. Please PM me for details.