PeterAK

@BraceMaker and @Bill22 I bet you are both right! @wilecoyote I hadn't thought to lap fit my prop. I may do that this spring. Right after I acquire a prop puller... I wouldn't preheat the prop at install though, sheesh, no wonder it was tough to get off. @ToddA are you interested in @ALPJr 's offer? If not I'd like more info--but I don't want to step on any toes since this is your thread. Guessing the prop wouldn't work on your boat, but you could always sell it and keep the rest of the kit. That's what I'd be doing as I bought a new OJ and had them rework the OEM prop, which is my spare.

Hello. I'm Pete, and I live in Milwaukee, WI. Learned to ski behind runabouts on the backwaters of the Mississippi as a teenager. Got into wakeboarding as a 20 something (but I was never any good). Had a couple of direct drive boats during that phase, which were sold when I got into long course triathlon (Ironman Wisconsin finisher in 2007 and 2009). Marriage and kids followed. We went in on a runabout with my wife's brother and didn't use it too much when our kids were toddlers. Fall of '17 we bought a cabin in Waupaca and spring of '18 sold out of the runabout and I picked up a '92 PS190. At 43 I'm more stoked than ever by the feeling of a good cut on a slalom ski. My kids, now 6 and 8, can now both get up long line on trainer skis. They sometimes hate me for it, but they are not allowed on a tube until they have taken at least one ski run. I figure they'll thank me for this later in life. :smile: The lake our cabin is on is not a very good ski lake but being by the water there is still my happy place. I get out with a buddy on Pine Lake (just NW of Milwaukee) at least once a week after work, either in my PS or his early 90's SN. I'm a mortgage loan officer and own a handful of rental property. I enjoy the work and the flexibility that comes with it.

I'm in the market for one of these too. Why are the c-clamp style so expensive? Seems like it wouldn't require much more manufacturing complexity than a standard c-clamp. Any reason not to go with a harmonic puller? Seems like it could damage the drive line.

I'm a recreational skier and have never been in a course, but I love pushing it and cutting as hard as I can. I picked up a new old stock 2016 Connolly V last summer and love it. It cuts nicely and has more speed than the more beginner level ski it replaced. Summit Sports had them on close out for a really good deal. If 65 is the right size for you, they have some crazy discounted V and Carbon V options right now.

@Horton I didn't see anything saying that the site functioned that way. Are you supposed to leave a comment? Click on the "Send Enquiry" [sic] link? When I think ambassador, I expect it to be a person with a name. I only looked at a couple of the ambassador pages but they seemed to be more location than person. To be clear--I think this is a great idea and my feedback is intended to be constructive!

Just seeing this thread now, guessing @Horton changed the setting so the masses can see it... In my former life as a (not very good) wakeboarder I met a few guys through the "find a pull" section of a wakeboarding web site. I just looked at the ambassador web site for the first time and it's a bit clumsy. Searching my zip code (Milwaukee burbs) I get one close by hit for an ambassador, and it is not a person, it's the name of a lake. There is a picture of a person, but I don't know his name or if he is offering to help at all. Not sure what to do with that. @Jetsetr 's recent thread about buying a course and offering access is the first hope I've had of trying out a course. Scheduling hasn't worked out yet, but I look forward to meeting him and trying out the course. As a rec skier who loves going for it on open water and would like to try a course for fun but will not likely compete, finding enthusiastic partners is not easy. I have one buddy who is of the same mindset as I am, and we either bring our kids out for find a non enthusiast who is game for an evening on the boat. Trouble is we like to head for the lake around 4 on a weekday, so we need someone who is willing and able to cut out of work. What about adding a sub forum here that is for finding a pull or a 3rd?

