As Horton mentioned in his review, on very short Line Lengths, "the markers come up fast". This happens because the skier advances on the boat with short roap, so the guns shoot the marker very close in front of the skier. The shorter the rope, the closer the splash occurs relative to the position of the skier, providing no visual guide to setup the turn. I find the the marks appear early enough to ski around them at 22 off, but my useful practice is at 32 and 35off. If I am skiing at the correct pace and width for 35off, I am completing my turns before the splashes happen a few feet ahead of me.
In spite of that deficiency, OffCourse is still useful for short line practice because it lets you know if you are late, early, wide or narrow. Its a great product for improving and measuring your performance when a conventional course is not available. Like @r_maniak , I have gone through a few thousand balls in the last two years.
QUESTION for r_maniak . . At what rope lengths do the splash marks occur early enough for you to consistently ski around them ?