Wakeboard behind airfloor with 20hp?

MEK

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
30
I'm curious if any of you guys pull kids wakeboarding behind an air floor soft bottom? I was hoping this might be possible with a 20hp? Also to the guys that do run 20hp engines are your air floors surging when properly inflated? I've misplaced my pressure gage and need to order another one ASAP.
 

Chopperbill

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Messages
389
Floor keel filled hard no flop in the floor. I'd be hard pressed to pull someone behind me. Might get by with a small kid, never tried.
Oh, Saturn told me I didn't even need a gauge using a hand pump.
 
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MEK

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
30
Thanks for the info on the floor flop Chopperbill. I downsized from my 430 to a Saturn 385 airfloor for portability and am just sorting it out and still using my Suzuki 30hp. I'd like to downsize it to a 20hp next summer and was hoping to still be able to pull the kids around. I'm hoping to hear from someone who has tried wakeboards, kneeboards or even a tube with small teens and a 20.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
I pull nicely a banana rated for 4 with a single rider with an 18 with just me driving. To pull anything best will need to be done with just driver and wakeboarder behind as anything being pulled exerts huge drag when getting out of the hole. If with extra passengers on Sib while pulling worst hole shot and combo performance.

A hand pump will pump way more pressure than a foot pump and with much ease, some simple foot pumps pops air hose off when certain pressure is achieved or won't inflate any further if being a light boater. Saturn has a miss concept regarding mechanical air pumps.

Happy Boating
 

MEK

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
30
Well I ordered a new pressure gauge last night so of course I found my old one today. With proper inflation the was no surging on the floor even with the 30hp so I'm happy. I had the keel way too low and the tubes a bit as well.

Sea Rider, my experience with hand pumps is the exact opposite. I find they are hard to use and the foot pumps far superior. My Bravo 9 foot pump is light years ahead of the throw away hand one that came with my new boat. Maybe I just haven't tried a quality hand pump yet.

If any anyone tows their kids with an air floor please chime in. I'm going to try dragging them tomorrow on their small SOT kayaks.
 

JohnnyRudeClassics

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
80
No Title

"Waaaay back when...."
Here an interesting water skiing study from the late 50's
the results of which are presented in a form
to help boat salesmen of the time better conduct
the sales talk with the customer
-- not air floor data strictly speaking, but some 10 - 30 HP data nonetheless
waterski12.gif
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/columns/max/6/waterski12.gif
-- page 9 has for results with a saucer ( ? perhaps the start of wakeboard evolution ? )
waterski09.gif
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/columns/max/6/waterski09.gif
-- also included an article about building your own waterskis - see pages 14 - 16
http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/05/columns/max/6/index.htm

and of more recent years
here is some evidence of some people
plain old having fun with some relatively
low HP outboards

Z-ray 500 towing a Tube ( with 15 HP Mercury )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvfp80YPBTg

Johnson 15hp water sking ( on a 10 foot tinny )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1UXeC6QG-4

enjoy yourself out there
and
be safe
 

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MEK

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
30
Thanks for those great links JRC. I never thought of checking youtube, should have been my first stop. There were a few wakeboarding SIB's with 15hp engines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrs0swfNyQw

Towed the kids on one of their sit on top kayaks today with a ski rope. I tied the rope to the leg of the motor and it worked well. Kids had a great time and after seeing those videos I don't mind investing in a wakeboard. My son did ask if we could keep the 30hp though...
 

gwozhog

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 19, 2012
Messages
138
If you have an experienced rider who knows how to pop out of the water quick I don't see why not. I would probably not recommend trying to teach a beginner. For one you have no tower so a low lying rope will make it much harder to pop up. I saw a video of a teen riding behind a 15hp on YouTube so a 20 should be more than enough. Now what would be sweet is if you could wakesurf behind a dhingy.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Mek,

In reality will depend on the pump's brand model & quality, boater condition amd body type. Have inflated all size sibs with high quality foot pumps but my knee said stop, moons back switched to a nice Bravo 4 alum hand pump. the inflation is awesome and less strenuous than with a foot pumps. But that's me. Dare to say that 2 arms resting on T handle exerts nicer pushing down motion than a single leg pushing upper pump body down. With age definitely will switch to an electric or hand pump or keep the sib inflated at all times and top air with any pump you feel comfy with.

Happy Boating
 

alanfox55

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
476
No Title

For Mek or anyone else in the market for a nice air gauge I got one from NRS or Northwest River Supply who make and sell stuff for white water rafting...only high quality stuff. This is a digital gauge which is much easier to read but I do back it up with a regular gauge in case of battery failure. I have compared all my gauges and they all read the same...it is nice to have another to compare to.
 

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Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
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Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Can that digital pressure gauge read multi air valves or comes with different adapters to do so ? Nice that both gauges reads same, sometimes mechanical gauges are not that acccurate, when comparing readings between them. Usually due to factory bad calibrations & bad control quality.

Happy Boating
 
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