Jmoski

Had there been an option for “ski the same amount”. I would have chosen it. Reality is full time WFH now makes it easier to ski more and I don’t have to get up before Sunrise to get sets in before work...

The silver lining to this mass hysteria is it will finally show the company I work for that work from home is a good thing and employees can be productive, which when the dust settles will lead to a permanent WFH policy so I can spend more time at the lake!

I have a vapor and a senate, the vapor is in storage as I’m running 30-32mph and the senate works great for these speeds. IMHO the vapor doesn’t really come alive until 34mph. Once I work up to skiing 34mph consistently, I will switch back. Given I have watched a pro run the course at 18mph on a 1” x 6” plank with no bindings, I had to accept the reality that all of my issues were lack of proper position and technique!

Frozen...

I think the the challenge with the waterski training curriculum & drills (which is a great idea) is program would need to be tuned to the things you individually need work on and then it will change over time. Gordon Rathbun has a 10 slalom drills video which I think are on YouTube now. My main goal when I spend time with a coach is to come away with a short list of the most important things for me to work on. On a side note - for the off season program @JennyLaBaw program is simply awesome, I’m on month two and it exceeds my expectations and has me working on fixing weaknesses I didn’t even know I had and were hindering my ski performance!

FYI - if you set on radar binding that great, but keep in mind many other brands bindings will mount on it as well.

I switched from a double boot set up, to reflex 2.0 front & R rear, then to Syndicate & Radar HRT which I like best. The 1/2 rear in either style were an adjustment. First couple starts I pulled my rear foot right out of it. I prefer the hrt because it’s simpler - no separate liner, it’s more durable, and I can get my foot back in If I crash. R rear no way I could get that back on in the water. That said they skied the same from my amateur point of view. My ski partner whose in double boots hated both 1/2 rear set ups on my ski because he lifts his heel at some points and felt he couldn’t get it back down, so to each his own. One note on the HRT, the front plate curvature doesn’t pair with the syndicate, so I had to grind the front of the plate to snug my rear foot behind the front boot. It was easy to do, just no returning it after that...

I’ve been on Sunapee a few times, beautiful lake, but outside skiing early, once the non skiing crowd is out there is no end to the rollers. This is part because the lake is somewhat broken into 3 round’ish areas connected by areas with hazards & no wake zones. As a result, non skiers end up doing big circles in these regions... Keep in mind in NH you need a boaters license to operate on it - you can get a 2 week temp license I think online. Not sure where you are coming from, but the Sebago Lake region in Maine has lots of great options. Squam lake in NH is pretty amazing lake as well - you absolutely need the detailed navigational map though given the hazards.

@vtmecheng - interesting perspective you raise, One thing there is no doubt on is the non pmi core skiis handle the rough water better. Better word choice of yours - a better “damping” effect for open water than “stiffer”.

@Horton - this is from experience skiing both models in both constructions, I find the pmi core is more flexible and reactive - hence the ski vibrates and flexes more as you hit bumps on rougher water - which I find disruptive, the stiffer cores IMHO do a better job of plowing throw the chop - proving a smoother experience on rough water. I mention the difference in construction and the brand because this is my point of reference. A point of reference to help address the OP’s ask - to find a ski that can run the course but also handle rougher water... Skiis like the pro build vapor chatter in rough/choppy water like an old man’s teeth on a frigid winter morning.

For choppier water free skiing on bigger lakes you want a stiffer ski, that’s why the alloy version of the senate/vapor will be better than the PMI core in the pro build models.

I have participated in many more dangerous activities over the years - rock & ice climbing, mountaineering, white water canoeing & rafting, paragliding, etc. never a single issue, why? Because I know my limits and am careful about when I push it. Worst injury I ever had across all sports - blown Achilles from running the bases hard playing fast pitch softball - yes, softball. go figure...

The problem with the r rear is the back edge of the shell is hard and borderline sharp, hence it chews up the heel of the liner from putting your foot in. I tried taking a file to it, which helped a little, but in the end I switched to a radar HRT rear. No liner, holds up better (no rusting parts), and I can get my foot back in after a crash in the water.

The shore station dealer (NH) I bought my lift from had a custom made trailer for transporting them assembled - minus the canopy. Maybe there is a dealer near you has one as well. In my case they drove it to my property and 4 guys hand carried it off and down to the water. Had I been close to the boat ramp they would used floats to get it off the trailer at the ramp and moved it down the lake. If you are close to a ramp, floating it over right onto the trailer would make easy work of loading. You then just need to strap it down securely and pull it out just like pulling the boat.

Anytime you are going to buy/order waterski gear online I would highly recommend performance surf & ski out of Orlando, they are simply awesome in terms of customer service, knowledge and speed getting your new gear out to you.

If you go with a hard shell binding keep in mind you need to be diligent about retightening the bolts as with all of the flexing that happens they can loosen up. In terms of the transition the biggest adjustment IMHO is the change from a full rear to a 1/2 rear (reflex r, radar HRT) or even bigger to a toe plate. I am very happy with my set up of a syndicate hard shell on the front and a radar HRT 1/2 rear coming off rubber double boots. I took a massive hit on an OTF fall last month - my ankles came away unscathed, my right ear drum, not soo much...

If you don’t get a confirmation on BOS - call candlewoodeast marina, they are a correct craft dealer on the lake, they should be able to help.

My concern would be waves coming in and lifting the boat and banging it around on top of the cradle. My lift is on a public lake where from wind or the occasional wakeboard boat I can get serious waves/rollers coming at it.

Perfect pass Stargazer upgrade is plug and play in a 2006, gps based and much easier to use than the old 6.5 PP version.

I suspect most if not all ski boat trailer manufacturers (like mine) have the placard listing the max cold PSI for the tire they put on it. The manufacturers are not going to spend more money for higher load rated tires than what is required.

For the tire to carry the max load the tire is rated for it has to be at max PSI. As you drop the air pressure you proportionally drop the weight it can handle.

One subtlety - Some 2006’s are TSC 2

Could be a bad keypad, they are known to go bad over time. I had similar unpredictable electrical issues (hit the horn and the whole boat shuts off) that turned out to be a damaged connector on the back of the keypad. This happened from taking my dash/helm off (to swap out gauges on my 196) without fully disconnecting the 4pin plug on the back of keypad. This resulted in bending the connector, causing behavior just like what you are seeing. Popped in a replacement keypad and it was fixed.

I don’t necessarily feel the sensation of gliding up on the ski, but I am definitely on the front foot, riding it as I come up. By keeping the ski on a 30 degree angle you maximize the surface area the water is pushing on (with a good portion being in upward direction) hence you can stand earlier, which makes for easier starts. If the ski is dead vertical, one is fighting the boat the whole way instead of working with the boat and the ski. In this approach you have to hold until the boat is going fast enough to exert enough force on the bottom half of ski to cantilever you up out of the water. I’ve helped several people break this pattern, but it’s not an easy to change because your position is very different. Finally, everyone’s build and body composition is different, so what works great for me might not work as well for others.

Given the handle is being pulled out of your hands that tell me your too far back on the ski. Try starting with the handle right on top of your front binding, literally on the laces. This will help shift your center of mass more over your front foot. Hold that position until the ski planes. As others have commented - sucking your rear foot under your butt just as the boat takes off helps hold the ski at a 30 degree angle to the water which will help it ride up out of the water. I think about this every time I take off.