Newbie Waterskiing Advice

[vess]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

I have had great success slalom skiing (one ski) with a rope handle that has a much longer "V". You place the tip of the ski in the middle of the V, and it stabilizes the ski as you start out, preventing the squirrely side-to-side motion that frequently happens. This also allows both feet to be placed into the bindings, adding to the extra strength you need for deep water starts. I have also dragged a foot when starting, for stability, but that does require much more leg strength. And I agree with the earlier post about stopping the engine whenever you are picking up a skier. Never take the chance just idling near someone in the water.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Vess, you are 100% correct in the v rope technique, and never let anyone board of deboard the boat with the engine running. when i was young, we never had a ladder, just use the AV plate on the motor for a step and came right on in. now at almost 59 i have a ladder.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

back to the top

 

[athiker]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Great tips for starting out the season...only 2 random ones I didn't see.

Driver needs to make sure he has his steering wheel centered so that on take off the boat gives a good steady pull from the start instead of wildly veering off to the side then jerking forward. Common sense, but easy to forget if giving instructions to a new skier!

Another small tip is once the skier is up, new skiers tend to be hunched forward even if they are keeping their arms straight. They need to push their hips forward a bit, more than they usually think, to a good posture against the boat. It will save their arm, shoulder and back muscles and help them keep their center of balance while keeping the ski handle down near the waist/abdomen as mentioned earlier. I sometimes have someone make the motion of moving their hips forward in the boat once the new skier is up for a bit. Knees still need to flex obviously.

 

[Scuda11]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Last season,much to my surprise and delight, my 11yr old daughter got up the first time! I had bought the skis for my older daughter actually but she had a bum ankle. They are the trainer skis with the bar across the skis to help keep them together which when I first started as a kid was the toughest part. I would recommend them. Once she gets comfortable this year, you just remove the bar.

I spent about 20 minutes in the water with her and with the skis on, talking about everything. I think that helped allot. I was so proud of her.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

sure your the proud PAPA, how proud was she, thats the most important part. 45 years ago my 5 y/o sister was so determine to get up, she wouldn't turn the rope loose, and i accidently drug her about 25 feet. i stopped and she popped up. went back, she put the ski's back on and has skiied ever since.

 

[Scuda11]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

I think you can tell by the smile, but she was pscyhed!! She can't wait to do it again.

 

[Bass-A-Holic]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Another thing that really helps when learning to slalam ski while doing a deep water start (something that IMHO anyone who slaloms should learn) is a deep-vee handle. Here is a discription from an add that can describe it better than I can:

"To use this handle in learning deepwater slalom starts the skier positions the slalom ski in the "V" of the rope. When the boat pulls the skier out of the water this Gladiator Slalom Trainer holds the ski steady, preventing it from wobbling from side to side. As the skier stands up the ski gradually comes out of the "V" as it planes on the water."

Here is a link for a decent deep-vee handle:

http://overtons.com/modperl/product...ner&cname=Ropes-Handles&r=view&i=10407&aID=1G

 

[rschnack]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Just a couple more things. As skiers get tired, especially kids, they tend to wrap the rope around their hands for a better grip. Don't let them! A young girl here a few years ago lost her thumb when she wiped out. Also, if there is a wind, approach the downed skier from downwind. You will have more control over the boat and prevent the wind from making the boat run over the skier.

RCS

 

[athiker]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Double Ditto Bass-a-Holic on the Deep "V" Handle...those things are almost like magic. They are especially helpful if you are using one of the now more common wide-body slaloms that really force you to put a regular ski line off to the side.

 

[oops!]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

about driving the boat
alot of people think you gotta go flat out. ever fall at that speed? (i thought seeing stars was just on bugs bunny!)
the spray in front of the ski sounds like a good idea ill try it. my suggestion is to go fast enough to keep them up with out too much trouble or "fight " from them but slow enough that the water will be soft when they fall. a painfull fall or an enema to a little kid is enough so they arent haavin fun any more!

 

[hibbert6]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

As a driver, I tell my spotter to talk to me constantly:
""She's got the handle."
"Snug the rope just a little."
"She's bouncing in the wake - let it calm down"
Skier yells "HIT IT!" and the spotter does, too.
"She's almost up - there! She's up!"
"Faster"
"Slow down a little."
"She's outside the wake on the left - back in -outside on the right" etc.

"DOWN!!!"

I like extroverted spotters! Drives me crazy not to know what's going on back there.

Dave

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

have tubed a lot. My 17 yr old asked to try something different.

Jeezz, is this a breath of fresh air! I have almost come to the conclusion that the people nowadays just want to be dragged around ..I wish ya well...watersking is JUST TOO MUCH FUN..(first pulled up at 12 behind a Sears/Elgin 40hp in 1962 by my gorgeous Redhead foxy 16 year cousin, who sadly died WAY too early from a drug OD, while I was in Nam...mixed emotions here...
GO for IT! (that Slamon thing still a witch, but once ya dump a ski...WHOLE new world erupts...)

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

90 hp is plenty of motor, but you may want to check your prop pitch, a 15 is best if slaloming for beginners, 17 if just double skiing. Remember to trim the motor all the way down, wont go anywhere if its not trimmed down. For beginners on two is is best to ease the trottle steadily to full, don't slam it for beginners, gives them time to steady themeselves on the way up. then back off, usually once they get to the swirls they will be up, and you should start easing up. Propping it down will allow for easier speed control. Nudge the trottle back just a little thu tight turns if they are on the outside of the wake, It gets quick out there thru turns. If they are caught on the inside of the wake entering a turn shut it down, slack in the rope can cause a faceplant as the skiier sinks the the rope tightens and jerks them hard. Agree on your hand signals before skiing, faster/slower/finished turning left/turning right.

