TallSkinnyGuy

@eleeski I am glad my wife does not read this forum. Your comments would freak her out.

Thanks brody and rockdog. Good to know.

@rockdog I just watched the videos and looked through the manual again and there is nothing about calibrating without a course. However, I suppose you could map a virtual course by just throwing an anchored buoy in the water and using that as the entrance gate (my understanding is that it only takes a GPS point on the entrance gate). Maybe throw another buoy in the water about 800 feet away to aim for and help keep the boat straight as if in a course. I will probably never ski behind a ZO boat and if I do it will certainly not be in a competition since I will never be entering one. I have absolutely no need for my boat to be as close to the new boats as possible -- I just want to improve the experience for both the driver and skier with a speed control device. I didn't save a ton by getting an older boat -- I maxed out my budget and got the newest boat I could with the money I had available. So, I didn't save any money, but rather I spent less than someone who can afford a newer boat. I would also like to spend less on my PP upgrade if the lower priced option will provide all the benefit I need. That is why I posed my original question. If the "Simple Slalom" mode is junk and won't provide a consistent pull through a course for 28-off and longer as implied by the PP people, then I will spend more and get the 3-event. But I don't like spending more money for features or benefits that will provide little additional value to me.

Earlier today after I received initial responses encouraging my use of the 3-event version I emailed Perfect Pass and asked if one could calibrate the slalom speeds in the 3-event version without a slalom course (I could not find any instructions on calibrating the slalom modes without a course). Aaron, one of their engineers, responded within a couple hours and told me that if I had the 3-event version but no slalom course in which to calibrate I should just use the Simple Slalom mode since it does not require calibration. So it sounds like the 3-event version would be worthless to me until I get a course. eleeski and MISkier -- My understanding is that the paddlewheel is no longer available and that the main component to make Z-box different than regular Stargazer is the addition of an accelerometer.

I am planning on getting Perfect Pass for my 1997 MC 190 within the next month and am trying to figure out which version would be best for me. The main issue is whether the Wake Edition will suffice or if I need to spend the extra $200 on 3-event. The latest version of Wake Edition includes what PP calls "Simple Slalom" which is described in the manual as "A new simple-to-use GPS Slalom mode for up to 28 off." I'm not positive, but I think this GPS version of Simple Slalom was new last year with software version 8.05. This same Simple Slalom is also one of the slalom modes available in the 3-event version, along with GPS Slalom, Practice Slalom and Classic Slalom. All but the Simple Slalom mode require calibration to match speeds with RPMs. Simple Slalom requires no calibration, but you can map a slalom course and it will give you 3-ball and full course times. With the information I have now it seems like the Simple Slalom mode that I can get with the less costly Wake Edition would be enough for me. PP in my boat will be used for free skiing and periodically in a course (I'm planning on buying a portable later this year). It is unlikely that I will ever pull someone through a course at shorter than 28 off and neither I nor my friends are likely to ever compete. So, as I said, it sounds like the Simple Slalom mode will be enough for me but I wanted to check with any of you who might have experience with this mode to find out from your first-hand experience if it works okay. Thanks for your advice.

What is the definition of "used up?" I know that with snow skis most people consider skis "used up" when they don't rebound quickly, thus making them feel dead. Might this be the same with waterskis? If a ski doesn't snap back to its original shape very fast after being bent during the pressures of a turn, perhaps this would be considered "used up?" I guess the definition would need to be more specific about the "used up" rebound rate in relation to its original rebound rate. I suppose the flex would also be a factor in that if a ski required less pressure over time to bend it a certain amount this would change the performance characteristics of the ski. So perhaps it is a change in both flex and rebound rate that determine the life of a ski? I would imagine flex would be a lot easier to measure than rebound rate.

Sorry for the ignorance, but what are you guys talking about? Mold release? What is that?

It probably varies by state, but I think in California that all power boats are required by law to have a "kill switch" with a lanyard.

Just found a link to a good "guide to buying a used ski boat." http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/showpost.php?p=257514&postcount=47

@Matt_M There are lots of boats out there from the 1995-2000 with under 750 hours on them and many with under 500 hours (I would consider under 500 to be low hours for a boat of that era). However, a 1000-hour boat that was well maintained could be much better than a 500-hour boat that was poorly maintained. When I was shopping for a boat of this era I was hoping to buy from an original owner who had good maintenance records. I ultimately had the owner take it to a trusted boat mechanic and I paid the mechanic about $175 IIRC to do a "used boat checkout service" which included compression testing of all engine cylinders. I also wanted a hull that had no significant damage and had not been beached. I've got a long list of items for a used boat inspection that I found on the Mastercraft forum. PM me with your email address and I will email it to you if you want it.

