H2Oski17

MitchellM— Check your Messages. I’m moving to the Polk City area and have experience w floating courses and submersible courses. BTW—10ft is almost the perfect depth for a submersible course.

If anyone is selling a 43 or 44in trick ski... I’m in the market. Left foot fwd. I’m strongly in the slalom camp but want to pick up tricking as my daughter started tricking in her college ski club.

@mmosley899 About 15 yrs ago I skied a course in AL just S of Maxwell AFB. It was convenient but after rain the runoff from I-69 would really trash up the water. If you get to Charleston let me know. Pic is from yesterday. The new foam bouys should dress up the course nicely...The Clorox jugs are kind of Frankenstein but functional for now. It’s a stainless Accufloat ML w pregates.

@lpskier Yep secluded freshwater. Pic below. @adamhcaldwell Thanks for offer. With 4 skiers in the family, TL would be a bit spendy. We enjoy just being on the water and taking turns...despite the course maintenance involved. Conversely, if you have skiers that want low-cost, relaxed access to a course...let me know. @DavidN Thanks for the pictorial....simple and effective....Nice!

Glad to find this thread...1 month ago I installed a public course in Charleston SC and I’ve lost 12 bouys to gators (or maybe one gator w a taste for polyform bouys). Tried shooting GreatStuff foam into the punctured bouys w very limited success....the foam slowly soaks up water and bouys eventually sink anyway. So I purchased foam bullet bouys and will give them a try. Was wondering how I’d attach but the PVC/epoxy sounds good.

David, Just went through this same predicament this spring.... Do I try to revive a derelict course (once an awesome fully functioning accusink system but not used in 10 yrs)..... Well after 5 sessions of work we found it too far gone (biggest issue was cable mainline was crumbling). We’re now floating (full-time) a course on public water and it’s working. Only issue is either gators or vandals are puncturing bouys.

#CourseisComing! Due to a generous loan (indefinitely so long as the course is used to introduce others to slalom) of a stainless mainline from a private ski lake owner in upstate SC, I’m well on way to getting a course. I’ve had ample time to get materials and start the process...Who said unemployment due CV19 was all bad! All going well but I am trying to figure out how I’m going to tension the Mainline...what works? Obviously one gently pulls (w boat in idle) before dropping final anchor....but what if additional tension required. I’m thinking of doing the “tent stake” style tensioning on the poly rope off the anchor. I’ve read about bungees, come alongs, hanging an weight halfway between anchor and 55s. What is simple/effective? FYI The solo cups filled w Great Stuff will be my sub bouys below turnballs and also mid-PVC bouyancy if needed. Forgive any sideways photos... The forms for the anchors incorporate garden hose on both sides to run rope. Anchors will be about 115 lbs.

Welp....update on resurrection...I guess all things have a useful life. The poly rope from anchor-pregate-entrance gate was actually OK I was initially optimistic but once I finally got to the stainless mainline (which was at least 1/2in thick!)..it was shot. The Pic says it all. Though I could follow the airline to recover all the accusink subs I’d need to scuba (Depth avg 20 and zero vis and who knows how much fishing tackle, gators) and I’ve decided to leave them for now overlay a floating course. Since it’s public water, I’ll be at the mercy of DNR, vandals, etc. After using it I’ll take turn balls off. I expect boat guides to eventually disappear. I’ll probably just replace those w jugs via attrition. If I get a cease/desist from DNR I’ll probably go back and recover the accusink subs. It would be handy to have a work pontoon!

@DefectiveDave DefectiveDave, not sure if you’re monitoring this thread anymore.....but it gave me inspiration to start attempting the resurrecting of a public-water Accusink course last used around 2005. It’s in about 20-30ft water. I moved away from Charleston in 2003. Moved back a few yrs ago to find the course a long forgotten memory... Since SC lifted the CV19 boat ramp closures this weekend I was able to get out there and start looking yesterday. Had the fam w me so we had fun and freeskied over the site of the old course....and I used this as a ploy about how great it’d be to have a course.... So Despite high winds, after skiing we spent an hour making passes w a grappling hook. Nothing but weeds. I was going to give up, maybe come back w bigger heavier grapple w chain leader...and then we hooked something. Lost it while pulling ....but it gave me hope. We visually marked the spot and gave it one last pass....and hooked it— this time I was able to dive down and see it was a poly rope oriented in direction of the course.... I hooked a rope/milk jug on it and we left as fam was restless. Hoping against hope that the next fisherman down the channel didn’t deep-six the lonely crucial jug float...I went back today w a friend. The jug was still there. Having thought it through, I realized I caught the mainline between the end-anchor and the 55m bouys (because there was no airline). Had much better conditions early today (no wind....except the severe t-storm warning at noon) and by going slowly hand-over-hand I was able to grudgingly gain some headway. We were able to eventually raise the pregates from the muck.....moment of truth....Both Accusink subs were there and the airline actually seemed ok condition. We eventually were able to get the ML over the boat’s swim platform and hand-over-hand walk the boat to the entrance gates. The amount of leverage required was significant. The Swim platform was submerged by the tension of the mainline. After a mighty struggle the entrance gate and subs gave up and rose from the mud/depths. With tstorms bearing down on us we had to bail but marked the 55m and entrance gate w jugs. Lesson learned: cover the back of boat and swim platform...I will be getting rubber backed bath mats to throw over the back of boat. Prevent mud/scratches. Getting the pvc arm raised out to 1-ball....will be the next true test. Since CV-19 put me out of work at least thru May (and gas is cheap for skiing)...this is at least occupying my time (and dreams)

Today. Charleston, SC. Aside from Trophy L and Oz....Charlestons best skiing. The old Accusink course (that I’m going to try to resurrect) is just around the bend. It’s Federal land... no homes and very little boat traffic.

@dvskier Yep...shouldn’t affect you. As I said, all public access is closed in SC and I, like many people, simply do not have the means/privilege of waterfront living. Private owners can still use the beaches, waterways, etc.

Welp....SC Governor just shut down all public access to beaches, boat ramps, and waterways today. ( I don’t live on a Private lake). For the past 2 wks the the Skiing was great! My girls are home from college/HS and weather was great. Dang it!

@DefectiveDave Hope you’re getting use out of that course you saved in 2014-2015. Going to resurrect this thread...as I’m about to start a similar project in Charleston SC. I’m retired USAF and got my first taste of course skiing in 1998 on a public (Accusink) course while assigned here in Charleston. Was a vibrant scene back then...weekends had up to 10 boats in line for 2 courses. Circle back after many mil assignments and we’re now back in Charleston...but the courses haven’t been used in a decade or more. Since I’m not working due to the CV-19 pandemic.....I’ve skied more in the past 2 wks than I’ve skied in yrs...And WITH the whole family since school/college is out. While free skiing at the old public site, we came across another inboard owner (rare) and lamented not having a course. Bottom line: We’re gearing up to attempt to raise the course in much the same manner. (Yes there’s Trophy L and Stishers nearby...but I really want the family feel of being on my own time). The site is tucked away from wind/people. Can’t be afraid of alligators though...

@Bill22 I like the CDX! been skiing mine for well over a decade...probably closer to 2. My first post on BoS... Our quiver isn’t much to brag about but it works for us. The alloy top CDX started peeling back so some JB Weld holds the tip together! Though this CV-19 situation sucks...We’ve got both girls home from college and we’ve skied more here in Charleston SC as a fam in the past week than we ever have. And gas is only $1.29 to boot! Record high temps have helped too—90 today, We were even comfy wo wetsuits.