BrennanKMN

Finding the handle may be difficult, but getting the rope to string or re-string an existing handle is easy. 

S-Lines offers their rope in bulk. 

Maybe I am the outlier here, but there is no way I'd give up that boat for a new 200. 

Good luck with the sale!

This is amazing! Thank you for the time and effort required to put this system together. I am excited to use it after the struggles I had with GiveGo. 

I like that the system is fluid and allows each coach to use their own style. However, that opens up the door for potential confusion. For example: is the price for one video review? It looks like the system allows for multiple comments/videos to be ask/answered under one 'coaching thread or session'.

Is there a mechanism to advertise what each coach will provide before you submit/pay? That allows us skiers to seek out the best coach for a particular question or issue.

I constantly see posts on here mentioning that we need cheaper boats, or that the cost of new boats is part of the problem of why skiing is in decline. 

I'd love to hear some arguments as to why, because I cannot think of one.

It seems that wake boats are flying off the lot and they cost 2-3x a ski boat in some cases. If buying a new ski boat is the reason your not skiing, I'd argue you didn't really want to ski anyway. You can get great deals on used boats all the time. The 'average joe skier' that this sport needs to grow doesn't need a new zero off, direct injection, 93 octane, closed bow, 6.2L slalom machine. A 1990's era ski boat from any manufacture will pull them down their open water slalom set just the same. 

I know boats are general are more expensive now then they used to be. I know some of you 'back in the day' could afford a new Ski Nautique directly out of college. With that said, do you mean to tell me that if you couldn't have afforded that new Ski Nautique out of school you would have quit skiing? 

Personally, we're simply lying to ourselves if we think the cost of boats is the issue... A striped down slalom boat will not solve anything.

This is one of those cases where the term 'Ski Boat' is often painted with a very wide brush. 

Around me, if it isn't a fishing boat it is a ski boat. 

22 hours ago, GregHind said:

Zero off is tightly integrated with the engine ECU, I'd be super interested if you could reverse engineer it and make the head unit work with other ECUs but that seems unlikely. 

This is what I am interested with this project. Frankly, building an engine and dumping it in a boat isn't all that out of the ordinary. The proprietary ECM's and CANbus interfacing with ZeroOff is what I am curious on. You can't just fire up EFI Live or HP Tuners and tune a known compatible ECM to work. 

@Scott Russell Care to share how to plan to do that? 

15 hours ago, 03RLXi said:

@BrennanKMN I've got a working QR code for the speed start stop and understand your steps 1 & 2. 

For step 3 to create a QR to run the script do I use https://gopro.github.io/labs/control/custom/  leaving everything unticked and only have the text BOOT=!Lwaterski ?  Or can I just use the QR you're posted? (so long as I name my file ' waterski ' with no file extension)

Then with step 4 only ever need to do that once? i.e. from then on every time the camera gets fresh battery put in it and manually powered on it will load the waterski file which in trun will set the speed start stop.

Interested in your step 6. IS that because you have a external power charge lead to boat and the gopro sees it go live hence it boots, loads waterski file and sets speed? 

Apology for the many questions. Trying to lessen the load on driver and observer. Thanks in advance

 

@03RLXi

For step 3, you only need to create a QR code with the "BOOT=!Lwaterski" and everything else blank. The goal is to tell the GoPro to run the script which should contain your custom settings already. 

For step 4, you only need to do it once. It will always look for that script on the root of the SD card on every boot. If it finds it it will run it. If it doesn't it will be 'default settings'. If you want to no longer run the script automatically on boot you'd need to create another QR code undoing the boot command.

For step 6, you're exactly correct. I have a USB charger wired to engine on power, so when the engine is running the GoPro has power. I don't keep my GoPro in the boat, so I don't use the power on function, but if I lived on the lake I absolutely would so then I'd never have to do anything for it to just work. 

