PerfectPass on an I/O?

[ckdollar]

How does PP perform on an I/O? I have a SeaRay 205 with the 220 v8.

 

[Bondo]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

Ayuh,... It controls the Motor,...

I'd think the drive would be irrelevant...

 

[ckdollar]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

Sorry I will rephrase. Does it work WELL?

Sorry.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

Works well enough that professional skiers and wakeboarders use it. It is offered on many I/O runabouts these days. Cobalt 232WSS/242WSS

 

[sebber83]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

i looked into it, seems to work very well on i/o's if installed correctly, but the money factor came into effect, lol, a good throttle man does not need PP!

 

[Philster]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

It makes me wonder, "How did anyone ever manage to enjoy water sports behind a boat before?"

It works. It even works well if you read up on it. The technology makes sense. Dealers and manufacturers sell it, because they can make a profit on it and because some customers want it. All good business. Good technological development. All good. Now, watch this next line:

Doesn't mean you need it.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

Well you can have the best throttle man, but sometimes technology can still win. The PP system can probably detect a loss of speed before the throttle man can sense it or see it on the speedometer, then has to adjust the RPM's manually and may under or overshoot the target speed. PP is pretty darn accurate if you're on the tournament scene for watersports. Makes for more consistent runs for the participants. That being said, 99% of the people who have PP installed on an I/O don't really need it and it's just an expensive toy.

On the bright side, it's a great tool to use when you want to ski but no one on board knows anything about pulling a skier. Just set the PP unit for speed, then have them floor it; PP takes over and controls speed. All the driver has to do is steer!

 

[H20Rat]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

as far as human vs technology, yes a good throttle man can do ok with a skier, now try that with a wakeboarder. you don't get the nice regular pattern to anticipate, and you spend most of your time watching the mirror. When I wakeboard, I either want perfect pass or the driver to never touch the throttle. I don't EVER want the driver trying to compensate for my pull, it ends up being dangerous when you never know how hard you are going to hit the wake because of the driver compensating. Perfect pass will give you a consistent bump so it isn't a problem.

 

[RMB]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

I can't speak for wakeboarding or waterskiing, but PP is awesome when you are hydrofoiling. I haven't added it to my boat yet, but will probably do so either this season or next. It is well worth the price if you are trying to do any technical tricks.

 

[mikeneal]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

Installed it on my 20' chris craft bowrider w/ 5.0 VP SX couple years ago and best $$ you can spend ona boat you ride behind. Wont ever own a boat I rde behind it without one.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

I just installed the Stargazer system today on my 1999 Stingray 200LX with 5.0L Volvo Penta 2bbl carb. Another discussion about the product and some pics of my install are in this thread:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=370635&highlight=perfectpass

Just installed today and water is too cold to ride, so I haven't used it. But I can't wait for sometime next month!

I had to chuckle at seber83's comment, "a good throttle man doesn't need PP."

LOL! Wrong. I'll accept that it is easy with kids and beginners. And also easy with standard open water skiing. But it is NOT POSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A DESIRED SPEED if you are pulling an accomplished trickster WAKEBOARDER behind your I/O and trying to maintain EXACTLY 22 MPH while on the very edge of plane with 1,500 pounds of ballast on board and a 180 pound athlete ripping the top of your tower side-to-side!!!

In such instances a single strong cut-across on the wakeboard can slow a boat down from 22 to 16 in about 1 second. And the driver didn't know it was coming. Which means the boat falls off plane, wake goes to hell, rider gets ticked off, etc, etc, etc.....and I assure you that no throttle man can anticipate and compensate for this sort of event quickly and consistently enough like a GPS based cruise control can...

So then of course the driver tries to throttle up to correct it, and I assure you that your timing of the throttle bump does not match what the rider was expecting, which screws up his next trick. And then you'll overshoot the speed, which means before you know it you're going 25 mph. Which means the boat planes out too flat, and again the wake goes to hell, rider gets ticked off, etc, etc, etc. Then back out of the throttle and repeat.

Inboards might be easier to control. But definitely not I/O's...

I can assure you it is FATIGUING to be, or to try to become, a truly good wakeboarder behind an I/O that doesn't have this product. And I'm sure that even a few marriages have been destroyed in such attempts! And I am totally STOKED to now finally own it. Almost takes the driver variable entirely out of the equation. Instructions: "Just throttle up and drive straight until I fall down (or you fear hitting something). Then come back and get me and do it again." How refreshing.

I will admit this is the sort of investment (about $1,100 to $1,350 depending on where you buy it) that only serious riders will consider. Recreational riders admittedly won't need it at all, if they intend to leave their skills on the recreational side of the spectrum. But those of us who ride 3+ days a week all summer long? Or all year long? It just depends on how serious you are with the sport...everyone has different desires...

I'd like to mention that this product REPLACES your inaccurate stock speedo on most boats, with a digital GPS unit that displays even when it is off and you are just driving around and not using the speed control. And it gives you a nice and totally accurate digital tach readout, and a digital clock on the screen as well. All very nice little bonus add-ons for most any boat...

 

[sickwilly]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

I can do it with the throttle -- I can push an IO to its limits with towing, and you would have no complaints with my towing with a direct drive or v-drive. I am not saying perfect pass would not be a great addition, but I can pull as well.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: PerfectPass on an I/O?

PerfectPass is a great substitute for a driver manually moving the throttle, but a good driver can anticipate the boarders/skiers moves and can adjust accordingly to maintain speed consistently, regardless of the drive type. It's about knowing the rider and knowing the boat and how it responds. People have been extremly consistent before PP and other speed control devices were ever created, but PP just does a better job and makes it easier on the driver.