Towing a wakeboarder

[Bayliner175xt]

Hi just wondering if anyone can give me a few hints on towing a wakeboarder,
We have a Bayliner 175xt with 3.0L Mercruiser 13"22 4 blade prop. and Monster tower. It pulls out skiers really easy,
Any help would be great.

Thanks.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

Get about a 17P Prop. A wakeboarder will pull the boat around a lot harder than a skier, unless you have been pulling competition slalom skiers.

Pay attention to maintaining a constant speed and straight line. You will be going slower than with a skier, so staying on plane does become an issue if you have many people with you.

YOu will want to find a good speed betwee 18-22mph where you can get the trim at a good angle to make a smooth wake, but the boat needs to be able to comfortably stay on plane.

 

[sickwilly]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

Give em about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the throttle you give the skier, and back off sooner. It take very little to get em up on the board. You don't want to get to full speed then back down, just get to where the boat planes, then back down into 18-22 depending on the boarder.

Here is where you will find out how slow a speed you can hold a good plane, although just under full plane will probably throw a nicer wake if you can see and control the boat.

Its more like pulling a kneeboarder.

 

[PitchFork]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

22P sounds like it way too much pitch for that boat especially a 4 blade. I would much sure you are getting the right RPMs at WOT. I would guess you are not coming anywhere close to the RPM range spec in the manual for that engine. My buddy has a boat similar to yours and it runs a 3x14"x19" Alum Prop and I cannot imagine putting a waketower on such a small boat much less skiing behind it hooked to the tower. I would be afraid I'd pull the boat over during a hard cut.

I pull my boat around pretty good when wakeboarding and mine has a deep "V" hull with a lot more HPs also a 3x15"x17" SS prop. I also hook the skier up to the built-in eyelet on the transom especially for someone that weighs 200 pounds like me. Small kids I will hook to the tower just to help pull them up out of the water. A skier generally will put more stress on a tower than a wakeboarder at least I do.

 

[Bayliner175xt]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

Thanks for the help people. We are running a Pirana 4 blade prop,with changeable blades so we can swop Dia's and pitch with little cost, $140 Aust.
Forgot to mention we also run a set of SX smart tabs, we tried the Permatrim but found the SX tabs better.
All the skiers get towed from the ski eye only.
I know it sounds wrong but we have had the best results with the 13" x 22P-4 blade prop, we will try the 18"P blades as soon as they arrive.

Have a great Easter.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

First off, pull the tabs off. They completly destory what you are trying to do with a wakeboarder. I had them on my I/O as well and would take them off before wakeboparding and tie the flapus up to the top mount.

YOu want the rear of you boat to squat, it is what gives you a nice wake form. Also, the tabs will wash out your wake, and you definately cant get a smooth transition over washout or a clean pop out of it.

I am sure your boat runs good now, but we are not talking all over performance. We are talking ebing able to hold plane and a consitant speed at 18-22mph with varing loads and load anngles being placed on the boat.

You are way over proped for this. Since you have changeable blades, this should be good. Do what I did with the tabs and change the prop baldes when you are going Wakeboarding, and then change back if you are not.

 

[Bayliner175xt]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

Thanks Kyle I will do that, we'll change blades as soon as they arrive.
I have to go 13"-18P or 13"-20P they dont make 17"P I ordered 18"P.
We mainly use the Trim tabs for skiers, but thanks for letting me know I didn't think of that, Our wakeboarders are all beginners so there wont be to much airial stuff. I am still learning to tow skiers/wakeboarders as we got out of motocross into boating. I'll post a few pics once we get it sorted out.

thanks again.

 

[kyle f]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

I say for skiers, use the tabs. They will soften the wake and get the boat up out of the water more reducing the wake size as well. All good things for skiers. Plus, you will be going around 28-32mph for skiers. Changes thew whole ball game compared to wakeboarding.

That is why wakeboarders that are using older ski hull boats have to weight the crap out of their boats.

I am lucky, my boat has a 2speed transmission, so I essentially ger the benifits of having 2 different prop sizes at the same time. My boats easy to change between a 2400lb ballast boat running 22mph to a unloaded ski boat running 30mph. Of course, I have a watersports specific boat that tops out at 43mph even with a 330hp Engine in it. Its all about what you spend the most time doing.

 

[catfish hunter]

Re: Towing a wakeboarder

I have a 3.0L cobra with a 17p 4 blade prop on a 16' fourwinns with a monster tower. Pulls Great!! Never any problem pulling someone up on a board. Plans well at around 13-15mph. They sell a 17p prop for yours http://boatpropellers.iboats.com/Me...andard&**********=757508101&*******=224766489