Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

[CZSteve]

We're thinking of getting a PWC to use in conjunction with the pontoon boat.
Will a budget of ~ $3500 be able to get a big enough used PWC that is capable of towing a skier?

Ideally looking for a 3 seater I think.
- Best MFG? Years? (guessing we're in the 10+ yr old range)
- Recommended horsepower?
- Does a 3-seater make sense over a 2-seater? I'm 'assuming' a longer hull will be advantageous and also allow a spotter. (Are spotters required on a PWC towing a tube / skier in Texas?)


Thoughts?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[The Rooster]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

That's exactly what we use our Ski for, Steve. Got ours used last year. I'd definetly recommend the 3 seaters. Any manufacturer will suffice, but Honda, Polaris and some others went out of business, so keep that in mind. For $3000 - 3500, you're probably looking at older 2-strokes, as long as you're comfortable working on those. We preferred a slightly newer 4-stroke w/ the reverse feature. Helps to keep newbie riders from crashing into the barge. As far as HP is concerned, I find the older 70-100 hp 2-strokes from SeaDoo & Yamaha pull tubers and skiers almost as well as my 4-stroke SeaDoo. I know here in Louisiana, spotters are required when towing. Good luck !!!

 

[Ernest T]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

You need a 3 seater in most states to pull anything (driver, spotter, skier = 3). Some states will let you pull without a spotter if your ski has mirrors, so some 2 seat skis may work, but not recommended. As recommended above, I'd stay with SeaDoo or Yamaha. You will be limited to 2 strokes in that price range, but you can find some pretty nice ones. I don't know that much about the SeaDoo 2 stroke models, but a Yamaha XL1200, or Yamaha SUV would fit the bill nicely. You can find 3 cylinder 2 strokes in the 1997-2005 year range for #3500 with a trailer. Plenty of power to pull a skier, and very stable for multiple riders. I'd look for skis with less than 100 hours, do a compression check on all 2 strokes (120 psi on 3 cylinder skis).

Keep in mind that PWCs work OK for tubes, wakeboarders (but no wake, so will only keep beginners happy), and straight line skiers. Not a good option to pull slalom skiers..........can actually be dangerous.

If you find a specific Yamaha ski for sale, post back and I can tell you what to look for.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

Being able to get a skier up and being able to ski behind a jetski are 2 very different things. I skied behind our jetski once and will never do it again. As soon as you cut hard you will pull even the largest of jetskis sideways which causes all sorts of issues for the skier.

 

[maproy99]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

Being able to get a skier up and being able to ski behind a jetski are 2 very different things. I skied behind our jetski once and will never do it again. As soon as you cut hard you will pull even the largest of jetskis sideways which causes all sorts of issues for the skier.

That happens because a pwc has nothing to keep it going straight in the water. If you have welding skills or know someone who does, get a small steel skeg and have it welded to the back of the intake grate. It will help with the "skidding" motion of the pwc, but it will be slightly less nimble also.

 

[dannyual767]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

Being able to get a skier up and being able to ski behind a jetski are 2 very different things. I skied behind our jetski once and will never do it again. As soon as you cut hard you will pull even the largest of jetskis sideways which causes all sorts of issues for the skier.

I've slalom skied behind my 80hp 1994 Yamaha WaveRaider. It struggles to get me out of the water on the single ski. After I'm up, I really enjoy skiing behind the Raider. No wake whatsoever. Yes, I pull the Raider around but so what? Of course I'm only 160 lbs, a recreational skier and I'm not going around bouys. I've never pulled that ski sideways but I can see how a bigger, more powerful skier could.

I really need to ski behind my GP1200. Bigger and way more power (135hp vs 80hp) and will still have no wake to speak of. Yeah, these are two seat skis and they may or may not be legal to tow something. It seems like it may be legal in Florida as long as you have a waterski type mirror. A real waterskiing mirror. I've got one for my boat but I need to figure out a way to mount it on my GP1200.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Used PWC, want to tow a skier - what to look for?

Yes, I pull the Raider around but so what?

If you get better at skiing you'll care - right about the time you are going over the front of the ski. I'm only 185lbs and have no trouble yanking an RXP around with 2 people sitting on it. Sure you can do it - but it sucks