david_ski

@Jibbo I am not hopeful of getting video with the iphone6+ to work. I think the built in image stabilization with the 6+ is contributing to video with the Wakeye. It is not wavy like the link. It was an entire image shake. Two friends have the iPhone6+ and the video was the same. I am not sure if there is a SW patch to defeat the image stabilization. I have the iPhone6 and my primary ski partners have the iPhone5. I am hopeful that the AE/AF lock in the Wakeye app will help the 5 and 6. It will be Monday or Wednesday until we get to try it again.

Yesterday after skiing, we found a new feature in the Wakeye App. Capturing video on the smart phone (iPhone5, iPhone 6, or iPhone6+) might still be an option. In the Wakeye App, one can enable the auto exposure/auto focus lock (AE/AF lock) by touching the screen on the object you want to focus. We will give that a try on Monday. Not sure how easy it will be to set up the AE/AF lock with just a driver. It seems like the video will now be all in focus or all out, not just focused once in every five frames.

The advantage of the 60fps is that frame by frame delta is smaller distance of the skier movement. Recording a skier at 34mph, the time from left to right gate buoys was measured by the number of video frames stored. 30fps= 7 frames between left-right gate buoys. 60fps=14 frames between left-right gate buoys

@Rob-K200 The jello effect for the iPhone6 is a good name for it. iPhone6+ is even worse than video with iPhone6. IOriginally I thought that the image stabilization in the 6+ would make better video. We tired 2 different iPhone6+'s with the same disapointing results. The 6+ video is unwatchable. However, using the iPhone6 and iPhone6+ handheld, the video produced is phenomenal. Today we took more videos with the Wakeye mount and a Liquid Image camera. The camera was sep up in 1080p mode with 1.5x digital zoom. The videos are still slightly better than the GoPro videos we shot yesterday. Colors are more accurate and contain slightly better detail. The 1.5x zoom setting seemed to minimize the amount of edge distortion in the video capture. We are able to create nice and steady videos of the skier without losing the skier at the ball. The only downside is that the Liquid Image video settings need to be set up every time the camera is powered on. We only needed to do the camera setup once when we started. We set the camera auto power off at 30mins and just leave the camera on. Steps involved: 1. Turn on camera 2. Set video to 1080p 3. Enable WiFi 4. Connect smart phone to camera to get into settings to change zoom 5. Set zoom to desired setting 6. Turn off WiFi 7. Ready to shoot video. The video between 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 60fps are very similar in video quality. The advantage of the 60fps is that frame by frame delta is smaller distance. 30fps= 7 frames between left-right gate buoys. 60fps=14 frames between left-right gate buoys. With the camera right on the pylon, it is very easy to check skier stack behind the boat. This has always been hard with an observer filming video. The Liquid Image camera operation is not as convenient as the Wakeye App with a smartphone, but the videos are useable. Tomorrow I will set up the camera to 2x zoom to get more of the skier framed into the picture, and do some more experimenting between 1080p vs 720p video.

@Texas6 I have not found a setting to adjust image stabilization or the continuous autofocus on the iPhones 6 or 6+.