1997 Ski Nautiques or Mastercrafts in good condition are pretty hard to find for under $12K (at least they were for me in California) but you should be able to find a low-hour '97 for somewhere in the $13-$15K range. If someone is asking the higher side of that range it should have a trailer in very good condition with newer tires and fully functioning brakes and the boat should be pretty pristine.

I frequent Rollins Lake in Colfax and sometimes go up to Bullards Bar. In the above post I was talking about Rollins.

At what line length and speed do fin settings become an issue? If I never get past 28 off at 34mph do I have to worry at all about playing with fin settings?

I think it depends a lot on the individual body of water, who controls it and what the demands are for that water. The lake I use is a reservoir owned by a water supplier who has a number of reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada foothills and mountains. I questioned the recreation department head of this water supplier and one of the lake operators and both told me that there was a strong commitment to keeping the launch ramps useable through at least the summer season. I was concerned about this last year, also, but they kept the lake level plenty high all the way through to when I switched to snow skiing. I skied my first set on this lake last week and it was full to the brim. On the other hand, there are other NorCal lakes that are starting off lower than normal and became unusable last season, so, like I said, it depends on the individual body of water. Regardless, I am going to try to increase my set quantity in the early season because there are no guarantees as to when it will end.

@Wish Good thing it didn't take out your windshield. I was driving boats for a summer camp back in '89 and one of the other drivers dug the nose into a wave and it completely broke out the windshield. Also almost completely filled the boat with water. I don't remember if we had to get a new battery for sure but I think most everything ended up being okay except for having to replace the windshield.

I know it is a lot different in snow skiing because each slalom course is set up uniquely and based on the hill's terrain, but I remember reading that they had to start making the slalom courses significantly more difficult in terms of flag placement after the "shaped" skis started being used. When the improved equipment makes higher achievement easier in a sport it may make sense to increase the challenge with another variable.

If slalom skiing gets to a point where you have to be really athletic and over 6'6" tall then the records will stop being broken because all the guys who could do it will go into basketball where they can make some real money. It may be better for the sport to shorten the course (or increase the boat speed?) than to require an athlete to be in the top 0.5% of the height scale in order to have any chance at winning a tournament.

Call Perfect Pass directly. They will help you get dialed in. I have been confused about PP functions while researching it (I plan to get mine this spring) largely because there are a lot of different versions out there that function differently. Perhaps you're using a manual that was for an older version than you installed?

I am at your friend's level and have been skiing on the V for two years now. I initially bought it with double Sidewinder bindings, but they really hurt my feet a lot so I had to return them and exchange for Talons. Everyone's feet are not the same (e.g. I have a high arch and high instep, and the pain from the Sidewinders was across the top of my foot), but the Talons are the most comfortable bindings I have ever tried. Granted, I haven't tried many, though. The Talons can be better customized than the Sidewinders because each boot has two separate laces (one for the bottom and one for the top part of the boot) and they come with a set of elastic laces, which is what I ended up using for the top part. With the Overton's pre-Thanksgiving sale right now you can get a 67" V with double Talons for $518, which is a great deal for this ski.

Liquid Zone just north of Sacramento I think. http://www.skiwestcoast.com/coaching/

There are a few different potential locations for the course. The best from a boat traffic standpoint is up a river arm, but it is narrow and the wake bounces off both sides back and forth for a while. As you suggested, I was thinking it might be best in a wide part of the lake and set it up far enough from one shoreline to get in two passes before the wake bounces back from the nearest shore. Perhaps I should just do some experimenting and go back and forth in various potential spots before buying a course.

I am planning on buying a portable slalom course for next season and have been researching lakes in my area to determine where I can use one. I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Northern California and the public lake closest to me (and most public lakes near me where I could use a portable course) were built in dammed ravines. This means they are usually deep and they have very steep shorelines. This hasn't been a big problem when freeskiing because you can travel a mile or so in one direction before turning around and by then the wake rebound has settled down. Obviously, this is different with a slalom course where you are going back and forth in the same spot. I'm hesitant to go forward with purchasing a portable course if I can only ski one pass and then have to wait 5-10 minutes for the water to settle down before I can do the next pass. Has anyone else been in my situation and figured out something to help with the wake bouncing problem?

@Skoot1123 That's exactly what I was thinking. That boat is flashy and classy at the same time. I can only afford boats that are over 15 years old, so I know what I am going to be dreaming about for the next 15 years.

There are a lot of boats out there that get 25 hours or less a year on them, so it was pretty easy for me to find a boat from the mid 90s last year with under 500 hours. Under 800 hours was really really easy with that era boat. So I figured why even look at boats with over 800 hours unless a truly significant discount came with it. I now know more about boats and am not as fearful of 1000+ hours, but I think I would still be searching for a well maintained boat with under 800 hours if I were buying now because I know there are plenty out there.

I also am interested in seeing it down. From the pic above it seems like it can't be down and be out of the way.