savaiusini

Hi @ALPJr, You are on a 67", correct? I wouldn't suggest going further than 30.00" The next adjustment I would try is moving the fin back to 0.730 (if I recall correctly, I set your DFT to around 0.755"). If you would like to DM me some video, I could make some further recommendations. I'm always happy to help folks get sorted out on their skis.

Agreed! It's got all the guts of a Syndicate ski (PVC core, carbon fiber layup, adjustable fin block) in a shape far better suited to 30-32 mph! Bob LaPoint is still crushing -38s on his Superlite TX...

@DW For the older style head units, if you watch closely when you power on, there is an animation that scrolls across the screen. At the bottom, it will say Rev.P,Q,R, etc... Basically if you don't have the + option after your letter and number, you don't have Rev. R. Hope this helps!

@andjules Correct, not cheap, but nothing is cheap in Hawaii. Sadly there is no longer a course on the Wailua River. Still a great time if you have a couple people.

Kauai Waterski: $90/half our of boat time or $175/hour

Friendly banter aside, I think my original intent is maybe getting lost here. My goal with this post was to increase awareness around the terminology, not engage in any brand vs. brand conflict (we're all friends here). We also believe the setup we do at the factory is within a tight enough tolerance for most skiers to jump right on the ski and ski to near their ability fairly quickly. "Factory" or "published" settings are a starting point. After an initial discovery period, it's normal to want to home-in on more personalized settings. But we also mustn't ignore what the skier is doing to affect the ride...

@Wish No feathers ruffled here...all good points to the right audience.

@keithh2oskier Now we head down the rabbit hole... Ask ten people, get ten answers. The way to measure boot placement is to remove your rear boot or toe plate so there are no obstructions between the front boot and the tail of the ski. Once the rear boot is removed, extend the tape measure so the tip of the tape just touches the BACK of the rear boot and measure down the centerline. Every boot is shaped different and some manufacturers will tell you specifically where they place the end of the tape on the boot, but "generally" for hardshells I measure from the lowest and most outboard point on the boot (obviously excluding the heel platform). Most soft textile boots are stitched to a base or frame just above the plate. We refer to this as the bottom stitch. Generally, you'll want to measure from the bottom stitch. If your plate has fixed holes, get as close as you can. I've seen lots of people measure along the edge of the ski rather than taking the rear boot off and measuring down the centerline of the ski. Measuring along the edge will yield a slightly longer measurement. No matter how you measure, I think the most important thing is to be consistent with how you measure. At least if you measure the wrong way every time, you'll still know what your relative adjustments are.

At the request of @Horton, I am starting this as a new thread. This was originally posted in the V-Type R thread here. The purpose of this post isn't to ruffle any feathers, although I guess it could... I know this is straightforward to many folks on this forum, but one thing I hear over and over when speaking with customers or reading between the lines here on BOS is that there are still many folks out there who rely on the holes of their binding plate to determine front boot position. Either they think the center hole on the plate must be the factory position, or they think that since their last ski worked well at a particular boot position, their new ski will act the same. This is not a good way to set up your ski. If this you, please take a minute and measure your boot position with a tape measure to ensure you are at least close to "factory". Boot position is easily the most important setting on a slalom ski! Similarly, we at HO, along with many other manufacturers are simply not able to take calipers to the fin of every ski we ship. It's just not practical or efficient for the volume of slalom skis we produce. Instead, we use a jig to quickly position the fin and tighten everything down. The jig is set based on a fin that was actually set up with a caliper. This gets the ski "pretty close", but certainly not exactly "Factory". Now, I know some brands may claim to set their skis up with calipers, and that's cool. Also, depending on who you buy your skis from, many high end pro shops actually reset skis to manufacturer published numbers. That's even better! But I guess what I'm really trying to express is that "factory settings" means different things to different people. To some, "factory" means you haven't touched the fin since you purchased the ski. If you were to actually measure a fin set up with a jig at the factory, you could find it to be off by as much as 15-20/1000 from published settings. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, these might be your magic numbers! With the V-Type R and so many other high end skis out there, published fin numbers are often derived from pro skiers who are running 39' or 41' off. Let's face it; there just aren't many of us who move on a ski like Nate or Will or Rossi. Factory settings may not work for the way you ride a ski. Frequently, people ask me or Dave for new or "better" settings, but in order to make a recommendation, it is very helpful to know where we are starting from. So... I urge anyone who cares about this to invest a little time and effort to getting to know their ski a little better.