Today we tested the Wakeye with a Liquid Image and a GoPro 3. Both had much better video than the iPhone. Nothing is perfect. The iPhone with the Wakeye app was the bomb starting with the GPS set speed. Easy and anyone can do. The driver can focus on driving and not taking video. As I posted in the previos post the iPhone video is almost unwatchable. The Liquid Image seemed to take slightly better clarity videos than the GoPrfall, but the edge distortion was less with the GoPro. The GoPro with narrow field view was a little more zoomed in than the Liquid Image at 90 deg and 1x zoom. Tomorrow I will try different video zoom settings. (Yes it is just digital zoom). The GoPro was easier to use with the smartphone app to control video start and stop. Starting and stopping video with the Liquid Image was more difficult with the manual shutter button on the top of the unit. With the Liquid Image, one can watch videos from there smart phone with the Liquid Image app. Learning curve we will get better at start and stopping camera. As I said nothing is perfect: ( ratings are all on Wakeye pylon mount) A smartphone outperforms everything when hand held. Not an option when you only have a driver. Day one ratings: Smartphone with Wakeye app. 10 out of 10 convienence. Smartphone with or without Wakeye app video quality 4 out of 10 (frame by frame the focus point changes) GoPro convince starting & stopping video (7 out of 10) GoPro image quality ( 6 out of 10) Liquid Image convince starting and stopping (4 out of 10) Half of the passes we tried to capturecapture today were of wait times at the islands instead of the passes. Newbee operator error. Liquid image quality ( 7 out of 10) skier image was better but more distortion at edges of screen. Summary: The GoPro and the Liquid Image are very close. Convince vs image clarity. More passes and comparisons are needed between the two on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I switched from Fluid Motions to Reflex width the R-Style rear last October. Yesterday I had my first OTF fall that tested the Reflex release mechanism. It was a very smooth release. The front popped and then my rear foot slipped out. We even had some poor video of the crash (still working on getting video set up correctly). Looking at the video and personal experience of the OTF release, I am a very happy customer. With the Fluid Motions the rear pin would release first and then you would feel the Velcro slowly peel off. The Reflex release was instant. Not to thread hijack, but the video also showed that I let go of the handle during the fall at the ball, overtook the handle. As I was hitting the water my hand was pushing down into the triangle of the handle. I use a handle guard and if it was not there I probably would be done skiing this season from a arm or shoulder injury.

My ski partner and I just got a Wakeye mount. So far we are very happy with the mount and it's ability to keep the skier in frame. Many times it is just a driver in the boat. The iPhone video is disappointing. I have tried both 30fps vs 60fps. We will try a GoPro with it next week, and maybe a Liquid Image camera. Back to the iPhone5 & iPhone6. Looking at the video in a frame by frame advance, it appears that the iPhone does not focus lock on the skier. It seems to focus on different object every frame. the skier, the shore, the rope, the back of the boat.... maybe different zooms settings might work better (we were zoomed at 1.25x and 1.5x) maybe go back and try 1.0x zoom. the iPhone6+ is really bad for video. We tried 2 different iPhone6+'s. Same result. there is significant camera shake. It appears that the built in image stabilization in the iPhone6+ works against the iPhone6+ on the Wakeye mount for getting a good video. Tests next week are to try the mount with a GoPro camera, and a Liquid image camera (a very small mass camera).

@Horton: What is your native video resolution with the Samsing G5, and what are the Wakeye saved video resolutions?

You open the video in the Wakeye app and you can choose Save or Delete. Saving copies it from the Wakeye app to your Photo library. After Saving to your photo library you then can Delete it from the Wakeye App. A little clunky, but the auto start/stop is great. Here is an oddity that I noticed after we took videos with the Wakeye app. The saved videos were reduced in resolution from native video. Wakeye video was saved as 1280x720 and native video captures 1920x1080 on an iPhone6. Since then I changed my frame rate from 30fps to 60fps. Tomorrow we will take more Wakeye App video with a Wakeye XT-one. The Wakeye XT-one arrived this afternoon.

Today after my 3rd pass, I thought about where I was breathing. First 2 passes were at 22off@34, then a 28@34? 4th pass was another 28off@34. I tried to focus on exhaling during the pull. Took in copious amounts of oxygen on the pullout and glide. I focused on a good exhale on the pull through the gate with a good intake at ball one. Then everything went to hx#%. My timing was off for the next two balls and I could not get my rhythm thinking about breathing. I decided that I will breathe when I breathe. I will think about it on the pullout and gate for now, and today adding in breathing was trying to think about too many other things in the course. Knees forward, hips up, handle low, stand tall, reach at the ball, patient turns,.... AND BREATHE too? Trying to remember where to breath was over the top. There is only so much one can think about in 16.95 seconds.