More information on the boot and power command:

https://github.com/gopro/labs/blob/master/docs/control/extensions/README.md

You carry slalom rope sections with you daily...

I've carried a -38 section on my backpack that has been with me basically daily for the last 15 years. It is always fun explaining the what/why to everyone. 

I never got my lesson responded too, but I really liked the fact that I could get a tip or two vs. full lessons. Sometimes all I needed was that one 'ah-ha' moment to keep me moving. Other times not so much. 

I love the cost aspect and the quick nature. I could post a quick video from a set on Thursday and be working on the tip by Saturday. As someone who sometimes skis 3 sets a week or sometimes 1 set a month, I like the pay-as-you-go structure as well.

As a side note, I have not seen anything official on their website saying it's the end? The only thing I have seen was that screenshot posted earlier. 

I do agree, that skis degrade over time. However, at what point does it matter for most of us? 

I would argue that for the vast majority of us it really doesn't matter. You're far more likely to see an improvement in your skiing from a new ski due to newer technology vs. a 'non warn out identical ski'. While I have zero data to back any of this up, I would find it very hard to believe that someone skiing at the -15 to -28/32 level would notice any true difference. If they did I would argue that it is mental and a blind test would need to be performed.

I ski 40-60 sets a year. I try and use a ski for 3-5 years. After that I believe I can benefit from the advancements in new skis. Not that my ski is so warn out that I need a new one.

This is a great reminder!

I submitted a direct connect (my first one) on July 8th that still hasn't gotten feedback. Frankly, I had forgot. I will reach out to GiveGo to cancel the session and refund me, no use getting coaching at this point with the course on the bottom of the lake for the winter.

I assumed the service was pretty good after all the positive experiences here, but I guess that wasn't the whole story. I really liked the 'instant feedback' idea. Submit a video on my Friday set so I can have feedback for my Saturday set.

@LeonL  I think you nailed it. 

The "replacement cost" of my ZeroOff equipped 196 is significantly higher than the sale price of it.

When my 2007 reached 999 I attached an hour meter to the 12v for the fuel pump. That way I can track maintenance without needing a laptop all the time. Mounted the gauge under the observers seat. Pretty easy install. Under $100 bucks too...

Hour Meter Without Relay.pdf

Assuming it is the same brand as mine. I had a handle from them for 5-6 years with no 'peeling' wear like that. Only hand pressure wear. 

I got a new handle (same manufacture as the previous one) 2 years ago and by the end of the first year it had several nicks and peels like you have pictured. I have still been using it and it doesn't seem to be getting worse. 

I can say that when it comes time to re-string this handle I will be moving to another manufacture. I cannot justify the cost for them anymore. 

Interesting product.

I have a similar view point as @BraceMaker 

There are a few skiers/drivers in my area I avoid skiing with. Not because they cannot keep it straight enough in the course (for my PB into 38, I am not that picky), but it is about the setup and drop. Some of these courses require significantly more driver skill for the pullup and drop than the actual course. I wonder how this product will handle that. 

Of the few drivers I have trained, that was the harder part to learn. Dropping a skier at -38+ is a precision task. Especially on a non-straight setup. 

4 hours ago, MitchellM said:

Interesting.  How long should I be expected to leave my boat unused and have it still fire up?

Not sure what boat you have, but my 2007 Nautique I can lave over the winter (4-6 months) and have it still start in the spring. Battery is at least 7 years old at this point too.

I understand your question is about a tender, but if you're leaving your boat for 2-3 weeks and you're coming back to a dead battery you have another issue to sort out. 

I think the poll needs an option for 'other'. 

As @lpskier eluded to, there is a GoPro option for this. That is what I prefer to use. 

In the last year I have logged close to 180GB of video from my sets using that method. 

I prefer the GoPro: Better video, no battery issues, don't need to tie up my phone, expandable storage. With hypersmooth, you don't need any stabilization/crop in my experience. 

