Lieutenant Dan

@GregHind I have a Cipa Extreme which I’ve used for almost 15 years and also ski with others with the PTM 140. The Cipa is “serviceable”, ie you can set it up to see the entire width of the skier path but it is not necessarily a continuous side to side view. The PTM is clearly superior but you pay a premium for that improvement.

@Bdecker Is the Tumacs cover towable?

+1 on the Simple Slalom mode for open water

@MISkier you are correct. The deck of the LXI extends over the hull at the back giving more room to put a large trunk / sun platform on the stern. Another visual clue to distinguish LX from LXI is where the aft portion of the windscreen meets the gunnel. On the LX the gunnel rises up to meet the windscreen frame whereas on the LXI the gunnel is flat and he frame continues down to meet that flat surface.

@DavidN @dvskier That boat is mislabeled. First the LXI didn’t come out until 1999. It is a Sunsetter LX not an LXI. The LXI has a bigger interior due to having a longer “deck”. The LXI has a large trunk. In my experience the LX does not ski as well as the LXI also.

1999 - 2004 Malibu Sunsetter LXI

@jhughes What size Vapor Pro Build are you on? What ski were you on before?

May have already been posted but how about “SilverStar” Or “Sterling Star”

Sterling ster·ling ˈstərliNG/Submit adjective 1. (of a person or their work, efforts, or qualities) excellent or valuable. synonyms: excellent, first-rate, first-class, exceptional, outstanding, splendid, superlative, praiseworthy, laudable, commendable, admirable, valuable, worthy, deserving "this is a sterling example of the power of a positive attitude"

Untarnished

Has anyone tried a newer/ stronger throttle return spring? I’m wondering if increasing Kx and or Zbx coupled with a stronger return spring might give a better ZO emulation

Thanks to @Mitzysman @BraceMaker @hemlock @GregHind and @skiboyny I used the background settings to adjust the 1 Ball, 3 Ball and 4 Ball to exit times for Light and Xtra Large ski partners. I then increased the ZBX setting from 08 to 10 and then again to 12. That seemed to work especially well for the XL guy skiing at A2+. I tried it on Normal and A2 and although it seemed a bit too much for me I believe that it is very close to working like Zero Off now! Thanks again!

@GregHind @skiboyny @hemlock @Mitzysman @BraceMaker Thanks for the suggestions. I was able to get out this morning to try some things. I first played around with getting the 1 ball, 3 Ball and Ball 4 to exit times good for the “Light” and “Xtra Large “ ski partners that were on board. I then increased the ZBX setting from 08 to 10 then from 10 to 12. That seemed to work great for the Xtra large guy skiing at A2+ but seemed a bit too aggressive for me (“Normal” at A2). However I believe it is definitely working much more like Zero Off!

@GregHind I assume that it is connected properly since the ABC settings etc are active on the display. So you’re suggesting to try increasing the ZBX setting?

I just installed Stargazer (v9.12) and ZBox on my 2001 Sunsetter LXI with the 325hp Monsoon with Mechanical throttle linkage. I have the standard ACME 13 x 12 prop. I did the full Autocal and Course Mapping per the instructions and videos. Full course times with skiers in tow are always within a few hundredths of nominal. The issue that I’m experiencing is that it in no way seems to behave like Zero Off through the course. I don’t here or see any significant rise in RPM as the skier adds load after a buoy. Also I have experienced the gassing into 2 Ball that others have noted especially with large skiers although that seems to be alleviated by going to a + setting (eg A2+). Further, I’ve noted that a fellow ski club member with an early 2000’s SN 196 doesn’t seem to have these issues and in fact sounds a lot like ZO in the course. It also seems like others on BOS with similar Nautiques have expressed the most satisfaction with ZBox (eg @jhughes). So finally, my question is for those of you out there who have successfully tuned ZBox for early 2000’s Malibu’s. What all did you need to do to get ZBOX to perform “like” ZO? Different lower pitch prop? Adjust KX, ZBX and/or ABC adj settings? Invert tach and/or get new throttle return spring? Or am I just chasing a unicorn here? Thanks.

@Chad_Scott If Malibu is looking for a great Midwestern location for this event I’d suggest that they check out Voice of America Metropark in West Chester, OH (a northern suburb of Cincinnati). VOA Lake has hosted a number of Watersports events such as the Junior Nationals and professional Wakeboard tour events. My understanding is that one of our local skiers had a hand in assisting Westchester in designing this lake just for this purpose. It is a public park with loads of parking and open lakeshore for spectators as well as area for vendor displays etc. you can check it out here: https://www.yourmetroparks.net/parks/voice-of-america-metropark

+1 on the Samson

@adamhcaldwell Wow. That looks like an early pullout! What would you say like 3 boat lengths or so before the boat reaches the 55's? Are there any visual cues you use to do this consistently? How might things change for someone like me who is only skiing 22 or 28 off (34 mph) at this time?

@rlyons124 you should jump on that SSLXI that @escmanaze shares above!

Wife being most expensive is a given. So I voted for second most expensive. Bought Explorer Hightop Conversion Van new (in 2004) for $44K. Bought boat (2001 Malibu Sunsetter LXi) used in 2003 for $28K.

@adamhcaldwell I am really loving the insights provided in this thread. May I request that the next GUT thread be about how to achieve (as @Gloersen stated above regarding Andy Mapple) an "incredible downswing"?

@skihart

@rlyons124 We ski between 30 and 34 mph. The wake may look a bit bigger but it is definitely softer ie is much easier to maintain an edge and doesn’t “pop” the ski. It might be because of the difference in weight distribution between the two boats. I have heard that putting weight in the prow of the Response LXI can help.

@rlyons124 Of course this is all subjective (and furthermore I am biased) but several of my ski buddies who own ‘03 - ‘06 Response LXI’s and who like me ski 15 off to 28 off actually prefer the wake of my ‘01 Sunsetter LXI (softer bump). We use ours for everything but surfing: slalom, wakeboarding/skating, tubing, Airchairing, cruising and it can hold up to 10 people (8 semi-comfortably). I don’t know where you are located but there is a really nice one on OnlyInboards.com in Chattanooga that you should check out.

@Jaypro FWIW I’ve seen Suburbans and such at my local Enterprise rental with tow hitches on them