Water Ski Pylon

[AguaSki]

My boat has an outboard motor. Most of my time on the water is spent doing water sports. I have been using a harness that attaches to the tie down bolts on the transom when pulling tubers and skiers. I am now considering the installation of ski pylon. Some of the online retailers (but not Iboats) I have visited will mention that the pylon is not suitable for pulling tubers, but say it is great for water skiers and wake boarders. What is up with not using the pylon for tubers? Is it a safety issue? Tubes do have more drag than ski's, so it is a strength issue? Thoughts and opinions appreciated.

FYI - I am considering a pylon like this:
http://www.iboats.com/mall/?keyword...=195294774&list_time=1166378614&view_id=38614

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Water Ski Pylon

I would suspect that they may be more inclined to cause the tube to go airborn. If that's a bad thing, I suppose they have a point. For safety's sake, I would think a level pull geometry would be best.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Water Ski Pylon

personnally, i do not like pylons, for the average skier. the reason, with the high pylon, if the rope breaks the recoil, can easily come back and injure the driver or passenger. most average skiers, use the standard off the shelf ropes, they lay i the sun and deteriorate,. use a swivel harness, with float, attached to the eyes on each side of the stearn. make the harness short enough it will not drop below the AV plate. it is the 'look outs' responsiblity to keep the rope out of the prop.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: Water Ski Pylon

Pylons are best for wakeboarders. It helps get them airborne at speeds generally lower than skiing.

As for skiing, my neighbor's Mastercraft has a real nice Pylon on it. You can ski just fine off it. However, as mentionned above use a high quality rope to prevent it lashing back on release.

I would not use it for tubing unless you want to spend most of the time high in the air and flipping over. Sooner or later someone will get hurt real bad especially if you are using a double or triple tube the way I do. One person will smack another head to head or elbow to head, etc.

Without the pylon I can send a triple tube over a wake and get the tube about 2 feet to sometimes 3 feet in the air. A pylon would certainly send everyone flipping and sailing high in the air for sure.

 

[salty87]

Re: Water Ski Pylon

i've boarded behind a friend's boat, he had that style of a pylon. it was pretty rickety, then again his whole boat was. I'd guess that his pylon couldn't have handled the dead weight of tubes. and, like cobra pointed out, tubers seem to multiply. there's no way it could have handled 2 or 3 people on a tube.

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Water Ski Pylon

My boat has an outboard motor. Most of my time on the water is spent doing water sports. I have been using a harness that attaches to the tie down bolts on the transom when pulling tubers and skiers. I am now considering the installation of ski pylon. Some of the online retailers (but not Iboats) I have visited will mention that the pylon is not suitable for pulling tubers, but say it is great for water skiers and wake boarders. What is up with not using the pylon for tubers? Is it a safety issue? Tubes do have more drag than ski's, so it is a strength issue? Thoughts and opinions appreciated.

FYI - I am considering a pylon like this:
http://www.iboats.com/mall/?keyword...=195294774&list_time=1166378614&view_id=38614

That post wont handle the drag weight associated with multi tubers. Height is a function of drag and snapback. However, I have safely used my pylon for dragging tubers to broke down boats. Look for a better pylon that firmly attaches to a strucyural member of the boat. I have seen those pull right out of the deck they are usually screwed onto. So yes a pylon can be used for tubers, but not most aftermarket pylons because they dont attach firmly enough to the boat.
8)
L8R,
Jeff