Is O/B worse for skiing?

[hibbert6]

I was reviewing some old posts and someone said that outboards aren't as good as inboards or I/O's for tow - sports as the torque is lower. I always figured that I/O's became popular because people prefer "car" engines over noisy outboards. I love ob's due to their simplicity and ease of maintenance, but are I/O's really better for skiing and tubing?

Dave

 

[DJ]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Nope!

Nothing beats an inboard or V-drive ski tractor but outboards pull just fine.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

I frankly think an ouboard is BETTER than an I/O for skiing. But an Inboard is best.

If you ever go to waterski competition/ski shows, it is very very common to see them using boats with one, two, or even three 200 HP outboards or similar, usually pulling 12 man pyramids and such. IMO outboard ski boats would rank as not as good as an inboard, but better than an I/O for towing skiiers. They used to be extremely popular, but have seemingly fallen out of favor and out of production...in my opinion probably because wakeboarding has become so popular. The small outboard ski boats make beautiful flat wakes for slalom and ski shows, but just aren't heavy enough to make the huge rolling wakes everyone wants for today's wakeboarding craze. And inboards and I/O's seems to be more versitile and adjustable in that respect. And Inboards and I/O's are a WHOLE lot easier to fit with a nice big swim platform off the back...which is also a priority for many people. And like you said, they generally are quieter, though modern 4 stroke outboards are now closing in on that issue making it less of a concern than the old smoky 2 stroke screamers.

But there's absolutely nothing wrong with outboard ski boats for all the reasons you mention in your first post. Primary benefit in my mind is how simple they are to maintain. Cheaper and easier than an I/O or Inboard, especially when it comes to winterizing, etc. It's more the hull design which effects wake size and shape that you want to be concerned with, and align that with your goals.

But if you're just talking about occasional recreational skiing? Absolutely an outboard is an excellent choice. Depending on boat size, usually anything 120 hp and up on an 18 or 19 foot boat will have more than enough to power to get you up on. I learned to ski, and skiied for many years behind a 70 hp 2 stroke ouboard on a 16 foot Crestliner fishing boat which is still in the family...on 2 skis it pops me right out with ease, and at 195 pounds 20 years later I'm certain I can even still do deep water slalom starts behind it when propped for accelleration. But last time I did it on that boat I dragged for a LONG time. Definitely a 90 HP would have been better!

If you want an outboard for skiing, I personally see no reason at all not to buy one.

 

[oops!]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

while i love my i/o......

just about all us guys over 40 learned on an ob.......a 30 hse on a tinny was a blast.......

more fun on a fifty with a 12 inch prop.....then finnaly an i/o....

two foot itis had set in......

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

I think inboard is the best overall but closely followed by outboards. Plenty of HP and propped correctly you can pop them out of the water in a hurry.

 

[ebry710]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

I think it is what you have. I like outboards because they are easier to clean and repair. If the engine dies that are easy to replace. They are simpler. Plus they fit behind my whaler.

With that said, if it is time to ski, I have never met a skier that said "no, you have an outboard....I don't think so". or "your boat's got a I/O......it's too pretty for me to ski behind".

Now horsepower does matter. Skiing behind an under powered boat...sucks.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

i have skied with all of them, each one has it's pluses and minuses. as far as noise, when skiing they are all noisey, at idle the inboard is quieter.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Spending most of my summer youth on the ST lawrence in the 50s and 60s I was trying to ski behind outboards around 25 to 50 hp.Never got up hardly close.Weighed about 135lbs.In the early 60s I tried behind a 48 18 ft Chris Craft utility 95 hp about 1500-1800 lbs. popped up first try the low end torque was amazing.Of course today outboards are much bigger probably deliver almost the same.

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

I've skied many miles behind both. For most skiers it is not much difference. Maybe when you get into high tech stuff I don't know. I am just a plain skier

 

[Irv964]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

I've skied many miles behind both. For most skiers it is not much difference. Maybe when you get into high tech stuff I don't know. I am just a plain skier

Same here, I skied behind both this summer and neither one made any difference to me...............Irv964

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

competion skiing is best with the inboard, as speed is much easier to control,
that is why the Nautique brand boats are so popular. they are specialized boats.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

while i love my i/o......
just about all us guys over 40 learned on an ob.......a 30 hse on a tinny was a blast.......
more fun on a fifty with a 12 inch prop.....then finnaly an i/o....
two foot itis had set in......

Yup, I grew up that way.
When we ski/tube, it's either in my buddies 18' Baja with a 140 Merc on the back or my Searay. The Baja seems to be more fun...maybe it's because I'm with a friend. But the Searay seems to pull better. I will say that I prefer to run an outboard at high rpm over my 4.3 (which is starting to get some age on her).

