Re: what size CDX 66" or 67"?
Congrats on the new ski.
I've purchased 3 used skis off of ski-it-again and think it is a great way to get into some nice equipment.
A couple of things. I don't think that an inch shorter ski will be a noticeable change for you. All things being equal, a shorter ski will turn quicker, but there are some other things I would look at first. You are skiing pretty slowly at 27 mph and I would worry that going to a smaller ski it would be riding too low in the water and feel sluggish. You don't say how old you are or if 135 lb is what you are likely to weigh for the next 5-6 years, but you should be fine on a 67."
I owned a '00 or '01 CDX briefly because I too had heard great things about the skis. It was red with the checkered flag graphic. I didn't know to check how it was set up - and generally hated how it skied. It would track very straight and felt like on RAILS zipping across the wake, but then also felt to me like it was resistant to turn. It was a 66" (I weigh about 163) and if felt like it was 126" long. I sold it and bought a KD which I liked better. I THINK I could have worked with the CDX but didn't know what to do.
The fin and binding position are adjustable on most slalom skis. Here is a link to a website that explains the basics:
http://www.waterskis.com/Adjusting-your-Slalom-Waterski-s/14.htm
As you can see, you can tune a ski to act like a shorter ski or quicker turning ski, or vice versa. Since you bought your ski used, it is not necessarily set up as it came from the factory. Anyway there are some recommended factory settings for every ski and I found some for the CDX below. With a tape measure you should be able to check bindings and figure out if you are anywhere close to these.
67" HO CDX 2000 model (but I think these were pretty much the same but for graphics for about 4-5 years)
Binding location:
Measured as distance from tail of ski to the back heel rubber of the front binding: 29.25"
Fin setup
Distance from tail of ski to back of the fin 0.92" (sort of tricky to measure because the tail of the ski is not completely square, but are angled)
Length of fin
Overall length of fin blade measured where it meets the bottom surface of the ski: 6.85"
Depth of fin
Measured from bottom of ski to the deepest part of the fin: 2.495"
Angle of wing
9 degrees (however for any skiing under 32 mph, and shorter line lengths it is not required an I would take it OFF of the ski.)
So I would see if you are close to the above. Then I might try moving bindings (and fin) forward.
That may make all the difference. There have been world champions like Wade Cox ripping it up on the CDX so I am not going to say it won't work for you.
However, (sorry for the long response here) if the ski is STILL not turning for you, you may want to try something else. And I would try a different brand/model before just making a move to a 66" CDX. You should be able to put it back on ski-it-again and get about what you paid for it. A short-term demo of sorts.
Oh, and you might try speeding up the boat just a bit. The ski will ride a little higher in the water and generally ride more cleanly. 30 mph may be a good place to get to.
Let us know how it goes.
