buoyboy1

Check cap and rotor as well. My 05 196 had similar symptoms. Cap was only 75 hrs old.

If you want a harder faster pull/slingshot off the ball why not simply use C3 instead of higher octane... :p

I had an ONeill Boost vest that was very similar. Wore it for nearly 15 years and also wish a company still made that style. If anyone has a Large collecting dust that is still in decent shape let me know.

Sighthound spotter.....Buoy

I bet you can get used ones for free from other ski clubs that hold tournaments in your state/area that are replacing their worn out/faded ones.

Dana, ??, Stewart Robinson, Clay Neill from 1992

Getting back to the webcast quality, I really like that they implemented the skier name and line length screen graphic. This made scrolling back through the archive insanely efficient.

Years ago I wore one as an experiment. My resting HR is around 60. When I jumped in the water it got to 90 and the water was not even cold (80's), but maybe it just shows how much I like to ski? For my 28 off opener coming out the exit gates it was about 150. Increased 5 or 10 BPM every time the rope was shortened. At 38 it was around 175. Headwinds were 5 BPM more than tailwinds. The 2nd set I spun 5 28 off passes and it got to 182. I was 50 at the time so in theory my max HR should be (220-50= 170). Every time I got pulled up my HR was already back down to around 90 so what a great interval training exercise for your heart although the work zones are very short.

@kc what is your current ski R1?

I thought Freddie was on a 67" ION and when he rides the R-1 or R-2 its a 66" since they are a bit wider.

The video I posted above is a really good rehab exercise that myself and others have had great success using.

I never did improve my PB but I skied more consistent and more frequent.

@swbca I dropped 15 lbs last year just to see how it impacted my skiing (I was already lean at 185). What I noticed is that it did not impact my PB but my body felt like I could ski nearly every day. I also had a lot less aches throughout the year. I typically ride a 67" ski but getting down to 170 I also tried a 66" since I was starting to feel like the ski was a bit big. Although I liked the way the 66" turned, it was more work behind the boat so I stayed with the 67". My conclusion is that if you are already fit/lean where you are, you will not see much improvement to your PB, however it should allow you to ski more sets throughout the year so in the long run (theoretically) this should improve your skiing in general. Hopefully, year two with my current lower weight will begin to pay off (PB-wise). No matter how lean we are or how much of a spare tire we ski with you still need good technique in order to improve, especially when the line gets short. I think weight is just one part of the entire ski improvement equation IMO. I also recall listening to a podcast last summer that Marcus had with Will Asher. Will mentioned that he experimented with skiing lighter and heavier and settled somewhere in the middle so for him it might of been where he simply felt the strongest but he did not elaborate.

@adkh2oskier I may be missing something but if you slide the bow stop mount forward as far as possible which looks like is about 12" or so will the trailer stick out past the back of the boat? If not and the boat still loads fine it may give you the clearance you need. I would not expect the bow weight to increase very much.

@bojans Some images would help to see what your exact situation/condition is and what the "solid" objects are.

Two ideas: What about a small section of galvanized chain near the center with a snap clevis at each end so it is easily replaceable. You could do the tests yourself and see what load the chain will fail. Not sure how deep your water is but what about a very long galvanized steel spring at each end of the course that has enough tension to keep the course tight but will allow for enough expansion that the course cable is able to reach the surface prior to the rest of the cable or springs to fail? You might need to replace the springs every couple of years unless you are able to find stainless steel ones.

There are two videos that I have used to stop this issue. Both have done wonders for me. In the 2nd video he recommends to never let the barbell (ski handle for our case) to get down into the fingers as it puts a lot of stress on the "golfers elbow" area. His explanation starts at 3:10 mark on 2nd video. I have used his videos for many years. He knows his stuff.

Best thing to do is to determine how much water you think the lake may go down during the summer months unless you are able to pump and maintain constant water level. If unable to pump and say the lake may drop 2 feet then determine how deep you will need to put the trailer in and still be able to get the boat off. Then add a bit more length to be safe. I would also pour a turn down edge on the bottom and sides of the ramp to help with reducing erosion that may occur as you don't want to undermine your ramp. Also, keep the concrete finish rough (heavy broom or rake) as it will help with adding traction when pulling the boat out. It will also help when just walking up the ramp after a swim. (Algae is a real PIA). I cannot tell you how many times I have slipped on mine since it was finished way too smooth. My ramp is 4" thick also 12' wide and I matched the grade of the lake which is a 10:1 slope for the first 20 feet then goes to 4:1 after that. To save money form and pour it yourself (along with some friends) since it does not need to be a good finish anyway. Use entrained air in your concrete mix if you live in an area that freezes.

Could not agree more with @skibug. A friend suggested that I would love the ION so I ended up trying the Red and Blue and both skis felt great at longer lines but could not do anything on either on the purple loop. First day back on the NRG-R1 ran 38. I will not cheat on her again...:)

I test my lake water every few years and use a small company that is close by. "Google around" and find a private company. Personally, I would stay away from a local gov't agency in case the tests come back and the water is suspect. They might try to over-reach and make you jump through too many hoops to get it corrected. I only test for Nitrates and Fecal Coliform. Each sample cost less than $50.

If I were to ever drain my lake I would eliminate my turn islands. 70% of my lake maintenance time is spent on my islands. Between erosion, muskrats, and mowing I wish I never built them, but if you like to spin passes and lake is less than 1900' then you might want to have them. If so, keep the top no more than 18" above full pond to keep the muskrats from trying to burrow up above the water level and also rip rap the banks. Islands as you know will take a beating and if you plan on skiing right away the vegetation will not have time to develop. As far as the leak, if you have any idea where its leaking from research bentonite clay. It will expand to 8 times its volume. It comes in 40 or 50 lb bags and works well for sealing. I used it around my riser pipe many years ago and no issues since.

I have a 2005 196 converted with ZO and also have the 422 prop. I agree with @Ski_Dad to check cap, rotor and plugs. I replaced a cap and rotor after only 25 hrs. Problem solved.

@Dysco - I am a bit surprised they said the ski strength would not be affected. Any time I had a ski break or saw a broken ski, the crack always propagated through the inserts. Not sure how close new inserts will be from the existing ones but I would want to drill through the plate instead of the ski. (Less expensive to replace).

I have always wondered why TWBC rewarded the highest rope tension load since it takes more skill to NOT peak ZO and try to stay as light/invisible as possible. TWBC should take the 39 off pass for men and 38 off pass for women and use the smallest load number to determine the "smoothest skier" award. I think we all are really good at spiking ZO when we are in scramble mode.