buoyboy1

Duct tape layer (or two) on the lower hull area might help as well from "stuff" flying off from your truck tires.

Kent - I just sent you a PM. I am a structural engineer and can help you.

@Marcus I may not be understanding you correctly when you stated that around 50 lbs of tension in the rope at/near each buoy. I would have thought that number to be a LOT less (like near zero) as many times just the tips of my fingers are on the handle at apex and/or the rope has so much slack it's in the water. Thanks and I look forward to more Podcasts.

Was that chart used to help design the Whisper Fin Pro? :D

I have a 116 blade on SIA 55046 under slalom that is also autographed in case someone wants to go old school.

Yes. If you look close you can see the boat guides right between the tree top reflections.

Check out the boat path for slalom. Would be hard to drive in all the chop especially with some guy sitting behind you hand timing and making the boat uneven. They also did not track like they do now.

A full set of dumbbells (or adjustable ones if really tight on space) and an adjustable bench is a good economical system. You will be surprised how many exercises you can do with only that equipment.

@ISP6ball I bumped my fin forward recently now that the water is cooling (80-ish) a bit to .762 and the ski is even better at the finish of the turn. Give it a try.

I use a 100' aluminum Stanley tape as the plastic ones tend to stretch or shrink and on the back (blank) side I put the actual and tolerance marks and it makes it really quick to measure at each loop without ever having to remember dimensions or tolerances.

@Horton In the video you said that old ropes get spongy and are hard on us old guys and I would have thought the reverse that they become cables and brand new ropes are always spongy. Thanks.

Interesting read... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Correct_Craft

I measured the ION and NRG R1 and the R1 was .075 wider at the front inserts. I thought it would have been wider the way the two skis feel. Might be wider in other locations but never checked.

@Joeprunc I skied a vapor from '14 to '16 and have been on the D3 NRG now NRG R-1 ever since. I too tend to ride the tail and my turns are much more consistent especially on my offside. I also tried the ION but went back to the NRG R-1 after 8 sets. It tolerated moving around on the ski and a bit of tail riding better. You will find the D3's really stick well in the turn, very predictable, but just not quite as fast but they do seem to build angle even though you might not have a lot of angle coming off the turn. PM me if you need more detail.

@MISkier I would not use the chord lock unless the springs are stainless steel. I only use the hooks and remove the clasp. The buoys come off when someone hits it in most cases. The hooks are about the size shown above but the clasp is thinner with sharp edges, which is another reason I remove it as I lost a few buoys due to puncturing. I got the hooks from Wally as well.

I had the same issues with mine after only 4 or 5 months. I really think they had a bad batch come through. Radar and there great customer service was willing to replace mine. I have had my replaced pair for well over a year with zero issues. I always take the liners out and my ski stays covered and out of the sun when not in use. One trick for placing liners back in the shell is to cut out some flexible clear drafting table type sheet vinyl in the exact shape of your shell footbed (place the vinyl under the shell and trace it out). The liner will slip into the shell a lot easier and take stress off the rear rubber. I also slightly wet the bottom of liner as well.

@Horton Is your current vehicle starting to have serious issues? If not I would keep driving it since you know its been well maintained over the years. Seems like a big investment just to get a boat through the mountains once in awhile. My current vehicle is a 05 4Runner with a V8 and approaching 200K and I don't see myself selling it anytime soon. Will it break down at some point, most likely but I like my odds since I keep up on maintenance. Even buying low mileage vehicles can become lemons with a long history of needing repairs. If a new tow vehicle is definitely the way you want to go, check out Consumer Reports. They keep data on vehicles over many years so you can see the reliability for a particular vehicle make.

AND the straps were a perfect place to hang your gloves!

@AdamCord Was the larger dimension on the side of the boat for 39 verses 41 consistent for all your passes? If you had a lot of extra speed at the buoy at 41 and skied down course further would that not be the reason for the larger offset? Are these results similar with the other Adam or some of the 36 mph guys? Love this kind of analysis. Thanks.

I have had "golfers" elbow issues for many, many years and the last two years on an ML Optimized rope I have had zero issues. It has worked wonders for me. I weigh around 180.

I have a brand new Stokes EVO2 size Large for sale if interested and want a good deal. PM me if interested. Thanks.

+1 on the O'Neill UPF 50 shirts. I also use a SPF cap with a small flexible bill that will stay on your head while you ski....but it does float should it come off during a good spill. The tag is from C Wear in AU but their website does not come up. It has stopped the dermatologist from removing "stuff" from my scalp the past decade.

Just dip the loop ends of the rope in the water before you ski and it will go away.