jhughes

22/34 on the new Nautique is an eye opener. No doubt. 28 and 32 seemed fine last time I skied one.

In general for any stubborn hose removal, this tool is one of the greatest tools I've ever discovered and I end up reaching for it often in my garage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050SFZBG/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_0NSGN0Z75F4CFA06ACV1

 

It's common to install 5/8" barbed quick disconnects in the heater hoses in convenient locations to make winterizing easier. They can be found at the hardware store or even big box home stores usually.

 

 

 

 

Regarding Nautique pylon design my guess would be they decided not to have moving parts, fasteners, bearings, etc on the part that connects the skier to the boat. Which I agree with. One piece of machined metal, fine with me.

No cramping. They feel like a cozy slipper compared to a Leverage. I pull the laces as tight as I can and use the factory laces. Best rubber binding I have ever used by far.

They iFramed the old site? LOL. Wow. For those that are not technical, an iFrame is literally a browser instance within your browser window.

 

I mean, that's how this forum works as well but still.

Caldwell is 39, still skiing 36mph, and making the finals and podium at a pro slalom tournament while having (I'm assuming) a full time job, a side business building skis, AND training at this level? That's about as badass as it gets. Next level. New fan right here.

I am that guy- the 28 off guy that could run it blindfolded (except at nationals with that wind and unrelated food poisoning of course) that struggles at 32 (I can run it but not consistently, making progress).

 

Today I repeated "this is 28 this is 28 this is 28" and it worked. How about that?

@Clydesdale the block will fill up just fine when empty.

 

@bbruzzese this is exactly how you fog a modern EFI motor. I don't do it because I think it's overkill but that is the technique.

PSA: the thermostat lets water or coolant out of the engine, not in.

 

I haven't used antifreeze for years except in the heater (I blow the heater out then blow in some AF for good measure). I drain and leave it, both my 16 and my 00.

 

As for fogging it's up to you. Oil gets pretty impregnated into the crosshatch of the cylinder bores anyway, not sure how necessary it is to fog for just a seasonal storage, I haven't done that either for years.

Everything on my arm deflector rig is designed to break away easily. The goal is to block off an area without creating a snare. Small zip ties and inner tube material. Same reason I don't wear gloves that have giant straps on them of nylon webbing, why create a situation where they could be entangled in the handle and rip my arm off.

 

I can't believe how strong that little 1/8" of spectra is! That's an absolute nightmare if an arm got caught in there. Design should be changed immediately.

That is completely insane. Wow.

@tru-jack hard pass on the 21 TXi. Worst Malibu I've ever skied or driven. Spend your money elsewhere. Last years was much better though "technically" supposed to be the same hull. I don't know what happened this year but yikes.

You could look at a 1990 correct craft and see a million more warnings than any other brand. That has carried through to this day with Nautique, they have always been ahead of the curve on warning labels without a doubt. Half of my 2000 dashboard is warnings and they are still very prominent on the 2016 and beyond.

 

As for trailer maintenance I'd say this is a very neglected area of boater attention in general, sadly.

We have an insanely short setup on our lake so there is no time to mess around with your shorts once you get up. I've found the best combo is 1.5mm neo shorts (O'Neill Hammer) underneath with Patagonia board shorts over that. The neo base layer means you never mess with the shorts nor feel them, yet you get some style with the shorts vs just neo bottoms which looks goofy. Anyway it's been a killer combo for me.

@Clydesdale maybe they use a few manufacturers, my 16 has an OJ

Nautique uses the OJ dripless seal which is simply 2 fairly delicate graphite lip seals that ride on the shaft surface. The fix is replacement, drop the rudder and pull the shaft to do it. I think they are fantastic when they work but it seems like failure is pretty common. At least most of these new boats should have double taper shafts that should come free of the coupler fairly easily. Good opportunity to replace the strut bushings too.

@Jmoski Yup vented. I have them tied to all of my vests, long time user/fan. I'm sure they've saved me on a couple falls but on the real bell ringers they are overwhelmed quickly.

@Jmoski Ive still blown an ear drum at least 3x with Docs pro plugs in. I don't think they are designed for a 40mph impact. They probably provide a little protection but don't count on it.

22/34 is a really goofy wake on the new Nautique. It's not only big but the ski going over it is an odd feeling. Didn't notice anything at 28 or 32 off, skied once behind it in a tournament this year. If the looks weren't bad enough the wake is further guarantee that I don't want one of these.

 

That said I don't care for the TXI wakes either. Our 21 has a ridiculous curb at 28/34, takes some getting used to. I don't know if those just came out if the mold wrong this year or what, but sheesh, brutal.

I'm right up there with @The_MS , I think I've ruptured an ear drum 5 or 6 times at this point. After at least a 10 year spell of no ruptures I took freak fall in high winds at the buoy earlier this year that was a bell ringer, totally blew my ear drum even with ear plugs in (I use Doc's Pro Plugs). Sucked big time, forgot how intense that pain was. Got the ear drops from the doctor, seems healed up though I haven't verified it yet.

 

Your hearing should return to normal in theory.

These look cool but owning one as an actual ski boat gets old really quickly. Fair warning. I've mentioned it before but they keep coming up here so I don't feel bad repeating it. Only lasted 2 seasons as a secondary boat in our fleet before it absolutely had to go, no regrets. Too small, awful tracking, huge spray. Amazingly good wake though I have to say.

Did the webcast drop or is it just me?

God I hope they change it up for 22.

That just looks like a wrinkle in the graphics layer of the ski, super common. D3 skis are built like tanks.

Maybe you got the progressive decal with your 200 but didn't want to put it on. Maybe you got a spare but you didn't need it. Either way, I want it! PM me if you've got one.