dski

@UWSkier - thanks for the setup reminder. That definitely helped.

I also took the 2019 Graphite back and upgraded to the 2020 Senate Lithium. (dealer made it a $300 upgrade so I figured why not) When I first got it on the water, it didn't seem that much different than the 2019.

Then....I decided to get out the of course and free ski it. (Duh!) Found the big difference between the old Senate (my 2012) and the new Senates was that the 2012 likes to come off the ball and progressively edge to speed. The newer ones like to 'hook' and then go! By the next day, I had cleared by best pass of the year.

Back on track! Thanks for the help.

I have been skiing on a 2012 69" Senate with strada bindings for the last 8 years and has been a great ski for me. I typically ski 15 off 28-32mph. (really good day gets me into 34mph)

Today I got the itch and bought a new (last years model) 2019 Senate Graphite with the Vapor boots. Really, really like the new boots. The ski however felt 'slow'. I felt like I had to muscle it around the ball and pull a little longer to get the same speed. I did like how stable it was and once I got it around and the edge set, loved how it came across the wakes.

I know that it is totally different ski but the boots were probably and inch farther forward on the new ski. (And they are as far back as they will go) I skied it right out of the box. I never have made any adjustments to my other senate so it is still just the factory settings

So...should I move the boots forward? Fin adjust? Any ideas/help is appreciated!

Owned a 99 Centurion Eclipse for 12 years and 550+ hrs. Great family boat for us. I would probably still have it but it was totaled in an accident on the way home from the lake.

Things we liked:

We really like the step over open bow. I know that many don't like this but we really did. It created a very deep sitting area for the kids up front.

Nice ski wake. No, not as good as some of the premiere boats out there but nice flat wake at LL, 15 and at 22 (bump but not too bad). I have no idea about the rest since we didn't have anyone above that level.

Power: even with the 315 engine and right prop it pulled out as hard or harder than our 206 with the 330.

With a big 700lb fat sac, we actually surfed and wakeboarded a bit. Not an ideal boat by any stretch for those activities but good enough for having some fun.

Storage: the underseat storage is huge based on the open bow arrangement. I really miss this.

Besides a fuel pump problem around the 300 hr mark and a steering cable replacement about the 400hr mark, boat was super reliable.

Things I didn't like:

Tracking in the course. Compared to my '04 206, it wasn't near easy to keep straight down the course.

Nose dips. Not as bad as a friends response lx but you had to be a bit careful, as with most DD's, especially with weight upfront.

Handled chop better than our Centurion Bowrider but not near as well as our 206. That said, the majority of the time we had the boat we didn't have access to a protected course and it was fine.

If you are interested, I can shoot you over some videos of the wake at some different ski speeds (24-34) and surf wake. Make sure you look at the wake, not the really bad skiers behind it :)

This year my friends and I have been getting to the course about once a month. While this is not enough to make great progress, we are coming along slowly. :) Things were progressing well until I hit the gate, went in the air and came down and fractured a few ribs about 5 weeks ago....

I have read on http://www.usawaterski.org/ site about slalom scoring and have been watching the 'intergalatic challenge'. Help me put the two together. I have been skiing at 15' off and slowly getting the speed up to 34. (I was successful at 33 a couple rounds and had just moved to 34mph when I had the accident).

Now the question. How do you score before you actually get to 34 mph? (We are all in the 35-39 range) Or, is there no score till we get above that?

Thanks for the help. I have already learned so much from this site in the last couple months!

Deke - I do ski at Powell a couple times a year but just take a portable course when we go. (Until recently, it was the only time I got to ski the course!)

Thanks for everyones comments so far! I am having a real tough time deciding which I like more. Time to get some video before plunking down all that coin.

Finally got the Strada out yesterday. Here are my observations:

1. Love the boots! Holy smokes they are comfortable and the connection with the ski, for me, is awesome. (Comparing to the Elite/Edge combination)
2. Comparing it to the Elite, it turns so fast! In fact, there were a number of times that I needed to make up some time and was able to by the really strong turn.
3. The Elite seems to accelerate after the turn faster but the Strada just keeps accelerating. There were times that I thought that I was late in the middle of the pull but by the end was in great position.

What are your experiences with the two?

BTW - After running 15 and 22 off at 32 MPH, I concentrated in speeding up the boat yesterday. I got 6@15 off / 33.5, and 4@15off / 34mph, so getting there!

Duane

Shane, what speeds are you running?

I live in Utah so water temps at lake powell are in the high 70's low 80s but most of the time around where I live, low to mid 70's.

Thanks skidawg on the elite info. That is what I have been skiing lately (my buddy's 68 elite) and it seems perfect.

Skidawg or davemac, so, based on the slower speeds (32-34) 67 or 68 on the strada?

Duane

Thanks for the quick comments!

So, even skiing as slow as I am 32-34, the 67 is still the way to go?

Also, thanks for the heads up on the slot caliper. I just ordered one based on your recommendation!

Duane

I have been skiing a buddy's 2009 Elite and will be trying out a Strada next week. I can typically run 15 and 22  off at 32-33 mph and I am concentrating on getting the boat speed up to 34 now.

 For years I skiied a ~2002 Mapple and loved it. That is until I skied the Elite! I am 6'3" and about 185. Skied the 68" in all the different skis.

So, first question. What should I expect the differences on the Elite vs Strada? Am I right to stay with the 68"?

Second, I would like to get a caliper to make adjustments. Which one do you guys recommend?