Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

[Carso]

Hi
I have an old outboard ski boat but am wanting to get a somewhat newer direct drive such as this

http://medicinehat.kijiji.ca/c-cars...ats-MB-Tournament-Ski-Boat-W0QQAdIdZ221327516

When sking using the central pylon can/should anyone be sitting on the bench at the back? Are there direct drive boats that have the pylon further back? (behind the bench) - I remember seeing this but I don't know what type of boat it was. If a boat has a tower can you ski from it?

Thanks for your time.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

Nope, can't use the back seat when you are using the pylon.

You will see pylons behind the backseat on V-drives, can't say that I've ever seen one on a direct drive.

Most ski boats also have a normal tow loop on the transom, you could ski from that with people in the back seat - although it kind of defeats the purpose of a dedicated ski boat.

Waterski off the tower - not a good idea. It would suck on turns due to the rope height and the amount of lean you would cause in the boat.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

Like he said.

 

[SeanT]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

Ditto.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

You could on my old Malibu skier. There was a grab rail with a place for the ski rope. You would not want to do this and run a slalom course, but you can do this and tow just find for 90% of an average skiers needs.

Look at this Mastercraft, you will see options like this on the back of some tournament ski boats. On the others, it would be fairly easy to add a ski eye hook back there.

http://www.ski-it-again.com/cgi-bin...ht=427&Title=12861 Prostar 190 by MasterCraft

On the malibu below, you will see a grab rail. there is like a thumb coming down that the rope can attach to.

http://www.ski-it-again.com/cgi-bin...Height=480&Title=09566 Sunsetter Lx by Malibu

It would still be a hell of a boat to learn to ski from with the rope hooked back there.

 

[Carso]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

Thanks for the info. I hadn't thought about the bench becomming unusable at times. Between tubing and sking it definately becomes something to think about when shopping.

Just to check - if a boat does have a tower or a wake extension for a pylon the bench should be fine to sit on - shouldn't it? - guess I'm thinking more of the extension - there wouldn't be any safety issues would there? My old boat has a tripod pylon and seats on either side at the very back - when I use the tripod I don't let kids sit in the very back (anymore) as I'm a bit leary of the tripod coming off - happend once with a kid in the back but we were lucky and the thing flew off the other corner of the boat where she wasn't sitting. Scared the hell out me - I was the one sking.

Thanks again.
Carso

 

[WildH2Oskier]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

I have a cushion instead of a couch across the back of mine. The rear observes just move it from the the back of the boat to the back of the motor box and sit up against it. The rope moves over their heads. On boats with the permanent mounted couch seating across the back the rear observers just sit a vest or a towel on the floor and sit up against the back of the motor box.
We've been doing it for 30 years in different inboards and haven't had a problem yet. Everybody around here does it that way, I had never thought it was different anywhere else.

 

[skibrain]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

On a standard height center tow pylon, the rope swings back and forth about 3" above the motor box. Seems like you'd have to duck to make that work? or maybe an '85 CC is much deeper than I remember.

Or are the folks in Alabama quite a bit smaller?

 

[WildH2Oskier]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

Hmmmm I dunno. As I said its not equipped with the back seat, but rather basically a couch cushion with another cushion snapped to the back wall. We've never had anyone get hit in the head with the rope though, but you do have to watch out when your out back riding the plank. Those pesky riders will pull in about 2 or 3 foot of unexpected slack and just let it go if your not watching.
Good times with great friends...that's what skiing is all about.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Water sking behind a Direct Drive - Can people still sit on the back bench?

I sure as heck wouldn't sit back behind the pylon. I've had the rope come back up to my head sitting in the drivers seat of a malibu, even with a recoil tube on the rope.