cletuspapa

I'm skiing - got wet the first time yesterday. My buddy brings his 216, I take my 214, anchor one boat, I pull him behind mine, switch up, anchor my boat, ski behind his - the closest we get is if I sit on the stern to catch a ride back to my boat.... in other news - finally got to ski my Katana!

I don't know folks - my DD X-14 has plenty of room for sunbathing, throws a decent enough wake for me and is a crap ton easier to maintain than a V-Drive boat... but that's just me!

@savaiusini Thanks for the input! All things being equal, I REALLY wanted to like this ski - while I have the HO I'm going to take it and the Radar ski out and ski them back to back and fiddle with speed as well. There's just something about the boat/speed/skier combo that didn't work for me. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, the connolly HP I've been skiing all summer tracks totally differently - side by side comparison they appear to be about the same width. thanks again! Peter

Okie - so here's a plug - I hope it doesn't cross an imaginary line - I ordered this Ski from BoardCo in Utah. We just spoke - they suggested I try the Radar Katana - this ski's going back and with any luck it'll be warm enough in NC next weekend (or when the ski gets here) to try again. I did go with a 69" Katana rather than the 67 on the HO. Hopefully this solves the weird squirrliness. Cletus

@Frank_MA Thanks for the insight - the notion I had for measuring distance to the tail of the ski was from the back of the boot to a point that would be effectively the tail of the ski - ie - as if the ski were pushed against a wall. If the idea that you measure from the centerline of the ski (the indentation) this would move the boots even farther back. Which is correct? I'm currently ~190 (wet) and was skiing at 28mph behind my X14Direct Drive. I just don't understand how it seems to be unstable tracking down the lake in a straight line - ie - glide.... it just seems to be less forgiving which is silly because it IS a freeride ski! Cletus

I finally was able to get out on my ski before the super cold sets in. With the boots in the correct position based on HO's measurements, the ski still seemed somewhat unstable. On edge it's all good, turns quickly on the on side - off side turns seem interesting - straight line it still seems a little wiggly underfoot. 28MPH, 12 off. Honestly it's better but hard to tell if it's fully consistent like my buddy's Connolly HP. Why would the HP be more predicatable vs this one? Cletus

@FOB69 I changed the binding locations but still haven't been able to get out on it because I don't have a driver! The person who usually drives when I ski has been out of town! Hoping the hot weather in NC holds so I can give an update! thanks!

@BraceMaker I saw that on the HO web page - silly me didn't double check the measurement on center/center - as it turns out - cautionary tail.... I had to go the back set of holes in the ski to get to 28.5 back of boot to tail. That moves me back about 1.25-1.5" back on the ski - now I have to find someone who can pull me to see how that changes the ride of the ski. Thanks - will report back PC

Folks Just put my new ski (HO Freeride Evo) in the water yesterday. To say I was underwhelmed with how it ski's is an understatement. It felt squirrly - not very stable, didn't seem to want to stay on edge across the wake behind my boat - X-14DD) It turns when you get on it - I had to think about turning the ski - ie - leaning in didn't initiate the turn until I kind of forced the issue. I was at 12 off @ 28mph, not glass but not rough. It's a 67" Ski - I weigh ~190 Boot position for the front boot is dead center - the RTP is also centered. I would add the measurement from the tail but I'm not sure where to measure - to the boot tail or to where the screw is in the plate? Overall it feels like I'm waaaay back on the ski - my buddy ski'd it as well and looking at his position on the ski it seemed like there was an awful lot of ski out of the water. This thing ski's like a sled and it way touchy at times. I feel like I wasted $300 - the Connolly HP (buddy's ski) I am used to ski's a ton better than this thing. I feel like it's boot position - but I can't tell. Advice on figuring this out would be appreciated. PC

mine! Didn't make any turns behind it - but had a shakedown beverage as well as a once over (after the pre-sale multi-over!) I'm pretty damn stoked!

Thank you @Garn. I called HO today and had a good conversation based on their input I opted for the Freeride Evo - it'll be here next Friday - my Tug gets here Wednesday - I'll post a report as soon as I'm able. Hopefully the next big blow coming up from the tropics avoids NC and it stays ski-able weather wise well into October!

BOS illuminati (and @Horton :D ) Having just pulled the trigger on my X14 I'm now in the market for a ski as my friends Connelly HP lives in his boat and I need a ski of my own. I'm 5'10 ~190lbs (should be 170 by next season) and I'm looking for some reason at the Radar Katana, The HO Omni and the HO Evo Freeride. I've been skiing since I was 11 - on a single since I was 12. Deep water starts aren't an issue and we ski on a lake - no course for me. When my buddy is pulling me we ski at 30-32mph - not sure of the line length. I feel as if I'm an advanced beginner/intermediate type skier, I tend to attack the wake on edge (the HP is good at this) and try to make big sweeping carving type turns, I'm not running the imaginary course but rather trying throw big water and make pretty turns. I would say I've grown comfortable at that speed but I think I'd rather slow down when I'm behind my own tug just a smidge. I'd post a video but don't have any. I'm chasing the most glorious set I ever ski'd from many years ago on a concave wooden ski behind an outboard on glass. The ski as I recall carved nice easy turns yet could get after it when it needed to. So my question is this: The HO Omni seems to be the best of both worlds, can run a little faster and a little slower and still be a hoot. The Katana is a little sportier than the butterknife. The Connelly is in the mix too but I'm leaning for some reason towards a more modern shaped ski for the obvious reason that ease of getup means more people can ski my ski, I don't need a speed fin, don't run a course and we ski on open water that's usually glassy but sometimes not so much. Thoughts on the HO Evo Freeride? Sporty - carvy? can it run up to 30-32mph? HO Omni - Radar Katana??? Thanks in advance! Peter ps - @Horton - your reviews are awesome - I'm a suck up and was giving you extra props!