You are correct with the moving of files, but that is simple to me. I have a setup where I just rotate SD cards. It is an extra step for sure, but worth it for my team and I. I run a website with all the video sets on it for me and all my ski partners. So I don't have to share files around. Just go online and watch anytime. 

Two things for me have really upped my consistency at -35.

1. Consistent gate width, pullout, cut in timing and power/effort. (read: gate)

2. Taking it easier. I often was pulling too long trying to 'crush' the pass. Easing up and practicing better handle control into the ball has help immensely. Form trumps power every time for me. 

I use basic 8in 50lb zip ties to secure both the buoy to the riser line and the riser line to the course PVC. Stupid cheap, easy to break away with excess load, and makes sinking/raising the course very easy for the off season. 

Will your permit allow you to leave the course in 24/7? I suspect that you would have far fewer issues if the course is always up. Just replace a few snagged buoys every so often. 

Now that is a solid course anchor....

Mine is to focus on nothing! Generally when I think about something, everything else goes out the window. 

Mine is to try as hard as I can to just shut off the brain and let muscle memory take over. Otherwise, when in doubt calm down - stop trying as hard. 

On 7/28/2023 at 1:22 PM, SlalomSteven said:

@BrennanKMN - Next level!! But sorry, can you clarify the specific steps a bit more? My GPS setting QR text string is oSoB1oC!SK48-47!R , so I put !SAVEboot="oSoB1oC!SK48-47!R" into a .txt (or something else?) file on the SD card? What do I name the script file, and what QR code do I show the GoPro to get it to look for the script every time on startup?

Thank you!

@SlalomSteven

It has been a while, but this is what I recall as the basic steps. 

1. Get your QR code string. Mine is "mVr1080p120fW20oSM50,50e2hS0dR0aWg1v0q0oV0B1D4R1CSW0L0!SK25-20!R!MBASE="[yyyy-mm-dd_HH-MM]_"

2. Create a file with no extension on the root of the SD card directory. Basically a .txt file with the .txt removed. I called my "waterski". Put the raw QR code string in the file. My file is also attached. 

3. Create a QR code to tell the GoPro to run that script/file on each boot. 

4. Scan that code. 

5. Be sure that every SD card you have has the same command on it. Otherwise if you boot the GoPro and walk away it wont run the script. 

6. If you want to be even more fun. Use the power on commands to automatically power on the GoPro with the boat. So then when the engine starts, the GoPro starts, and runs the command to always record. Pretty bullet proof...

waterski

17 minutes ago, CReckard said:

Am I understanding correctly that the camera won’t remember the settings and you must scan the QR code every time you power up the camera? 

You can create a file/script that lives on the root directory of the SD card and it will run it on every boot. Just copy the long text string that is the output of your desired QR code. Then you need to run a QR code to tell the GoPro to look for your script.

Quote

• BOOT=!Lscript - A command to run automatically at boot. For safety, this should only be a load script command, so that the command is dependent on the SD card presence. e.g. !MBOOT="!Lboot" Then you can place whatever command you need in the boot script with !SAVEboot="your command here". See an example in IMU Triggers for Drones
  • An inventive use of oMBOOT="command", 'oM' commands do not survive power cycles, so this is not a "boot" command, but this style of command will run as a subroutine.
  • e.g. !10:00NoMBOOT="!SM3D4H5!R" <- Wake at 10am, then motion capture continuously.
  • vs !10:00N!SM3D4H5!R <- which will wake at 10am, but only motion capture once a day.

I have mine all setup where I just turn it on and forget about it. It has my custom recording speed presets, video format, file naming convection and even displays my name and phone number on each boot incase I misplace the GoPro.

Why not use a fully submersible course? if you live close to the course you can even run a air line on to shore and use a compressor there to automate the whole process. 

The other option is to make a grappling hook from rebar. I use that to find my course every spring. Drag it across the mainline in the middle and within 5 minutes I have the mainline every time.