DaveinPa

I booked online also, usually around lunch time though. Do suggest giving yourself a breather between sessions. They have a huge screened in patio with chairs etc.that the family can hang out in if they are with you, overall great 1st time experience for me. Enjoy!

Want to give a "shout out" to Arthur @ Eden Ski Lake, got instruction from him two days earlier this month while visiting my sister in Ft.Myers. Great facility, had great weather, and he is not only a great, personable person but a great teacher, I learned a lot and will definitely be going back! Thanks Arthur, it was great! Dave

Regardless of what we all have done, good ending and glad your dog is 100%!!! Dave

12 days ago I was about where @Jchernyak is in the video, and that was after all the good advice I had gotten on this forum, tons of it and greatly appreciated! No coach as of yet. The only change I made was to try RFF which I have never done, even after dropping a ski. After maybe 5 or 6 attempts I was doing what is said by everyone above, moving in gear, V harness rope to keep the ski straight, etc.etc. I was SO close, not yelling "go" till everything seemed right and my butt was clear of the water 3 or 4 times on my Butterknife but not "up and gone". I felt as though I had learned a lot and next time out I would go back to LFF and maybe succeed. So I then SCREWED UP and decided one more try and leave back foot out and drag/balance with it. Never done that. Ended badly, right leg could not handle the big ski by itself and even though I let go rather quickly I still "tweeked" my hamstring by hyper-extending the leg, not bad nut no skiing for 8 or ten days. So I will use all the above advice again, try LFF, I agree with all the above posts, but at age 69 I think I need both feet in. This is an invaluable forum!!!! Good luck @Jchernyak !! Dave

@6balls That is good news. As someone who has suffered with disc issues in the lower back, I only recently tried a "spinal decompression table" treatment @ chiropractors. (expensive equipment) About once a month for the last 5 months and have had no pain since doing this; it is amazing for me. Something to keep in mind for the future, takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Dave

Awesome!!!!!!!!!

@vtmecheng Stone Harbor, we do Avalon some summers. Hard to believe a 175 on a bow-rider is crappy, let me know if he wants my contact in Florida. Dave

After a discussion with a prop guru in Florida, I replaced the aluminum 3 blade with a 4 blade stainless on my Johnson 150 Ocean Pro two stroke. Two times out skiing and my daughter and I saw an improvement and I am at 185 lbs, no more "firewalling". Today was "guys" day, one only runs the boat to pull me, the other guy is younger than I @ age 64 and I have had him out the last 3 seasons. The end of last year he had 3 "failure to launches" on two skis. Had not happened before. I gave him my skis and he did get up but barely. He weighs 208 lbs. Realized today this might help but said little. My skis on him and I could tell he was nervous so I hammered it and he was out and up and grinning like a Cheshire cat. He got out of the water 4 or 5 times today and he was amazed. Probably cut the planing time by more than half. So although not an inboard, (someday?) the prop has made a world of difference for us to ski, don't know why I did not think about it sooner!! Dave

@BraceMaker @ Jetsetr @RINLE Yes all good points, I think I will try a couple times with right foot forward instead, and I definitely was not sitting back enough; so I'll find out if I have better control with RFF and if I do I will try and make it happen that way. Really would like to avoid dropping a ski but if it is the only way for this old guy I can live with it. Just want the old feeling & freedom of skiing on one! Thanks, Dave

@Jetsetr Yeah definitely was getting pulled over the front. Have always been LFF & don't think I can change it now. Baseball grip is a point because after I am up I always go to that anyway, right hand dominant like you, and way more "pulling strength" with my hands that way. CG aft, all good points, thanks, another day is coming soon!! Dave

@Jordan Interesting video, petty much what I did NOT do! So correct me if I am wrong; he has both feet in the boots or RTP, legs are bent but his knees are Next to each other ( i tried to get rear knee behind the front maybe contributing to the wobble) and he is sitting back as opposed to leaning forward and comes out EFFORTLESSLY!! I'm going to watch this a few dozen times, thanks!! Dave

@ GregHind and to all that helped with advice: success sort of..... The good: 4 blade prop is unbelievable, planed off in half the time and no more "full throttled" when it is time to go, better wake and better bite in the turns etc. good choice. Warmed up on two skis, only boat there, then attempted deep water starts with both feet in. !st time handle popped, second and third time got pulled over the front no matter how hard I concentrate on keeping a shallow angle. Have both legs bent to my butt as hard/far as I can but not happening. Cannot figure this out. So get a Dick Pope on and get up on two, piece of cake, get speed backed down some and drop the already loose Dick Pope slowly, and then "it starts" (has happened before) as I search for the RTP with my right foot the ski starts to "snake" left and right, I cannot seem to control that and wind up putting my rear foot on top of the RTP to keep from falling, went maybe 1200 feet and let go of the rope. I then did another 2 ski start and tried "dumping" the xtra ski fairly early and again cannot get into the RTP without the ski snaking on me and I fell. Was thinking about a one leg out start but I was pretty shot and wanted my daughter to ski before weather went downhill. So............plenty of power, good 69 inch ski, Deep V handle harness, just can't put it all together. Wish I knew why the ski starts to Snake or S turn on me when I drop one. Will give it another shot in a week or so. My thanks to everyone who commented, really helped me mentally! Dave

@tjs gotcha, great advice from everyone! Dave B)

@Jetsetr...Ah Ha, thought that might be a possibility. I have 5 wood cypress garden Dick Popes with the rubber bindings, so if I don't get up with two feet in I will use a very "loose" Dick Pope and step out of it soon ( I hope!) Thanks a lot, tomorrow is the day, hoping for it all to come together. Dave

@KRoundy Yes got gloves, am starting to feel like I'm gonna do this thanks to all the advice!!