WBLskier

So I always understood that you needed the engine at operating temp before sucking the antifreeze through. If the block and manifolds have been drained before am I now correct in understanding that warming the engine up is not necessary? I've been draining the block and manifolds at the boat launch, sucking 1 gallon through the intake, fogging it, and then filling the manifolds and block from the top with a funnel. If I don't have to worry about heating the engine up as long as the block and manifolds were drained I'll go back to just sucking 5 gallons through the intake hose. Any suggestions appreciated.

@epnault ---fair point

Does anyone else find it really strange that there is so much discussion about new boats and problems with power, defects, custom fixes, etc.? I have a now 20 year old Malibu that I love and I've probably put $300 total into repairs in the 8 years I've owned it. It starts every time and with Z box skis so that I really don't notice a difference between it and brand new boats. How can $100k+ boats from the top 3 (and others) be leaving the plant with problems and ever be built in a way that they have issues getting up to speed with 400+ horsepower standard? I'm not in the market for a new boat, but given all the recent discussion I'd be pretty careful about what I bought. Maybe its just me...

oh and version 9 was a game changer. mine locks in almost immediately where on old version is had to search and needed a long set up.

@UWSkier . I have a 98 malibu echelon with monsoon serve and throttle. ran 6.5ng in classic then upgraded to stargazer w/ zbox. I used to suck skiing behind ZO and training with classic and now I really don't notice a difference. splits are almost always within 0-2 hundredths and end to end times always good. it seems to work better for me with the skier weight at feather or light even for heavier skiers. Can't explain why but if the times are good I don't really care and then I don't have to mess with it. Feel free to PM me.

I've been getting pretty severe hip flexor pain/tightness on my back leg (right) after I slalom that lasts for days. I'm on a 2016 Radar vapor (Vapor front left and right RTP). I ski 34mph into 35 off. I'm 39 Y.O. Has anyone else had this issue, and if so any good fixes. I've tried yoga, stretching, foam rollers, PT, etc. and nothing seems to prevent it from happening or help much. Thanks.

Skied on a backwards skateboard and a on paddle; barefooted getting up by sitting on an air mattress behind the boat on a busy Saturday; Hung 10 on a big old windsurfer behind a the boat; slalom jump start off a step ladder; I’m older and slightly less dumb now.

My skiing technique has gotten better over the last couple of years but my buoy count has not. I am skiing on a 2016 66" Radar Vapor Lithium. Lately I sometimes run 28 off/34mph and sometimes don't. I'm always fighting to stay off my tail. Until yesterday I was using a 6 year old Radar Strada front binding and RTP. It is super worn out in every way but still very comfortable and I thought I really liked it still. I tried out a new vapor binding yesterday. Felt uncomfortably stiff for the first 3 passes and I couldn't even get close to running my opener. Then all of a sudden I figured it out and ran through 32 off easily. Easiest 32 off pass I've ever made. The new binding seemed to automatically keep me on the front of my ski. I didn't do a single wheely and the ski turned more effortlessly than it ever has before. It's raining today so I can't go out to see if it was a fluke. Am I dreaming this up or could a new binding be this much of a game changer?

I wear a mens' size 10.5 shoe. I tried on a new in the box size 11 2017 vapor front binding and my toes are jammed up against the front. I am wondering how much the liner changes either when heat molded or when worn a lot. I'm asking as I am considering a vapor binding for my daughter (12 years old, 100 lbs, 5'3" currently) and thinking given how my size fits small new thinking a size 8 (smallest size they make) might work for her even thought she is a size 8 women's not men's. 1. She has a pretty narrow foot, but given how I seem to have to go up a size or size and a half from my normal shoe size i'm wondering if she woudl fit in a size 8 vapor binding? Seem like she could crank the lower strap down quite a bit and still run the upper one looser. 2. 3. Is she too light to effectively make it release? I am going from a strada binding to a vapor and the vapor seems much harder to lift my heel out of than in my old worn out strada. I can basically lift my heel with little effort in the strada and even with the bungee loose on the new vapor it doesn't come out easily at all. thanks.

Is this a significant difference on ‘18 design as compared to earlier years 2016 for example. Does same concept apply to 2016 lithium vapor maybe just not as pronounced?

I had this same issue recently. It was user error in my case. I pushed the wrong up/down button so it never got the other end.

I want to find a new binding for my 12 YO daughter. Shes 5’3” 100 lbs. She’s running 28 off @ 32mph. On a 63.5” Radar. She crashed last week and hurt her ankle and did it again shortly after. Currently on vector front and Rtp. I know reflex is a good option and I may end up going that route but I do worry about a twisting fall and whether she’ll actually release. I like the vapors but she is a women’s size 8 with narrow feet so I’m not sure how that would work. Fm makes one that looks similar to a vapor release design but I don’t know anyone on that system. Any thoughts would Be appreciated. Thanks.

Does anyone know?

In prior years there have been some clubs or lakes nearby nationals that have hosted pay per set practice. Does anyone know if there are any clubs or lakes near Maize KS that plan to offer some additional paid practice options formally or informally during nationals week? If so please PM me.

It works great. Do it all the time. Also boats don’t hit them often if on public water.

They used to buy mastercrafts old molds.

Are ZO 6 buoy splits dead on every time or is there a little variation of a couple hundredths like I get with my zbox. Curious about that as I’m almost always within end to end tolerance. It have the smallest of variation in each segment.

Question. Should you then be the same distance up on the boat at the apex of each turn or are you wider at the gate than when in the course?

Looks like they had someone in tow at the time. Scary.

Wow that makes me love my closed bow Malibu.

I have the same engine. Has anyone determined how to set the ABC values so that they match up wtih the ZO ABC settings on that particular engine? I understand that can be done but I don't know ZO well enough to have any idea how to determine it. I am really happy with how the system works, but I have not spent any time with a setting other than B2...and I have no idea if my B2 setting is even close to ZO. My only hint that it is similar is that I suck a lititle bit less behind ZO than before I trained with Zbox. Thanks.

Follow up to a thread from yesterday...we have a portable course that stays up all summer but we need to move (remove entirely and reinstall in different location) about 5 times a summer. One person moves it using a fishing boat. I would like some thoughts on what is best to use for end course anchors. Leaning towards 30lb river anchors, but open to other ideas. Key is that they hold well but one person can get them up and into a fishing boat wihout killing himself. Thanks in advance for any ideas.

I am adding 55's to a standard portable 6 ball course. We are on a big lake and I am concerned that adding another 330 feet of length to the course will add to some bowing we already get. Does anyone add an anchor in the middle of the course or should I consider adding separate anchors to secure the pregates while leaving the regular end course anchors in place? We have to move the course semi regularly so I don't want to overly complicate removal or installation if I can avoid it. Or any other good ideas to help keep a semi permanent portable course straight(er) where we get some big cross winds and boat traffic? We normally have to pull it tight every day or so. Maybe we just need better/bigger anchors... Thanks for any input.

My daughter is 11. She was on a Radar lyric 63 until righ tabout where your daughter is. She went to a 2016 63.5" radar vapor graphite (the middle version of the 3 offered whatever that is) and it is working great for her. I bet she is about 90lbs. I think it will work for quite a while for her too. I recall looking at the 2015 vapor lithium vs. the 2016 vapor graphite and was told to go with the new shape over the higher end ski. She has been very happy with it. She tried a different ski (a 62" high end ski made for kids) first and she really struggled on it. I only paid like $500 for that ski new as I guess they only made 3 or so of that size that year.

I have been super happy with my zbox. Latest software.