can I water ski?

[garzaglass]

I just bought a 79 kingfisher with a 75hp engine. is this going to be enough to pull an average adult? I weigh 275 so I didnt have my hopes up for myself but maybe my wife and or 5 year old?

 

[dorelse]

Re: can I water ski?

At our lake in MN, there's a 16ft Glastron Tri-Hull (Don't know the exact model), but it has a 60HP Mercury outboard on it and pulls up 250+ adults on 2 ski's all day long. It usually has a couple adults in the boat as well.<br /><br />I'm not say they jump out of the water, but they don't seem to struggle either.

 

[Baldguy]

Re: can I water ski?

A 75hp motor IMHO is going to have a hard time pulling you up out of the water. Single ski is going to be harder than double skis.<br /><br />I tried skiing behind a 90hp 17.5 boat and the two adults in the boat had to go to the bow to get the boat to plane and me up out of of the water. I swear I was dragged behind that boat for about a mile before I was up.

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: can I water ski?

A lot depends if the motor is set up correctly. If so, you should not have any problems.

 

[garzaglass]

Re: can I water ski?

so we should have no problem with my 5 year old doing it?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: can I water ski?

What size and design of boat is that? How does it work without a skier behind? Does it plane out quickly and achieve a good top speed?<br /><br />Back in the 60's my dad pulled multiple skiiers behind a 16' deep-V Glaspar with an old Johnson 50 hp motor. No problem, even with a heavy skiier.

 

[garzaglass]

Re: can I water ski?

I dont know how fast it goes but it does plane very fast when gunning it. only takes about 2 seconds.

 

[roscoe]

Re: can I water ski?

hit it.

 

[jim dozier]

Re: can I water ski?

I had no problem pulling skiers behind a 17 foot boat with an 85hp. Once I got a correct prop it would even pull a slalom up on 1 ski.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: can I water ski?

"I dont know how fast it goes but it does plane very fast when gunning it. only takes about 2 seconds. "<br />---------------------------<br /><br />Sounds like a pretty good hole shot, there. It'll pull skiers, then. I'd even venture to say that it'll get you right out of the water, at least on doubles.<br /><br />Still, you didn't say much about the boat. I can't find any photos of that brand, so if you can tell us the length, hull design and materials, and how it's laid out, we can probably tell you more.

 

[tommays]

Re: can I water ski?

i think if anything you have a problem planeing at a low enough speed for a 5 year old to feel safe<br /><br />if you scare them it can take a while before they want to try again<br /><br /><br />some type of trim device will help this a lot<br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[sangerwaker]

Re: can I water ski?

Best thing in the world for trainig or teaching younguns is a boom. I wouldn't even cosider it without one, but that's me. Most non ski boats are difficult to rig with a boom, but if you know anyone who has one, ask them to help you out.

 

[dorelse]

Re: can I water ski?

I haven't felt at all comfortable with my 5 year old on a tube by herself, to say nothing of a 5 year old on skis.<br /><br />I specifically purchased a 2 person tube in a 'U' shape so an adult could ride behind her so she wouldn't get bumped off, and the adult would have some control over the tubes direction. It has fins and is somewhat steerable.<br /><br />I just don't think younger children have enough swimming skills to be left alone in the water, or risk the chance of a ski knocking them unconscious if they fall wrong. If the lake isn't clear, you can lose site of them if they go under even 6 inches of water. I'm not willing to risk it. In fact, an adult always accompanies my 8 year old son, who's an averager swimmer for his age. (My wife's rule, but I agree with it...in a couple more years he can go by himself.)<br /><br />Besides all that, I have to agree with tommays, if either one of mine got scared, they wouldn't try it again for a year...so I'm just trying to get them to feel safe with an adult on the tube, and having fun on the water.

 

[ae708]

Re: can I water ski?

Years ago I would ski behind a 14'plywood boat with a 30 'rude Lark. I could even pullup 2 skiiers on 2 skis. I could get up on a slalom from deep water behind this thing. Why do people nowdays think that you have to have a gazillion horsepower motor to ski behind? My heavy 18 footer with 3.0 Mercruiser can snatch a skiier out of his skis without any problem. For sure I have to use the throttle with finesse when pulling up the average skiier.

 

[one more cast]

Re: can I water ski?

The guy from myth busters skied behind an olyimpic rowing team. The only time I ever water skied was behind a 15' fiberglass with a 30 or 35 horse and with 3 adults in the boat. It was pretty hard to get out of the water though.

 

[tommays]

Re: can I water ski?

you have to use a REAL PDF for a child which makes it pretty hard to get in trouble <br /><br />a ski vest is a bad idea for the young <br /><br />are children did learn on a boom and move to a line but stuff can still happen <br /><br />my daughter got it in here head that when she went to the line she was going to show up the boys and not let go<br /><br />well she held on underwater long enough to scare everybody about 25 feet and 5 seconds but it seamed like a mile <br /><br />tommays

 

[fishingdan]

Re: can I water ski?

I think there are two factors. The capability of the boat and the skills of the water skiier. <br /><br />If your skiiers mostly use 2 skis, you shouldn't have any problem. I am not a great skiier, but I could easily get up on an old 16' runabout that had a 50hp engine on it. The hole shot of that boat was absolutely horrible. Usually, I would be up on the skis long before the boat was on plane. This boat would take upwards of 15-20 seconds to get on plane. <br /><br />It doesn't sound like you will have any problem.

 

[WSUDERMAN]

Re: can I water ski?

I have done deep water starts from a 50 hp Johnson on a 14' Sea Swirl. Not easy but it is possible. I think if you are having trouble with the pull, you might try a different prop. Also a big advantage today is the big wide skis.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: can I water ski?

I was pulled for 20 years behind dad's 16 foot Crestliner with a 70hp outboard. That's the boat I learned to ski behind. The older I got, the harder it got. But now, almost 40 years later, that boat is still in the family, and even today at 50 years old, 190 lbs, last year I found I was able to still do a deepwater slalom start behind it for old times sake (barely...and truly exhausting), but obviously much prefer to slalom behind something stronger. On two skis it's no problem at all.<br /><br />For your kids your setup will be perfectly fine and they'll have a blast. However for you at your weight I imagine it will be very difficult to get out of the water.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: can I water ski?

get some type of trim tabs and a nice low pitch prop, like a 13" or an 11" and youll be ripping peoples arms off!!<br /><br /><br />have fun