Re: Prop question
Hi MK,<br /><br />1. You need to figure out how serious you will be about your skiing. if you are purchasing the boat for the sole purpose of waterskiing, then you should go with a closed-bow model. If you plan to use it for entertaining guests as well, go with the open bow. I also recommend staying away from the V-drives if you want to be serious about waterskiing - they cant handle ski courses or track very well.<br /><br />2. Be sure you ski it at different line lengths before you buy it. If you aren't that advanced yet, take someone who is. 3-4 years from now, you will wish you knew how it skiied at 15, 22 28, 32 and 35 off - see the reason below. <br /><br /> a. Spray - going into shortline slalom, the spray SIGNIFICANTLY increases depending on boat load, and wind conditions causing the wash from the sides and back of the boat to hit the face of the skiier (not to mention below the belt)<br /><br /> b. Wakes - the wakes all have different shapes, and hardnesses dependant upon your line length - especially at 22' off... Inboard manufacturers have been trying to eliminate the 22' off bump for years. Infinity boats claim to have eliminated it. FYI, the founder of Infinity was the founder of Mastercraft. <br /><br />3. Throttle control - inboards all have different throttles, but should stay relatively constant at between 28 and 36 MPH.<br /><br />4. Nice to haves include:<br /><br /> a. Hot water shower (trust me I wish I had one)<br /><br /> b. Heaters (this is nice for the driver in cold weather)<br /><br /> c. PerfectPass - a dial-up cruise control system that adjusts for the boat's load and skiier weight. Plus, the magnets on the ski course will ensure your speedometers are always calibrated to 99% accuracy.<br /><br />5. I would be sure to figure out a way to drive it through a slalom course. You need to see how well it comes off plane. For example, my Mastercraft PS 205 takes much longer to come off plane than my partners Mastercraft PS 190 (smaller boat). This is important because you may find yourself on a private lake and there are some pretty cramped conditions there sometimes.<br /><br />6. As for props, i would go with the factory recommended prop, or you can go with a stainless for optimal performance. <br /><br />7. Stay with the big three if you can afford it. The Malibu Response LX I think is the best boat out there right now, but you probably can't go wrong with Mastercraft or Nautique. Definitely stay away from the 1998 Mastercraft prostar 190. Personally, my favorites are the 1996 Mastercraft prostar 190 and the 1993 Prostar 205 (my boat). <br /><br />8. Buy a good alarm clock and find a river in your area that's skiable at dawn... You may never ski on a lake again after that...<br /><br />Drop me a line if you need advice on a specific boat, or have any other questions.