I think this is the best thing I've seen all day long! Congratulations to you both!

Pulled the trigger today on a 2008 X-14 - too nice to pass up and local. Still needs to be water tested and checked out (private sale) but everything looks to be in great shape. Dorian has decided to make a northward jog for a direct hit (currently) on the Carolinas which may complicate this transaction as I need to get a quick pull and do a good hard look at the running gear on the boat. I'm super stoked - a little more boat than I need but it's what I've wanted.

Update 2 - Scratch the X-9 too.... it's overpriced for the condition - pictures not current, raw water intake has been taken off and reinstalled (screws protruding) looks like a new prop installed (CNC prop), etc.... just didn't smell right for the asking price. An X-14 popped up - still hunting the 197 - dealer went dark on me - the experience with the X-9 has me gunshy of sellers overstating what they have.

An update - scratch the Mobius - no Perfect Pass, single tank ballast in the rear. It might be a clean boat, but adding Perfect Pass bumps this one out of my zone - dealer was nice. This one's gonna be a pass - to much $$$ for what it is.

@Fatroll @swc5150 I like Fatrolls Malibu - my preference (no insults given or implied) is for a factory tower.... Suddenly a newish Malibu just popped up on SIA - message has been sent - we shall see. There are a couple of other 197's (freshwater) floating (pardon the pun) around out there with nearly the same or fewer hours - as the one in MD. I'm hoping this thread might tease out more options. Hoping to see the Moomba in the flesh soon. Thanks for the input!

@WiscoSkier thanks for the correction (I corrected my OG post) - I must have197 on the brain! I'm a hack at best right now - Do not see myself chasing balls on my local lake - I've been skiing since I was about 10, grown up with boats, never had one of my own after I left the nest, ex-wife thought going to the lake was 'tacky' so no boat for me - now 2 years divorced - I can buy what I want so the kiddos and I can go play! Like you the 197 with factory towers is where my heart is at - I have an issue with nearly 900 hours and potential brackish water use.

Happy Friday! I'm still looking for a new to me direct drive boat w/ ballast and tower, order of operations for me as a recreational skier who wants a multi-purpose boat to play with kids, friends, hang on the lake: Slalom, Wake Surf (read this as ride behind the boat on anything shorter than a longboard and wakeboard. - finances dictate $25K or less (I could stretch but I want to buy toys too!) and I've found 3 boats between the mastercraft team list, SIA/OIB and a general dealer search in my area (I'm in Chapel Hill, NC). I've found a somewhat clean 2006 197 in Maryland - ~997 hours https://www.chessiemarine.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=7041107&p=2&s=Year&d=D&fr=xPreOwnedInventory A 2006 Moomba Mobius LS 335 hours - looks VERY CLEAN and is somewhat local https://www.poplarpointemarine.com/default.asp?page=xPreOwnedInventoryDetail&id=7592850&p=1&s=Year&d=D&t=preowned&fr=xPreOwnedInventory#gallerySlider and a 2002 Mastercraft X-9 380 hours, somewhat local, or as local as the moomba, yellow, clean on it's 3rd owner. https://teamtalk.mastercraft.com/showthread.php?t=100071 My reading on the site has lots of love split between MC, Malibu and the occasional bubble butt Nautique, very rarely do I see any love for Moomba or Gekko. I guess I'm looking for advice here - the 197 is on my list as a skier's boat first that does other stuff, the X-7 and Mobius, while DD boats are bigger from what I can tell. My primary use case will be myself, girlfriend and two kids or kids and friends or if it's all of us 4 kids, 2 adults (all high school aged). What say all y'all who are smarter than I am? Planning a ride/ski test in the moomba as soon as I'm able, same thing with the X-9. The 197 is so far away it's a weekend trip. Thanks so much

This is BEAUTIFUL!!! Congrats on a gorgeous ride! I love the red and black!

Ok - I'm following this thread, tuned my search for a boat to 2000-2005 Malibu's as well as a PS197 (with ballast and tower if I can find one). Looking at SIA I see a toyota epic 22 direct drive in kansas which looks super clean - there's also a PS197 in Northern GA (no tower, doesn't appear to have ballasts either), There's the Malibu in South Carolina that looks good too - still no tower, manual wedge. Anyone have actual experience behind a Toyota Epic? I can't find a darn bit of information (which itself is a problem). What say ye smarter folks than me?

Hey there - do you still have this? Looks super nice!

I'm new to this group - been watching this thread as well - looking for the best combination of direct drive 3 sport boats - currently I ski behind my buddy's Air Nautique 216 - it's a good ride, but looking for my own. Kids just were exposed to surfing (long board foamy), they tube and wakeboard a little - mostly I'm looking for a do it all that has a great wake for me (and some type of Perfect Pass System) so I can teach someone to drive so I can ski behind my own boat! Located in central NC - can't wait to see what the end of the season looks like boat sale wise...