Installed the new OJ 454 and hit the lake last night. Boat is now as smooth as I hoped it would be. Hole shot is a bit improved, top end gained 2 mph (need to check it with GPS to verify, but based on speedos now showing 45 vs 43 prior to swap), and wake seems smoother. Happy with the change. Sending the original prop to OJ to be reworked for free and put on the shelf as a back up. Biggest news of the night was my six year old son skiing long line for the first time, though the skis are still attached to each other. Next time we go out I plan to put him on the boom without the bar on the skis and see how it goes. OJ had the prop on my doorstep two business days after ordering. Their price for a new nut/key/cotter pin was $8 and change and they shipped free. Total cost was maybe $50 more than buying the same prop from a retailer, but with the rework of my old prop I'll come out well ahead. Good experience buying direct from OJ for sure. Since buying this boat this spring I've put more money and work into it than planned, but isn't it how it goes when buying a classic? Only items left on my to do list are fuel filters, new hose on the shaft log, and refinish the platform. And ski ski ski.

@Ski_Dad that would be great! Thank you. Thanks @BraceMaker that would be the plan. The OJ is about $50 more expensive when buying direct from OJ but the refurb of my old prop would be great, as it would then be a good spare.

Should have added--I'm in WI so essentially sea level. Primary use is open water slalom, and towing my kids on tubes AFTER they have skied. :smile:

I bought my boat this spring, and it had a bit of vibration when accelerating. It also had a worn out cutlass bearing and bent strut... I've replaced the strut and aligned the drive and still have the vibration, though it is now in a narrower RPM range. Boat is a '92 PS190 with the stock 351w HO -- 285hp and 1.52:1 Powerslot. Current prop is the original OJ, which looks to be in good shape but does have a couple nicks on it. I reached out to OJ, and Eric recommends their #454, 13.7 X 17.5 LC 1 1/8” 4-blade. I reached out to ACME, and they recommend their 381. Anybody with first hand experience on either of these, or have one laying around they'd like to sell? Thanks!

Follow up in case anyone visits this thread looking for similar advice. The O'Brien Tech Neoprene Jacket is great. Comfy and doesn't get in the way. For the money, I think it's hard to go wrong. I'm not happy with the HO Men's World Cup gloves. There are two straps on them, and while the one over my wrist is fine, the strap between that one and the palm is so short I can barely close it. I bought XL and they are not big enough, though usually an XL work glove fits me ok.

I've never skied a course but would love to try sometime! My weekday schedule can be flexible. I'm on the west side of Milwaukee and a '92 ProStar 190 I could bring with me--though it does not have speed control.

As a recreational skier, I'm thankful for the folks who are willing to pay whatever the new boats cost. I'm on my third direct drive boat (having owned two in my late 20's - early 30's and have now, in my early 40's, bought back in). Current boat is a '92 Prostar 190, total invested is under $9,500, which includes the typical stuff needed for a boat this age (new hoses, fluids, trailer tires, and minor repairs). Most expensive was a TriStar I paid $10k for and sold for... $10k after enjoying it for a few years. Least expensive was a Centurion that I made a couple thousand on when I sold. Maybe some day I'll buy a boat that is expensive enough to lose some real money on. :smiley:

Cool boat! I'll be on that dock at sometime this coming weekend. We have a place on Spencer Lake and go to Clearwater Harbor for dinner most weekends we are there.

Perfect. On sale for $50 at Overton’s, 15% off on top of that and free shipping! Thanks for the recommendation.

@vtmecheng That's awesome feedback. What size do you wear in that jacket?

Hi Ballers--I've been reading the site for a year or so and have learned a ton. I grew up waterskiing the backwaters of the Mississippi in Wisconsin behind a tri hull, and spent some time wakeboarding in my early 30's. In my early 40's now and have the ski bug and am excited to teach my kids to ski. I just picked up a '92 ProStar 190 to replace a Bayliner runabout that we shared with my brother in law for the last few years. I'm 6'4" and 180 lbs, and am looking for a good USCG approved ski vest. Also looking for gloves, and I have big hands, usually an XL work glove works, but just barely. I've always just skied in whatever jackets were on the boat, but would like to upgrade to something more comfortable without spending too much money. Any advice would be helpful!

Loved it. I've hiked in Patagonia but this showed another side and made me want to go back for a different kind of adventure. Thanks @MarcusBrown and thanks to HO and Sperrys for supporting these videos! I grew up waterskiing and am just coming back to the sport. I've watched a handful of Marcus's stuff and enjoy it.