Deke

Something must suck there... He has to work. :)

Though my RS-1's don't dig like that, I wonder if you could modify them by putting a small slit in top of the cuff.

I know that's true for RS-1's but I thought they changed that when going to the Strada.

Chuck, Which foot forward? Deke

Marco, I heard things worked out really well for Junior's boat (the original boat in this thread). Want to tell us how the problem was solved?

Marco, this is the weekend. What's up?

MS, in all seriousness this issue is bad. The re-calibration should help and the prop is helping, but the results might only be marginal at best. I don't believe the owner of that boat would have ordered it with the smaller power plant if he new what he knows now. CC is doing all they can to rectify the situation as it stands but the bottom line is they sold him the wrong boat. As for the 3 seconds... Sorry. Deke

I love my '99 RLx... ÂÂ

How about a webcam? Talk about a distraction while at work!

Check out the instructions in DavMac's post above. If your plate won't slide with screws tight (and middle screws removed) you may have the wrong standoff washers. The early Sequence Plates were thinner than the present plate and consequently used a thinner standoff. The old standoff washers do not work with the new plate.

I have trouble getting my feet out of the liners while leaving them in the shell (RS-1's). The footbeds I have seem to have too much traction to let my feet slide out. I agree about the wear and tear though and actually my hands take a beating when putting the liners back into the shell.

Eric, Cold... 73... Ha! I doesn't even get that warm here! Marco, tell Junior good luck with that boat. I can only imagine how he is taking it! We're seriously thinking about that tournament and there may be few other "public lakers" there too. Please keep us informed.

Marco, how's the Nautique?

Guys, I think Marco's problem is a little different than some of the responses suggest. He is saying he has to do 4100 RPM to get to 36 MPH but that is ALSO ALL IT WILL DO. A new prop is not going to be the answer. Seriously, Marco, I'd turn it back over to the dealer and not except it back until your satisfied. You shouldn't be doing the factory's R&D or their quality control for them. That's a real shame after 6 months of anticipation.

There are 3 kinds of waterskiers. Those that can count and those that can't.

Anyone know of a way to check for this?

I have a SportTube and feel like it offers the best possible protection. But best is not always good enough. Mine was crushed last fall somewhere between Charleston and Denver. As a former packaging engineer I was amazed and wondered how this damage was even possible. Here are the possibilities... Fell from plane prior to landing. (Not likely) Dropped from a 5 story building. (More likely but probably wouldn't have damaged the SportTube) Run over by a baggage vehicle. (Possible but the vehicle probably would have been destroyed) Most likely it jammed at a corner of a baggage conveyor, holding back 1000 feet of baggage, until it distorted and ejected over the side, falling 5 stories, where finally it was run over by the baggage vehicle. A word of caution. The airline would only reimburse me for part of what THEY felt the SportTube was worth. Since it was in perfect condition but several years old they offered only about half of replacement cost. When I argued, I was threatened to take it or attempt to appeal through corporate (800 number only) and possibly receive nothing! How charming. So not only did I pay to have this baggage on the flight, there was apparently no guaranty that it would usable or even make it to the other end. Notice that I didn't mention anything about the CONTENTS of the SportTube. That's because even though the ski equipment was packaged in the best possible container, the airline will take no responsibility for the contents. They claimed that I may not have packaged it properly even though the SportTube was itself was crushed. Luckily, the damage was minimal. But if you lose $2000+ worth of gear the reimbursement for the damaged SportTube will not feel very satisfying.

Ed, Wiley's removes the stock pad when they put footbeds in for you. Can't imagine being able to get your foot in otherwise, but if you can, why not... especially since Wiley's are such a PITA to take apart and put back together.

Thanks for the SG advice guys. My unit is grounded directly to the battery but not powered to it. Tried rerouting various wires per PP recommendations with no luck but we positively confirmed that the depth finder is the culprit. TW, I'll have to try the relay and direct power. What kind of relay and where do I get it? Also, what kind of wires and how do you terminate them?

Shane, that's good news for me! I only ever changed oil and filter once a year (+/= 100 hrs) on my 99 RLx. The oil is always visibly clean so I just couldn't see the point. Been using Amsoil Marine & Diesel 15w-40 and it gets put away for winter with fresh oil. Also change the tranny fluid, which seems like overkill but since I'm already into it, why not? The boat has +1000 hrs and maybe changed plugs every two or three years, wires once, cap twice, impeller and fuel filters every year. Other than that it has just been replacing things like a bad fuel pump, failed relay, etc. Wish I could figure out why the depth finder kills Stargazer. I tried all kinds of fixes and ended up installing a switch to turn it off when not needed. h2dawg79, I think the fresh oil thing had something to do with acidity, not oil breaking down. My opinion is that the toughest thing on an engine is sitting in storage so I figure it can't hurt to schedule my annual change for the fall. My boat is storage for 7 months a year!

Shane, Curious why you run the orthotic under the liner. It's separated from your foot by the liner and could wind up in the lake during a release. Just wonderin'.

I got a pair last fall and they fit better than my old Clinchers. Guess I must fall into the "short finger" category. They seem to be made better and have double velcro strap on back. Not sure if they'll help elbow problems, at least they don't help mine.

Richard, It makes sense that the lighter crew weight would mellow the acceleration but it is more apt to make you slow during the first half of the course. That, in itself, will cause a speedup.

We had a discussion last summer about the speedup issue. For servo models on some boats it seems the "inverted tach" setting is needed to deal with a dirty rpm signal. This worked great for my '99 RLX. However, very infrequently, we'll enter the course slow as if never locked by GPS and then get an extreme correction a 3 ball. It's very rare, always at one end of the course, and we think it's only when spinning several passes. Capture mode is OK for getting things close but if your rpms are drifting up and down significantly, try "inverted tach" to see if it settles things down. My opinion is to use the regular calibrate mode. It doesn't not use the GPS, but times a virtual pass, so you can do it in open water. When you get good times both ways (watch out for wind), you're ready for GPS mode.

Separately anchored 55's, maybe just one at each end, sounds like a good idea. One reason our course is floating is because of the rapidly changing water level for the second half of the summer. As the depth changes, we also need to move it away from the shore frequently, making intermediate anchors a pain. I would guess that realigning our 55's by eye and keeping a 180' rope in the boat to remeasure when necessary would do the trick?