Most Importantly, assume the other boaters out there are idiots, there are enough of them that get too close, cut you off or try and follow you, or yeild to the tow boat as they should, watching for other boats, obstacles and the shoreline should be your main concern, leave watching the skiier to the spotter, that is their job.

On the 90 hp, I learned on 18 and 25 hp engines. Took a long time to get the balance of it because the boat was under powered. I agree that you need adequate hp to get a good solid thrust for the skiier to pull against and small engines just can't hack it. Makes learning so much easier.

Additionally, as stated, proper chopping of the throttle is very important. Too fast and you just lost your tow. Gotta do a lot of planning ahead if you want to be a successful driver.

We did have a slight advantage as we were skiing on coastal marshes and the depth was only a couple of feet. You could stand up in the mud which was easier than deep water starts encountered later in life. Course it had it's obvious drawbacks......but another bright side was the fact that these were ponds, of varying sizes, that the marsh drained thru and the saltgrass and size kept the waves down.
HTH

Mark

 

[woodee148]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Good Post,
I am not overly experienced but I would like to mention one mistake I made.
My brother had wiped out and I had swung around and got him ready to go again. another boat was approaching so I patiently waited...then another boat..Once it was clear I looked back at my skier got the thumbs up..hammered her down and took out my prop. There was a small shoal that I was aware of and obviously avoid with a skier. Problem is that in the process of picking up the skier we drifted and then drifted more as we waited for the other boats. might seem stupid on my part but i just did not realize how much we had moved prior to start. I was too concerned about the other boats. Point is to remember to constantly be aware of your surroundings I guess

 

[Irv964]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Last season,much to my surprise and delight, my 11yr old daughter got up the first time! I had bought the skis for my older daughter actually but she had a bum ankle. They are the trainer skis with the bar across the skis to help keep them together which when I first started as a kid was the toughest part. I would recommend them. Once she gets comfortable this year, you just remove the bar.

I spent about 20 minutes in the water with her and with the skis on, talking about everything. I think that helped allot. I was so proud of her.

My young lad just got up this past week on the exact same ski's(smaller versions), he just turned 7 and we were very proud parents to say the least! He got up his very first time, I was in the water with him at the beach and gave him instructions while sitting there and as he was starting to be pulled up. I do believe he is addicted now and next summer I know that is all he is going to want to do.
There is some great info/advice in this post, makes me wish I had of read it first before my wife tried this week as well. She did get up after about 7 tries(I can't believe she still had the energy!) She went for over 300yrds and even crossed the wake, talk about being proud of herselve, she wanted to do it again the next day aching sore but unfortunately the weather didn't co-operate which is probably a good thing for her?
I also got up, first time in over 20 yrs and too be honest, it was like riding a bike, you never forget imo. It was a blast, looking forward to doing it again this summer if time and weather permit. I am really looking forward to trying slalom, I have never done it but I was eyeballing that extra foot hold on the other ski while I was up. Thanks for posting this up, some great tips/advice especially for the first timers/newbies...........Irv964

 

[suck my wake]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Hi, my name is Nick. I'm 11 years old.I have only gone skiing once in my life. My dad used to be awsome at water skiing, and i want to someday be just like him. Back to skiing. The one time I was skiing I got up out of the water on a 65 horse outboard Yar-craft from '72. and about a month ago we bought a new (to us) '77 open bow baja jet boat with an Old's 455 with a Jacuzzi jet drive, a classic. if anybody has any tips on what to expect please reply.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

great ski boat, it will have a lot more power, when you go to get up. also watch out for the spray from the jet output. you have a Private Message.

 

[logsmith]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Great thread, lot's of good info. It's always good to see the words other people use to help people learn something. It can change one's own take on a situation. I do have a question and I haven't researched it on the site but it's about tow rope length. I just traded a snowmobile for our family's first powerboat in early August and we went out a bunch of times and had a blast. Its a 1980 Baja Tri-16 with a Mercury 115, so it has plenty of speed. I skied a bunch as a kid but can't remember how long the rope should be.Same question for safe tubing rope length. Thanks in advance.

Edit; I did a search and found a bunch of info thanks anyway and enjoy.

 

[kneedragger]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

I too have taught numerous kids to ski through the local Y summer camps for most of my life. Also skiied competitively in college.

I want express a couple of items, and one new one here. Spend as much time on the dock showing proper body position(arms straight-sitting upright--almost like an "air chair"), and rope pull from a seating position on the dock to a standing position.

Next similarly mentioned hear, show them at the dock how to put skiies on, and swim with them. Tell them not to fight them---its already strenuous enough, and they need to be comfortable in the water. I reccommend swimming on your stomach, and let the skiies float behind you while moving. Once you get to the rope, or in position, simply roll over to the starting position of knees bent, arms straight i love bass's chant by the way.

Pull them through the water either by hand (i prefer) or at idle. With the price of fuel these days, I do this on the dock and pull the rope rapidly by hand. Do this untill the student is not bending his arms, and not standing too quick. These are the two most common mistakes when learning. Also make sure they are spreading thier weight evenly over the skiis. This well help to prevent them from pulling "to the side". By doing the dock routine, you will eliminate frustrating times behind the boat by 50-70%. Almost all of my students get up in less than 5 tries behind the boat.

What hasn't been mentioned here before, is how to tell your student what they are doing wrong while trying behind the boat. Here are two tips. If they fall backwards---they bent their arms.

If they fall forwards----they straightened out their knees.

Hope that helps.