Thanks for the idea of using HDPE. I went from a 10 year old pair of Fluid Motions to Reflex with a R-style rear binding. I went to hard shells after a serious ankle injury from an OTF crash in 2004. After recovery my ankles have limited range of motion, and getting my weight forward puts my rear ankle at its flex limit. The hard shells have allowed me to ski pain free. I have been playing with binding position for the last 2 months with the new Reflex bindings. Adding insoles, foam heal inserts front and rear. Nothing seemed to work until I went back and took a close analysis of the old FM's. I had over 3/4" of high density foam in the rear binding at the heal. That amount of foam in a full boot binding was not a problem. Adding that amount of foam into the new R-style binding felt unstable with the foot being almost dislodged from the binding. That is where the HDPE comes in. I decided that adding a wedge between the plate and the binding was the correct way to add heal lift without compromising real foot stability. The heal lift allows me to get weight forward without pain. Today I tried the fix and I am very happy with the results. I now really like my ski and bindings.

March 31. Nine ski days this March in NorCal. Last year it was only one.

Last year a member at our lake had his Bimini cover on the dock. He dropped it and fell on his feet, and he broke toes on both feet. He was off the water for 8 weeks.

1993 ProStar 190 with 351 HO. 910 hours. Purchased in 2005 with 350 hours. Average 60 hours a season. I ski behind one other boat during season and we are roughly 50-50 between boats and this year. This year I hit 80 ski days inc tournaments.

On an iPad air iOS 8.1.1 with safari I cannot log in with my BOS name and password. I have to log in through my google gmail account. With my iPhone6 iOS 8.1.1, I can log in with standard BOS user name and password

Probably the last day for the season. 55 water / 65 air.

Skied Friday. Air 64; water 58. Hope to get another day tomorrow. Off season will start at the end of this week.

i use a Superfeet insole inside the hardshell. It provides a little heal lift and insole support.

The zipper on my O'Neill Assault hybrid drysuit broke this week. I called O'Neill about repair. It will cost $150 for a zipper repair. New O'Neill drysuit runs ~$370 through Wiley's. My backup is an old O'Neill full neoprene drysuit or the 1.5mm Camero top.

I have a new spare wrap for large animal super feet that I will never use. I also have a Left front large animal and right rear large animal bindings. I bought after ankle injury, never used because I switched to hard shells after injury. FYI... Injury was with HO Phantom bindings.

Ditto, Fiberglass and Epoxy. Clean the crack and surrounding area well. Rough up the surface with sand paper. Spread out crack, fill with epoxy, wrap area with fiberglass, and cover with epoxy. My muffler also cracked 4 years ago and was the source for excess water in the bilge. After repair no more leaks. It has been great for 4 years and counting.

I have a 93 PS-190, fantastic wake. Only complaint is spray at short line lengths with a breeze. The other boat I ski behind is a '98 CC w/ GT-40. It also has great wakes with no spray. The 190 drives like a sports car and turns on a dime. You forfeit some tracking ability for turning agility with the 190. The CC tracks great like it is on rails, but doesn't turn as quickly as the 190. Both are easy to drive and fun to ski behind. My season has been pretty evenly split behind the 190 and the CC.

I reglassed one of my mufflers 3 years ago and it is still watertight and working well. Much less cost than new.

Great discussion. In practice for many years I have always started at 34/22. This year I have not been solid with my third pass at 34/32. I need to make my 34/22 my 4th pass. Mentally struggling with what to change my start to, 34/15 or 32/22. 34/15 has way too much rope, and 32/22 feels way too slow. I always make either one. Since starting for so long at 34/22 I dont feel like I get into a rhythym with either one. I have knuckle headed it and just kept my start at 34/22. I have head tripped myself and blown a few openers at competitions. I know I need a guaranteed pass to start at tournaments. I need to make a change. Still bouncing between 34/15 and 32/22.