sailworks

@disland I suspect duck tape will hold the reinforing "patch" , but the packing tape (unlike duck tape) is low friction with respect to strap. I place it to hold the reinforcement, but also to make the strap slide smoothly at edge of back plate (where the strap tends to wear over time). The bending forces where the plate fails (see pic) are high, packing tape will not stretch under these loads. Besides, packing tape weighs nothing, and doesn't hold water. You don't need all the tape that shows in picture, but packing tape is really stiff and and I thought it might add stiffness to the molded part of the plate. Not sure about that, but cost nothing to try:) I think the eyebolts provide much less friction than stock set up!

Milford and Skijay - you guys obviously have a lot of experience with PV! As advocate for PV and several year user - I can make a couple of comments that might be of interest to those exploring the vest re molding and plate breakage: 1. I've found that molding works well re better (more comfortable) fit, and agree no difference in performance, and no difference in "breakability". I use oven at 250, always have plenty of to time to slip the plate back into vest, put on the vest over wet suit, wrap w 6 inch ace - done! 2. The plate can and will break (after enough ups) - always along the axis of strap (see pic), and did repeatedly until I found solution as follows: take a piece of a broken plate (until you do this, you may have several), warm til soft, cut (easy with scissors) a piece roughly 3x4 inches, and while still warm, lay it on back of working (intact) plate in axis of strap from slot to edge of plate, and use packing tape to hold it there (glue / epoxy will not work). This patch is completely stable and has completely eliminated this recurring problem! 3. I don't have a pic of the reinforcing "taped patch", but you can kinda see it here in pic of mod using eyebolts to replace gizmo that PV comes with. If you are at a point in life where you love to ski but want to protect hands, elbows, biceps, epicondylitis, shoulders and back - PV rocks!

Hello all. As PV user (and advocate) for several years - I have a few "for whatever its worth" comments about some things that I have learned the hard way and might make life easier for anyone just exploring PV: 1. Molding the back plate makes for a much more comfortable and supportive, (and stylish) fit. Oven at 250, monitor closely, gets very soft very quickly (walk away and you'll wish you hadn't) ... put back in vest and wrap with 6 inch ace til cools. 2. I found deep water ups a real problem at first - Until focused on a couple things - up accompanied by a lot of load on straps, body, boat, and infact kept breaking the back plate. (If that happens, finally found a way to fix and reinforce the plate). Thing that made ups easy for me with PV: make sure straps are long enough to get hands and handle in front of knees as soon as line loads from the boat, use a very firm "up" / acceleration from the boat, and most important - let rear foot heel immediately collapse (fully flexed knee) against rear foot buttock; then ski planes off immediately and all problems and high drag loads go away:) 3. Drag of strap through vest apparatus is the biggest "operational downside" to the vest. This can be greatly diminished by replacing the gizmo that comes with the vest with two small eye bolts with straps through the eyes on the back of the plate, and nut and bolt cut short and padded on the inside. It's also possible to find slipperier straps at hardware store. Also helps to put some packing tape on the margin/edge of the back plate along the axis of the straps to decrease sliding friction and reduce abrasive wear on straps. 4. Strap length: Straps that are too short are dangerous. This has worked for me: with arms at side, extend the wrist and adjust straps til this position just engages tension in the straps - then small adjustments from there. Another check: adjust such that when in "full lean", (try on dry land) straps are tensioned with elbows just a touch shy of full extension - this will allow full stack and really unload unhappy upper extremity joints, and pass load thru the plate to hips. 5. Consider a snap shackle on non dominant end of strap - then can "clip in" to the glove D ring at last moment and unclip at end of set or after crash - much easier in and out of boat, swimming, looking less geeky. The D ring on the glove will rotate 90 degrees - no downside there. By keeping the opening on the snap shackle towards wrist/ forearm - I can't see any way for the rope, handle, or anything else getting tangled in a crash. I have used this for three years .. no issues. 6. With clincher gloves, I do think there is some risk of little finger hanging at junction of handle and rope with conventional handle. I have used radius handle and no problem. Consider sewing or taping glove tip of little finger to the ring finger. Absolutely no downside and will protect little finger. I have not tried without the dowels in the glove, but it seems to me that discarding dowels would remove a lot of the "mechanical advantage" of the whole set up. (But maybe I will try it - as others recommend) 6. I never use the arm bands. Individual user has to decide if that's safe. Never had any incident that even considered "close call". I do ski with shorty. The metal fastener that secures the straps at desired lengths can scratch on wet suit on ups - duck tape prevents. 7. I don't think PV will make anyone ski better, but just a lot longer, while protecting a lot of the things that get wacked as we ski. 8. I have some pics, but still can't quite figure how to post:) 9. Sorry long post. I hope some part of this helps someone exploring PV.

Mentioned before that I would leave comment regarding my 4 years experience with setting up power vest. I posted a few comments - but under Horton's recent new: "Goode Powervest first ride" thread -- for anyone that might be following this thread and interested. Maybe Horton could copy it here for continuity in this thread?

