Ghibli

@Mad11 Does ZO ever "bark" at you demanding more power even though no more is available? Most likely pulling a heavy line skier. My understanding, which can be misguided, is that if ZO does not have the torque to perform as programmed(maintain g forces when required) it will let you know. At sea level that usually means the throttle lever was not moved forward enough. My guess as to why more powerful boats feel smoother is because they are operating in higher gears(more pitch, diameter) and really are....smoother. Profound i know. Much like an overdrive compared to a lower gear. Try to moderate speed in your car in first gear compared to fourth at say around 35 mph. Increasing pitch smooths out the pull and slows response time to target g force as well, which most, not all, of us find friendly. But if you add too much pitch, ZO might bark and you may overstress/heat your engine.

I find my elbow pain is related to taking "hits". No hits, the elbows don't bother me in the morning. Anybody else have similar experiences? Thought about changing handle, but then I thought not skiing to the ball would be a better solution, for me anyway.

@ToddL I thought you were clear. I was just commenting on the "need a driver" line of thinking. @Ilivetoski I would think the expectation is different if the "guest" is catching a few sets a week as opposed to a few sets a year?

@ToddL I would think the driving would be a wash? The "guest" probably would not "have gotten to ski" without an owner's boat and most likely owner's driving. I never think I'm doing an owner a "favor" if I'm lucky enough to be invited to ski. So, if I'm asked to play tennis at a public facility with a court fee, I shouldn't pay half the cost because it takes two to play tennis and the other person might not have been able to find a different partner? Maybe I should change my way of thinking. "You wouldn't have gone to dinner by yourself, so you can pick up my tab as well. Thanks!!" I'm going to save quite a bit of money from now on, but I'll probably lose some friends along the way.

My take. If I offer ten dollars for a set(six passes), I'm really offering maybe four dollars to ski behind a boat in which I share no expenses because at least six dollars is burned, if I only ski six passes and don't fall much. The cost the owner has incurred by letting me put twenty minutes on his late model ski boat is many times more than four($4.00) dollars. The owner IS, not "in essence is", paying me to ski behind his or her boat. If I offer twenty dollars, that is fourteen dollars for twenty minutes on his pride and joy. So twenty dollars is a hard minimum and he or she is still subsidizing my outing. This is just considering depreciation and maintenance caused by my twenty minutes. I'm guessing very few owners expect a contribution to all the other significant costs involved, but I certainly don't think I am being "generous" when I offer thirty dollars(or seven and half gallons) after my seven passes with three crashes.........Gas or cash? Ask the owner.

@Ryguy Dr. Michaels is easily contacted through his website. I would guess he still has blueprints if interested. He continues to practice dentistry, even though he did lose quite a few patients following the scandal, according to local news articles. The header on the website is "Trusted Dentistry" and as recently as yesterday circulated advertisements in local publications promoting the "Honesty" and "Integrity" of his practice. No Joke.

I can only hazard an uneducated guess at scratch. Best 5 out of 10 average: 55 1.5 at -39. Better? Worse?