Chicken or the egg?

[lombard]

OK, I'll try to keep this relatively short. Here's my situation. I've been skiing for years, but it's just in the past few years I've been learning to slalom. A couple of outings a year makes it slow going. I can usually get up on a deep water start 3 out of 5 times, but that's with experienced drivers.

Anyway, I move to Florida last year and just bought myself a boat, but none of my friends here know how to ski or have ever pulled a skier. All I have is my slalom ski.

So, the question is how do I teach someone to pull a skier when I'm the only skier here? Do I buy a set of skis and try to teach one to ski while teaching the other to drive? Or do I talk them through pulling a skier and then jump in the water?

I don't really want to buy a set of skis just to teach someone to pull a skier. And most of my friends just like hanging on the boat. Not sure any of them are active enough to ski. So the chicken or the egg....teach a guy to ski so he can learn to pull a skier, or just try to teach him to drive the boat while I'm flailing about trying to master my slalom?

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

Teach one of your friends to drive the boat and how to pull you. If they see you out tearing it up it might get them motivated enough to give it a go. I dont know how crowded lakes in your area are but if they arent too bad it should be quite easy to teach someone how to pull you. For slalom skiing you want as straight as lines as possible. Get there early when the water is good and fewer boats are out. But you could do some dry runs without a skier for teaching pourposes. Let someone get comfortable just driving around and knowing how a boat handles(you giving guidance) once the new driver is pretty comfortable at that, take an old orange jacket throw it in the water and have him/her practice bringing the rope around to it, while you are still in the boat giving driving tips. Once all is good with practice runs you would probably be ready to give it a go. REMEMBER safety is always first if the new driver gets in a panic remind him/her to shut it off, make sure they know not to go from full throttle forward to reverse EVER your boat wont like you anymore if they do. Its not unheard of if someone gets nervous driving a boat. Ease back into neutral coast to stop then reverse. My wife doesn't like to drive when there are lots of boats out but she will do it when we don't have other options and she always does fine. No big deal if they coast past you or stop way out in front of you when done. Just make sure your new driver knows how dangerous it CAN be if not taken seriously. Don't forget to go over what hand signals you plan on using and that the driver understands them. Keep in mind everything should be done in small incraments ie if you want slower dont pull throttle back all the way just a bit at a time, same with steering don't crank the wheele make wide arcs back to straight. good luck you should be skiing in no time..........

 

[bayman]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

Maybe there are some good instructional videos or DVD's on how to do it.

Here is one on iboats but I can't vouch for it...just promoting the concept:
http://www.iboats.com/Beginning_Waterskiing/dm/category_id.357285--view_id.357601

Keep your eyes out for other friends who are into water sports. All you need is one more who knows how to drive.

Good luck and keep it fun!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

buy a cheap set of ski's on craigslist. this will bring an interest to friends. it takes a lot more practice, pulling a slalom, than 2 ski's. your boat has to be perfectly tuned so it will not stall when shifting. the divers needs to learn the boat bumb forward, bump reverse, to hold the boat while the skier gets ready. when deep water starting. i like to leave about, 5 to 10 feet of slack in the rope, so the motor, could start to generate power before it took the load. the driver has to slam the throttle to wide open, and leave it there, till the boat gets up to speed and planes out, then gently throttle back, if not they get too much slack in the rope, and throw the skier.

one essential item is a double handle ski rope for deep water slalom. put the toe of the ski, in the vee of the handles, this gives a straight pull for the skier, rather than a side pull. having the V allows the skier, to react quickly and easier to slack in the rope.

good skiing is 50% driver, and good running motor.

 

[lombard]

Re: Chicken or the egg?

Yeah, I may need to start searching craigs list.

Never even thought of the double handled tow rope. I've always just used the standard one. Something to think about...

Thanks for the suggestions guys.