Newbie Waterskiing Advice

[Yacht Davits]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Here is what you want.
waterski.about.com/od/tipsskiingbeg/Beginner_Waterskiing_Tips.htm

 

[mark_fitzy]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

LOL I am 44 and purchased my first boat about 12 months ago and have started to learn to ski, I can get up without any issue, go straight without any issue,I forgot to ask someone,HOW DO YOU TURN?? lol I normally come off turn my skis towards the other direction and off I go again, lol

 

[Bcrowe]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Hello everyone,
I just wanted to throw my two cents in on this excellent beginners guide to waterskiing.
From my experience and IMHO I feel that it is much better,when learning slalom, to just start with one ski rather than try to drop(or Kick) a ski from double.

My rational for this is two fold:
#1. Balance, when a person is trying to make the leap from skiing on two skis to skiing on one by dropping a ski, it is kinda like taking the training wheels off a bicycle while going down hill. Balance can be a big problem. I tried to learn both ways 20 some years ago and found it much easier to master a deep water slalom start than the kick method. With the deep water start you can begin with both feet in the bindings and have some control over the back portion of the slalom ski. When dropping(kicking) a ski all of your weight goes from being spread evenly between two skiis to just one binding(and foot) while your free foot is trying to find the rear binding. I remeber this threw me for quite a loop and fell multiple times.

#2 Depending on the size of the body of wateryou are skiing on kicking the ski poses a problem due to the fact that you have put an uncontrolled piece of debris(your other ski) into the lake. Where I grew up and learned to ski was only a 250 acre lake so the water was pretty congested. I have seen other boats and skiiers hit these loose skiis. This causes damage to boats, skis and people. If the body of water is big enough this probably isnt much of an issue. Its just another thing to keep in mind.

I guess it is all a personal preference but again IMHO if you want to learn to slalom just bite the bullet and do it right from the beginning. I have never met a skiier who learned to slalom by kicking a ski who didn't eventually learn a deep water start(or single ski start) so why not just start there in the first place.

 

[jacoboliva]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Hello,
Here this is a very good site to get good advices and destinations for all the enjoying activities like water skiing,boating, many more.Trick water skiing is a type of water skiing that is composed of fancy, complicated and thrilling turn movements using either one or two trick skis. This type of water skiing is commonly performed by experienced or professional skier.Here the advices are helpful.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Sorry to wake this thread back up, but I did not see anywhere in here how to drive the boat with a slalom skier in tow.

I have 190 hp 18.5' glastron I/O, and the wife pulls me up with 1/2 throttle on wakeboard, but today I tried on a slalom ski (done it since a child, now 38, and haven't done it for 10 yrs or so, but shouldn't be a problem).

anyways, she tried to pull me up the same way as she does on the wakeboard, and I just drug a ways and never planed. After 6 gallons of water up the nose, I gave up and had her throw me the wakeboard.

Should she nail it full throttle til I plane?

 

[sethjon]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Sorry to wake this thread back up, but I did not see anywhere in here how to drive the boat with a slalom skier in tow.

I have 190 hp 18.5' glastron I/O, and the wife pulls me up with 1/2 throttle on wakeboard, but today I tried on a slalom ski (done it since a child, now 38, and haven't done it for 10 yrs or so, but shouldn't be a problem).

anyways, she tried to pull me up the same way as she does on the wakeboard, and I just drug a ways and never planed. After 6 gallons of water up the nose, I gave up and had her throw me the wakeboard.

Should she nail it full throttle til I plane?

A little more throttle and as you come out of the water she should ease off. Also, you're probably not the skier you were 10 years ago.

 

[scooper77515]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Whatcha talkin bout???

I am much more of a skier than i was back then. At least 25 lbs more skier!!!

The problem was not getting enough speed for the ski to plane and pop my butt out of the water. My baggy board shorts didnt help as they parachuted out behind me and filled with an extra 20 gallons of water.

 

[jafo9]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

funny how old this thread is.

i didn't see it mentioned above, but i think using a waverunner is a great way to teach kids to ski. i always try to get kids up on skis and the wakeboard before trying it behind the boat. i think there are several advantages.

1. its not as intimidating
2. so much easier to circle around to them when they don't get up
3. much easier for me to "feel" the rope and their body in the water with the finger throttle vs. a boat throttle on takeoff.

i know this isn't an option for alot of folks if you don't have a waverunner. just my 2 cents.

i also agree that good prep and instruction at the dock saves alot of headaches in the water.

i also try to use the progression-- kneeboard, double skis, then wakeboard when teaching kids as well. they don't have to be terribly proficient before i move to the next stage, but i feel it lets them learn one step at a time and get more comfortable on the water.

we don't slalom much, but my kids, myself and my wife all used the gladiator v-trainer to get up on the slalom fairly quickly last summer.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

Skiing behind PWCs works. My only concern is the experience I've had with older 2-strokes. Not that they lack power, but smooth, gradual delivery is a challenge. They struggle with smooth performance at speeds between about 3 and 30 mph. I like to pull kids on two skis in that 15-16 mph range.

 

[jafo9]

Re: Newbie Waterskiing Advice

It is very difficult to keep a constant pull with a PWC. I use it more for teaching them to get up than frequent skiing. Once they have the hang of it behind the PWC, I switch them to the boat.

I have my largest PWC running with a depitched impeller and some other mods to help it be a better tow machine.