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Inboard ski boats are the best because the motor is mounted in the center of the boat, and they are propped down to max out at 40MPH, with a SB or Big Block V8. They are specialty boats designed for skiing. They are not very good for fishing, beaching and joy riding.

I/Os and outboards can be pretty good for skiing if you have the correct hull. Salom skiing is best when the wake is small. OBs with flat hulls create smaller wakes than vee hulls and I/Os tend to have bigger wakes due to their weight in the rear of the boat.

I guess the bottom line is how serious of a skiier are you? If you are a competition skiier, get an IB ski boat. For the rest of us, we need to have a boat that does all the stuff we like. This usually means a non- IB ski boat.

I like my speed boat for skiing. It has plenty of power, makes a small wake and is easy to climb into.

 

[coolguy147]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Spending most of my summer youth on the ST lawrence in the 50s and 60s I was trying to ski behind outboards around 25 to 50 hp.Never got up hardly close.Weighed about 135lbs.In the early 60s I tried behind a 48 18 ft Chris Craft utility 95 hp about 1500-1800 lbs. popped up first try the low end torque was amazing.Of course today outboards are much bigger probably deliver almost the same.

lol my dad skied when he was younger behind a 1961 chris craft 14ft with a 61 merc 500( 50hp) no sure how it was lol nvr seen it ran in my entire life.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Outboards are much quieter than they used to be.

I slalom 2-3 mornings a week behind late model Mastercraft and Malibu inboards. At slalom speed (34 mph) and shortline (22-32' off) there is a nice, nearly non-existent wake.

They are MUCH noisier than my '89 Evinrude.

Like others, grew up with small outboards:
20 hp Merc on 14' Alumacraft.
40 hp John on 13'4 Boston Whaler
115 hp John on CVX-16

 

[204 Escape]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

We had a 1999 Viper Coral with a 225 Merc. on it. The Merc had a "whale tail" on it, and when tubing, I personally thought that the water was rougher because of the "whale tail". (I may be wrong).

We now have a 5.0 I/O in our deck boat, and as previously stated, it is somewhat quieter, it still is somewhat noisy.

I think that the I/O makes the boat ride better, BUT, this is NOT a fair comparision, BECAUSE the deck boat is w i d e r, and deeper, and the VIper was lighter, narrower, and not as deep.

BUT, the Viper would flat out, out-run the deck boat.

Without the "whale tail", I don't think there would have been much difference.

JMO

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Well here's something that hasn't yet been mentioned, exhaust fumes.
I was tubing behind my old 67 eveinrude and after about 5 mins had to dump it, I was about ready to pass out. OMG and the kids never complained a bit.
Never again will I put anyone behind that boat, I now have an i/o exhaust exits underwater no more fumes in the riders face.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Eliminator...I think what you're experiencing there is the difference between a 40 year old oil-burning 2 stroke and a modern day 4 stroke. Exhaust dumping under water is meaningless as it immediately bubbles to the surface anyway. And even if it made a diff, most modern outboards almost all have underwater exhaust release as well.

Nowadays most modern outboards are either 4 stroke (no oil smoke) or direct injected 2 strokes (which burn just as clean if not cleaner than the 4 strokes) both with emission outputs that are heavily regulated by the EPA. Frankly most modern outboards burn cleaner than modern I/O's if you check emission ratings.

But back in 1967? You're probably pre-mixing that motor at 40:1 or 25:1? That probably would be a gold ol' fashioned blue-smoker like many people on this board skied behind in younger days! It would be a fun throwback to ski behind a rig like that again...maybe just once though! I don't blame you one bit for preferring to get pulled behind a modern smokeless setup...

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Yea, my old rig does smoke alot more than the new ones I guess. One thing that accentuates it is the fact that while on a TUBE the elevation is perfect that the exhaust trail goes right up your nose, although when on SKIS your smeller is above the smokeline and getting cleaner air exchange, oxygen to the brain is better. (Now I know why nobody could last more than 10mins on my tube) and they just kinda fell off at random.

 

[sikpnter]

Re: Is O/B worse for skiing?

Well here's something that hasn't yet been mentioned, exhaust fumes.
I was tubing behind my old 67 eveinrude and after about 5 mins had to dump it, I was about ready to pass out. OMG and the kids never complained a bit.
Never again will I put anyone behind that boat, I now have an i/o exhaust exits underwater no more fumes in the riders face.

Good hell, how long was your rope? 5 feet?