Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

[AZBoatDreamer]

I hope my wife doesn't see this.

Anyway here it goes. For the life of me she couldn't get the correct speed of the boat while I was sking. Either she would go too slow or too fast. I would give the signal to either speed up or slow down. Instead she would slow down to much or speed up too fast. Finally I gave up and dropped the rope. She was mad at me for my Criticism and I was mad at her abilities not to control the Speed of the boat. She didn't have this problem so much last summer. Maybe she was just out of Practice. I have skied for a couple months. Or maybe she was tired from the Heat. I don't know.

So as we headed back to the Dock and I gave her a Demo on how to control throttle changes and speed. She wasn't listening because I bruised her feelings.

Well wish me luck next time when I go sking. Maybe she will have a change of Heart and practice throttle changes and speed control when we go out next.

Any words of advise from anyone.

Thanks.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

I would tell her to set the throttle, and if you ask for more speed simply trim up a touch or two. Sometimes trimming for speed is easier than adjusting the throttle itself. Also, if you have a speedometer, give her a target speed to maintain.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

I pretty much have the boat trimmed for speed so Trimming down would work for going slower. I do tell her to try to maintain 25mph.
I think she wasn't in the pull skier mood. It was the end of the day and she was ready to go home. I almost blamed it on her women days but I wasnt
going there and it wasn't the time of the month anyway.

Thanks.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

For those couples who can make skiing/driving work, hat's off to you. I can't and don't try.
Here are a few principles I'll share - how you safely communicate with your spouse I'll leave to you.

Go straight.
I prefer to ski when there are no other boats around, or as few as possible. Prefer the the boat traveling in a straight path, not circles, not buzzing the dock etc. If you can eliminate other distractions in terms of traffic and what the boat path should be, it is easier for any driver to concentrate on the speed.

Constant speed
Does your boat have either a tachometer or speedometer? Tachometer is sometimes an easier gauge to monitor, and moves around a bit less. Consider putting a mark with red tape on the tach at the speed you'd like her to maintain - this gives a quick visual reference on a boat gauge that is typically not very big or very clearly marked.

Control - steering
Is your steering in good condition? (moves easily through out range of motion) Does the boat pull to the left or right? Maybe you need to adjust the steering trim tab? Or I've had a couple of larger outboards that were just physically difficult to steer until a hydraulic steering system was installed - decreasing greatly the intimidation factor for the driver.

Control - throttle
In most boats, keeping a target speed requires constant small adjustments. I think this is easier to do that when you have an elbow rest, or the throttle is near a place where you can anchor your hand to keep it from being moved in too large an increment.

Good luck!

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Thanks for the advice skibrain. So who is driving the boat when your are sking?

Anyway my boat steers and goes straight hands off unless some other force eg Wave pushes it off course.

I think I need to give my wife more experience driving the Boat. I tend to be a Boat driving HOG when we are out. Goes with driving our vehicles as well. Its a control thing I guess.

 

[2000fourwinns]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

I have the same problems and am currently saving for PERFECT PASS! I think that will be the solution.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

When my son-in-law was learning to ski we did it with a jet ski. It was very hard to keep a constant speed with that. When I was skiing I would give him a hard time for not keeping it constant. Then we both decided that we just had to get better at skiing and not worry about the speed of the puller. It made for a lot less arguments and more fun skiing.. Now with the boat my wife pulls me and I give her the thumb up or thumb down. Some times it takes a few adjustments but found out it is better to say how good she did rather than to criticize what she did wrong. It makes for a better home life. Some time its just better to drop the rope and say I was just getting tired of skiing. Or the water was too rough. Makes for a better day...

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

I have the same problems and am currently saving for PERFECT PASS! I think that will be the solution.

I had to google Perfect Pass. Really this is so Cool.

http://www.perfectpass.com/

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

There is even a dealer near me.