Hello all. As PV user (and advocate) for several years - I have a few "for whatever its worth" comments about some things that I have learned the hard way and might make life easier for anyone just exploring PV: 1. Molding the back plate makes for a much more comfortable and supportive, (and stylish) fit. Oven at 250, monitor closely, gets very soft very quickly (walk away and you'll wish you hadn't) ... put back in vest and wrap with 6 inch ace til cools. 2. I found deep water ups a real problem at first - Until focused on a couple things - up accompanied by a lot of load on straps, body, boat, and infact kept breaking the back plate. (If that happens, finally found a way to fix and reinforce the plate). Thing that made ups easy for me with PV: make sure straps are long enough to get hands and handle in front of knees as soon as line loads from the boat, use a very firm "up" / acceleration from the boat, and most important - let rear foot heel immediately collapse (fully flexed knee) against rear foot buttock; then ski planes off immediately and all problems and high drag loads go away:) 3. Drag of strap through vest apparatus is the biggest "operational downside" to the vest. This can be greatly diminished by replacing the gizmo that comes with the vest with two small eye bolts with straps through the eyes on the back of the plate, and nut and bolt cut short and padded on the inside. It's also possible to find slipperier straps at hardware store. Also helps to put some packing tape on the margin/edge of the back plate along the axis of the straps to decrease sliding friction and reduce abrasive wear on straps. 4. Strap length: Straps that are too short are dangerous. This has worked for me: with arms at side, extend the wrist and adjust straps til this position just engages tension in the straps - then small adjustments from there. Another check: adjust such that when in "full lean", (try on dry land) straps are tensioned with elbows just a touch shy of full extension - this will allow full stack and really unload unhappy upper extremity joints, and pass load thru the plate to hips. 5. Consider a snap shackle on non dominant end of strap - then can "clip in" to the glove D ring at last moment and unclip at end of set or after crash - much easier in and out of boat, swimming, looking less geeky. The D ring on the glove will rotate 90 degrees - no downside there. By keeping the opening on the snap shackle towards wrist/ forearm - I can't see any way for the rope, handle, or anything else getting tangled in a crash. I have used this for three years .. no issues. 6. With clincher gloves, I do think there is some risk of little finger hanging at junction of handle and rope with conventional handle. I have used radius handle and no problem. Consider sewing or taping glove tip of little finger to the ring finger. Absolutely no downside and will protect little finger. I have not tried without the dowels in the glove, but it seems to me that discarding dowels would remove a lot of the "mechanical advantage" of the whole set up. (But maybe I will try it - as others recommend) 6. I never use the arm bands. Individual user has to decide if that's safe. Never had any incident that even considered "close call". I do ski with shorty. The metal fastener that secures the straps at desired lengths can scratch on wet suit on ups - duck tape prevents. 7. I don't think PV will make anyone ski better, but just a lot longer, while protecting a lot of the things that get wacked as we ski. 8. I have some pics, but still can't quite figure how to post:) 9. Sorry long post. I hope some part of this helps someone exploring PV.

Matt and John - I would not video first rides with vest. I have had friends try my vest. Its always awkward until you dial in the nuances, and that takes time and adjustment. Strap that thing on with short strap lines and "go for it" is prescription for trouble (OTF)!

Hey waterskicorey. I can relate a few of the vest modifications that I have found useful - once I figure out how to post pics:( Re triceps injury: Biceps of course much more common waterski injury and more common in general. I have repaired biceps in water-skiers and they have been able to return to ski without restriction after 6 months. Generally takes better part of 6 months for any tendon to heal securely enough to bone to take full loads. Only your surgeon knows exactly how injury tissues and repair security presented at time of surgery, so have to recommend you discuss with him/her (as I'm sure you have)

Hello Horton etal As an orthopedic doc that fixes biceps for a living, I believe if your surgeon has given you a green light you should be fine after 6 months. Having said that, I am big fan of power vest! It will for sure protect elbow, epicondylitis, hands, shoulders, and back and allow a lot more skiing. There are several modifications that I have found that make the vest much more user friendly and would be happy to share if interested. One thing I would say for sure regarding set up: adjust straps so that elbows are fully extended or just short of completely extended in full lean position. Going out first time with straps short is prescription for powered up OTF. And take as much time as you need to adjust (i.e. some free skiing) Going right out and trying for PB is likely to be very unrewarding and quite "unpleasant". One of the biggest vest complaints is difficulty with strap sliding with reaching and hooking up. I have used a modification of existing "panel sliding hardware" that has helped a lot.. Again, can detail if interested.

Hello Horton etal, not a poster, but enjoy following all the interesting threads! I'm senior orthopedic doc, avid skier, and have been using PV for 4 years, wouldn't ski without it. Once you know how to use it (and make some simple modifications - it does not have to compromise reach, its does not have to make ups problematic, you don't have to suffer from lean lock, and it will for sure protect your biceps, elbow epicondylitis, shoulders, and low back. It puts power where it belongs (hips). With certain modifications learned over 4 years - it won't fall apart, and it is possible to get back in the boat (quick disconnect mod). It is for sure heavier than option, takes some getting accustomed to, but you can ski MUCH longer sets - (and I love to ski:), and you will have to work harder to wreck your body. As a long time windsurfer - PV seems a lot like windsurfing harness: you can windsurf without a harness, but who would want too - or ever choose to? Happy to elaborate - can contact me via email prn

I have found same issues iPhone 5s . Seemed less of issue w iphone 5. I think has to do w rolling shutter and vibration. Moviepro app lets you select frame rate ... and problem is much much less w 120 frames per second. Plus cool slow mo. But uses memory!! And of course gives up auto start stop gps control :((

Hello TomD I have 67 fusion and fiddling with fin ( although I see one post that says "don't do that"). Wonder what is meant by 30 1/8 critical? Is Crawford saying that moving binding 1/8 forward is really good idea???