The purpose of this post isn't to ruffle any feathers, although I guess it could... I know this is straightforward to many folks on this forum, but one thing I hear over and over when speaking with customers or reading between the lines on BOS is that there are still many folks out there who rely on the holes of their binding plate to determine front boot position. Either they think the center hole on the plate must be the factory position, or they think that since their last ski worked well at a particular boot position, their new ski will act the same. This is not a good way to set up your ski. If this you, please take a minute and measure your boot position with a tape measure to ensure you are at least close to "factory". Boot position is easily the most important setting on a slalom ski! Similarly, we at HO, along with many other manufacturers are simply not able to take calipers to the fin of every ski we ship. It's just not practical or efficient for the volume of slalom skis we produce. Instead, we use a jig to quickly position the fin and tighten everything down. The jig is set based on a fin that was actually set up with a caliper. This gets the ski "pretty close", but certainly not exactly "Factory". Now, I know some brands may claim to set their skis up with calipers, and that's cool. Also, depending on who you buy your skis from, many high end pro shops actually reset skis to manufacturer published numbers. That's even better! But I guess what I'm really trying to express is that "factory settings" means different things to different people. To some, "factory" means you haven't touched the fin since you purchased the ski. If you were to actually measure a fin set up with a jig at the factory, you could find it to be off by as much as 15-20/1000 from published settings. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, these might be your magic numbers! With the V-Type R and so many other high end skis out there, published fin numbers are often derived from pro skiers who are running 39' or 41' off. Let's face it; there just aren't many of us who move on a ski like Nate or Will or Rossi. Factory settings may not work for the way you ride a ski. Frequently, people ask me or Dave for new or "better" settings, but in order to make a recommendation, it is very helpful to know where we are starting from. So... I urge anyone who cares about this to invest a little time and effort to getting to know their ski a little better.

Click here: HO Syndicate Demo Program

@Stewy I think I spoke to you on the phone today. You could really go either way 67/68 if properly dialed-in. Like I said, I've skied well on the 66, 67 and 68, but the 68 has turned out to be less effort as our water has come up about 10 degrees in the last month, here in WA. Being that you are in Alberta, you might actually like the 67 in colder water more of the time. Again, I think honestly you could go either way. Hope this helps!

I call her Black Betty...

@scotchipman is wise to suggest posting some video. It would also be helpful to know how you are setup on the ski currently. Proper setup is crucial to make a fair judgement as to whether a ski is right for you. Also, is your ski the CX or the Superlite CX (comes with Syndicate adjustable fin). @Mastercraft81SnS if you can tell me your weight, ski size, front boot position in inches, along with the fin/wing settings, I can get a better idea.

@ALPJr that white ski of yours...matches the snow B)

FWIW, Dave was using these on his 66 last time we skied together: 6.890 2.495 0.725(head) 29.125 but start with stock :)

Start with stock.

@rodltg2 Aside from being a cool looking badge, it is a 5oz metal plate with an elastomer dampening pad. Not only does it dampen vibration in certain conditions, you can also move the weight fore and aft to change to amount of tip pressure you feel.

@inland It all depends on the plate. Most use some combination of fixed holes and floating slots to try to allow the ski to flex independent of the single plate. Plate thickness is also a big factor. Your double plate setup should be just fine for testing the new ski.

@inland Unless there's some unusual circumstance, I don't ever recommend changing ski and boots at the same time. A new ski already introduces lots of new variables to the experience and boots add just as many, if not more. I would not be overly concerned with a boot's impact on ski flex. My personal opinion is that two independent boots have less effect on ski flex than two boots mounted to a single plate.

@"Brodie James" I'm very sorry to hear you bent a 2nd boot. It's possible you received an earlier production batch before we upgraded the aluminum bar to 7075. We are always making improvements and developing new products. Your dealer will gladly take care of you on this.

I know it's early for many of you in the northern half of the country, but... Shameless plug: Syndicate Demo Program

@puddymullet can you describe what is going on and what fin/boot settings you have on the ski right now? I would be happy to offer some input if you could tell me your stats as well (weight, speed, rope length). Feel free to DM me. B)

@jalama It sounds like you are on the right track. At 75 lbs, the 63" Freeride would be an ideal choice for your daughter. The Freeride has width where you need it for easy starts and the CleanEdge on the back half of the ski adds lift too. This reduces drag and makes for longer runs/less fatigue. But the Freeride is also a great ski for carving once your daughter is up and skiing. It provides a stable platform to learn all the basics and is just so much fun to ride. If you haven't already got one, a deep-v handle could help her keep the ski stable as she's getting used to deep water starts. Bill is correct when he says, "MAKE SURE THE BOOTS FIT!"

@ckenworthy3 I am a medium width size 11 and I still prefer the 7-11. I would say if you prefer a snug fit, buy the smaller boot as long as you don't have a really high instep. Tweeners can be tough. If are purchasing online make sure you buy from someone who will let you exchange if they don't fit. Hope this helps!