Century Marine Correct Craft, Centurion Mesa AZ 480 835-9134

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

When my son-in-law was learning to ski we did it with a jet ski. It was very hard to keep a constant speed with that. When I was skiing I would give him a hard time for not keeping it constant. Then we both decided that we just had to get better at skiing and not worry about the speed of the puller. It made for a lot less arguments and more fun skiing.. Now with the boat my wife pulls me and I give her the thumb up or thumb down. Some times it takes a few adjustments but found out it is better to say how good she did rather than to criticize what she did wrong. It makes for a better home life. Some time its just better to drop the rope and say I was just getting tired of skiing. Or the water was too rough. Makes for a better day...

Good advice. You would think I know better after 20yrs of Marriage.

 

[boat1010]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Been there done that. Been married for 40 years...still smiling....

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

When my son-in-law was learning to ski we did it with a jet ski. It was very hard to keep a constant speed with that.

Absolutely agree. The jet skis are terrible to ski behind due to the difficulty in maintaining speed and being able to steer. I could feel the back of the jet ski "giving" when I cut hard outside the wake. You can literally pull the rear of the jet ski toward you! Doable, but not really something I like to do. Towing tubes can be fun due to the ease of acceleration though.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

29 yrs. for me.
Good counsel on approach with wife. I just distinguish between doing stuff at my wife's level where the point is being together WITH her (like going for a leisurely bike ride). Or doing things at a more extreme level (going Mt biking with my sons or friends).

 

[DaveM]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Although I like to advise people that screaming at their wife is an effective teaching technique (kidding), I learned long ago to seek outside "expert" advice. This has worked out great for the other ski season. She now improved to the point of joining me as a ski instructor. I just expect to enjoy the groomed runs when skiing with her.

 

[scrit9mm]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

I have found that having someone on the boat who is experienced with pulling people teaching my wife proper technique is the way to go. That way if she gets aggravated she doesn't direct it my way.

I also need to give her more oppurtunity driving the boat all together, I too am a full time driver AZBoatDreamer

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Thanks Scrit.

Should I tell my wife I'm replacing her with the PerfectPass.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Well at 25 mph I'm assuming you are on two skiis, perfect pass imo is not the best option your boat should hold 25 no problem. I have my wife get me up and get to 30-31 mph then she hits the trim up for a 1,000 and 1 count which puts the boat right at 34 mph which is my wheel house for speed when I ski. Maybe try something similar with your set up, you need to start all the way trimmed down but you should be there anyway if pulling skiers. Plus it flattens the wake out quite a bit. My biggesr issue with her WAS the fact that she would like to drive in a big arc which is terrible for slalom skiing. Once I got it to her I would rather have big squares(4 tighter corners opposed to 1 loooong one) our skiing has been great and she is a great person to have pull me.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Well at 25 mph I'm assuming you are on two skiis, perfect pass imo is not the best option your boat should hold 25 no problem . . .

Funny, every modern ski boat (MasterCraft, Ski Nautique, CorrectCraft, etc) uses PerfectPass or ZeroOff, etc. The point is, most of these systems can control speed more accurately than a driver can. Even some of the best drivers in slolam competition can't control speed as consistently as PP. That being said, PP is an expensive option as opposed to a little bit of practice/instruction with the significant other which for free skiing would more than suffice.

 

[AZBoatDreamer]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

Bla Havent Two Skied since I was eight. In that cause I'm not sure how fast I'm going. I instruct my wife to start me out at 25mp but I will have her look at the Speedo next time we are out.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Smooth Throttle Changes While Sking

This thread cracks me up. So many people don't consider Perfectpass because they think it's expensive. LOL....

What is the price of a divorce? What is the cost of marriage counseling? What is the value of a happy spouse?

Perfectpass is CHEAP!!

If you can afford it, buy Perfectpass. Heck...if you have room for it on your credit card and you CANT afford it...BUY PERFECTPASS. I can guarantee you this product has saved more than one marriage in its history...

You don't need a $50K boat to run these types of products. I installed it on my $5,000 run-of-the-mill runabout, and we use it CONSTANTLY. Hands down, the BEST investment I have EVER made on ANY boat. Here is my review that I wrote from last year in case anyone is seriously interested:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=370635&highlight=perfectpass