GAJ0004

I started with a RTP, and I tried a double boot about 20 years ago. I liked the double boot better. I don't tighten the rear as much as the front. I could never go back to a RTP. I just don't feel as secure in the ski. I keep my feet as close together as possible since that gives more freedom of movement.

I think it is fine the way it is. The only possible change I would make is eliminate the Regional Participation requirement if you are already qualified via the rankings list. If you make the podium in the Regionals then you should get a second round at the Nationals. If you make the podium in an event at your State Championships you should get a second round at the Regionals in an event. I would use getting home field advantage in football as an analogy. I agree with DavidP about being recognized for setting a personal best, especially at Nationals. I would be very happy to ski at the Nationals. I don't care where I place. I would just soak up the experience. I have been to the Midwest Regionals 3 seasons in a row. If you told me 10 years ago I would have skied in 3 Regionals I would have told you that you were crazy. Setting a personal best at the Nationals is good skiing. Hitting your average score at Regionals or Nationals is tough enough.

If that does not work, then I would get a siphon pump and remove all the gas, add fresh gas and try to start it.

For skiing 3 events slalom tricks and jump, the 97-2001 Ski Nautique wins hands down. The PCM GT-40 is still my favorite marine engine. Reliable, smooth, and powerful. I am also factoring the original price.

I started running the course in 1985-1986 with a 75' rope since that was all I had. I first learned by trial an error, and I got a couple of books by Tony Krupa, and Joel McClintock which I still have. 15 off was actually easier once I got a rope with the loops. I got up to 36 MPH on the 75' rope. I skied at 34 MPH for a couple of years then I decided I wanted to try tournaments so I started skiing 36 MPH. I was able to get into 32 off at 34 MPH, but initially I could not clear 15 off at 36 MPH consistently. I was essentially self taught in the beginning since there was no one else on the lake crazy enough to ski at 36 MPH. I did that behind a 1985 Ski Nautique. I would start at 15 off if I was just learning today. If you free ski, always go faster than you do in the course.

I would rather have the hull and the interior in good condition. If the engine is shot you can always repower or get it rebuilt. I would rather do that then get a boat where the gelcoat is bubbled from being left in the water for a whole season or longer. I have seen boats newer than mine with half the hours that are not in as good condition as mine is. I am getting some small cracks in the deck in the gel coat. Can't anyone recommend any products to fill those in to they don't get bigger?

I still free ski at 36 MPH in the spring. The extra torque is great for conditioning.

@Horton, everyone at tournaments tell me I pull too long.. That could be too. I was heavier last summer and did not ski well. I am hoping dropping some weight will help.

Add some drygas to the tank. It should remove the moisture.

The hardest part for me is figuring out much to shorten the pull zone as the rope gets shorter. I am struggling to run 32 off cold off the dock consistently. I have dropped 10 pounds, and hope to take off another 10 to 15 by spring. I hope that will help too.

I am planning to enter 3-5 events this year. It depends on work. I will not be able to go to Regionals even if I qualify. I won't be able to get that weekend off from work. I will not enter any in June unless I get into 35 off by memorial day.

@dcovington, your insights have opened my eyes. I knew the EPA would put a squeeze on everything, but it is worse than I thought. Hopefully the drop in oil prices we are seeing will be long term and keep the prices of boats under control.

The Nautique dealer near me does not keep them in stock. I would have to order one if I were buying brand new. I would do that anyway since the next boat I buy will be the last boat I buy. Mine may be old, but it still gets the job done with flying colors. Fewer people will ski behind it because they say the wake is too big, or too hard.

I would be curious to see how much it actually costs to build a 200, CP, TXI, or Prostar. If the time ever comes, a new engine and ZeroOff in my 94' are looking more inviting. If I do buy another boat it will be the last one I buy, ever. I would be willing to pay a little more upfront for long term durability. My other concern is if they keep making the boats bigger, storage and towing will become a problem. I hope they keep them around 20' or less. The price of a boat now per the MSRP is more than my mortgage.

Moomba no longer makes a direct drive.

For 80k, the manufacturer should come out and fix it for free.

I was looking at some 2014 pro stars on ski it again, they are priced between 56k and62k. The boat that you see above will depreciate 35% in the first year. Assuming the average boater puts a 100 hours on the boat per year. Technically you lose $800 per engine hour due to depreciation. Since most of us will take out a loan to buy a boat you have to factor the interest on top of that. Actually that figure is higher. This could be a problem, how many promo boat owners can afford to be hit with that kind of depreciation? Proof the boats are overpriced in my opinion.

It is overpriced by about 20k especially when you take into account depreciation after a year of use.

If you are in the south and you hit a cold spell, just drain the block and manifolds. If the boat is going to sit more than a couple of weeks, then I would winterize it. I take my time to make sure everything is done properly. It takes me an hour or two. I follow the factory procedure to the letter. After changing the oil I back the boat back into the water and let it idle for 10 minutes to get the new oil and stabilized fuel into the engine. When I get it back to the house I drain the block, and fill it with antifreeze and fog the engine at the same time. Once that is done I take the tension out of the belts, remove the impeller from the water pump and store it in a vacuum sealed bag or jar of antifreeze. I reassemble the pump and reinstall it on the engine. I remove the battery from the boat and put it on the charger once a month while in storage. That is what I do for a 5-6 month winter storage. Sometimes in the early and late season in PA it sometimes gets cold so as a precaution I will drain the manifolds and the block especially if I know the boat is going to sit unused for the week. The garage I store it in stays in the 40's most of the time during the middle of winter, but I use the antifreeze for corrosion protection as well as burst protection. In the spring when I put it back in I put everything back together, and let the boat idle for 10 minutes to flush the old fuel out, and make sure everything is working properly before going out on a cold lake.

Overpriced for any ski boat, especially a slalom only boat. I have talked to several people who think our sport(especially at the competition level) is dying. The price of boats could very well kill off our sport.

Beer is disgusting.

I am sure you have all been seeing the drop in gas and oil prices lately. I had a boat dealer tell me a long time ago that the majority of the materials that go into boats are based from petroleum products. I would be curious to see if this drop in oil prices becomes long term if this will have any affect on boat prices. It would be nice to see prices come down, although I am sure it is wishful thinking.

Water skiing was the only sport I could do. I would never have made any of the sports teams in high school or college. If I did I would have been a bench warmer.

I have been like that since I put the boat away in October. After last season's bad tournament performances I am itching to get back on the water.

I skied behind a Hydrodyne outboard, I am thinking a mid 90's outboard. It skied nice. The wake was big, but it was really soft and easy to cut through. It was almost a foot high at 15 off, but I did not feel a bump at all. There is a company called Dyna-Ski that makes boats using the same molds.