Re: wake boarding tips
All good tips, but let's be clear...there is no such thing as "resolving" this problem on an I/O for wakeboarding purposes.
What many are failing to remember is that you are fighting two forces...the tendency of the boat to want to fall off plane at the slow wakeboarding speeds (which has been discussed here in many replies), BUT ALSO, and more important, is the inconsistencies of the wakeboarder pulling the boat around doing various maneuvers and tricks. An aggressive wakeboarder WILL slow the boat down a few MPH during an aggressive cut....he's loading the rope, harnessing as much energy out of the boat as possible, and in the process is essentially slamming on the brakes. So if driver tries to compensate for this by thottling up a touch, the driver WILL screw up the trick that the wakeboarder is trying to set up. And as soon as the trick is over, the boat will accellerate to "too fast" and time is wasted while the driver needs to bump the throttle down to restore the wake and the "happy speed" for the rider. And if you have varying groups of people you ride with and a large number of drivers who are not accustomed to a particular boat, it can really compound the problem.
We fought this cycle for the better part of a decade...being too cheap to invest in a good Inboard or V-drive, and preferring to keep money in the bank while using a few different I/O's and trying to "make do" for wakeboarding. And we did OK and had fun. And we tried foils, smart tabs, countless ballast arrangements and weights, 3/4/5 blade props, different boats, etc. None solved the problem, some helped a little, some hurt a little.
FINALLY, I spent $1,200 and installed PerfectPass Stargazer on one of our I/O's. Problem fully solved. Period. EVERYONE involved is happy....new drivers, experienced drivers, new wakeboarders, and experienced wakeboarders. EVEN the most inexperienced, intimidated person is capable of simply steering in a straight line after pushing a button until it says 21.5 mph on the screen and taking off at appropriate throttle. Seem too fast for the rider? Maybe try 21.2 next time. It's AWESOME. Some in our group have learned to land new tricks this year that we fought to figure out over SEVERAL years because of the speed and inconsistency problems. I'm able to focus more on watching others, and on landing some new tricks on my own, because I now have several new drivers who previously got tired of the throttle jockey dance and associated complaints, nearly gave up on driving. But now they love to drive. And EVERYONE holds perfect speed, EVERY TIME. And depending on the dynamics of your group, I believe this dang computer has the power to save a friendship or a marriage! LOL. Have you ever seen someone snap at his wife because she couldn't drive consistenly enough? Fortunately I haven't. But I understand it happens. And I've had some friends stay politely quiet, but then mutter under their breath in relief after "so-and-so" finally gave up the wheel or went home, so a better driver could take over.
How about safety? Especially the less experienced drivers...What's safer? 1. Driving with eyes constantly darting between speedo and water, one hand on wheel, other on throttle, stressing over that needle creeping up/down and bumping the throttle a different direction every 10 seconds. OR 2. Driving with both hands on wheel, totally relaxed, with absolutely no reason to even look at the speedo or touch the throttle, eyes scanning the water for the smoothest water and/or hazards 100% of the time.
As for what is a good speed? I think this depends on skill level and what you're trying to do. Some here have said 22 is a good speed. And I'm pretty happy there. But I gotta tell ya, I feel that's a bit too fast to learn board control if you're a beginner. Many of the beginners learning surface turn-arounds and basic board control have been MUCH MUCH happier on my boat when we set our speed around 18. They learn much faster and fall less often. Then when they have good balance and it's time to learn to jump bigger, we'll run closer to 20 or 21. And the experienced riders in my group doing bigger tricks seem to prefer 23-ish. However those higher speeds require a whole lot more balast to keep the wake big, because the wake is MUCH larger at 19 to 20 than it is at 23 on most I/O's. Then again, you do NOT need a big wake to do a big trick...but that's an entirely different topic.
We had no idea how incredibly sensitive wakeboarding/learning/wake size/consistency is related to boat speed. I wouldn't have believed this until I got the system....but trust me, 0.5 mph can make a really big difference at times. And I believe that varying up/down by 2 mph or more during a ride is simply a recipe for REALLY retarding the learning process in this sport.
The system can easily hold 6mph, 10mph, 14mph, 22mph, and obviously 30 to 35 mph for slalom runs. And every speed in-between in 0.3mph increments. No driver can do that, no matter how skilled. ESPECIALLY with an I/O. And no analog gauge on the dash can even show you if you are even that close to being consistent. GPS digital gauge can. Perfect Pass speed varies just a little depending on the strength of the pull, but it recovers and reacts to pretty much anything very very quickly...and most importantly, with computer-driven consistency.
Can ya tell I like it?
But as a fellow cheapo, I'm realistic. I know it's awful expensive and hard to justify, and some cannot afford it. But if you have the means, and have maybe been sitting on the fence (as I did for years) I have two words for you: BUY IT. You will have NO REGRETS after your first day on the water. It is the single best wakeboarding improvement I have ever accomplished with my pocketbook. I wasted almost 10 years without it, and I can now confidentally tell you that not having it has hurt my progress in this sport...and I didn't realize it one bit until AFTER I dropped the cash on the accessory. At a relatively ripe age I'm now starting to move forward again and learning some new stuff.
And I will repeat one more recommendation that's been stated in response to a couple suggestions here. Do NOT buy Smart Tabs if you're going to be wakeboarding. I know this because I did. And I am not dissing the product in any way. They improve EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF BOAT HANDLING, and they are indeed an awesome product, and they will help your boat hold steadier lower speeds. All good. BUT, and this is a HUGE "BUT", they completely DESTROY a good wake for wakeboarding. So alternately, you can buy them, but make sure you get the quick release rope system they offer. And then make darn sure to pull those tabs up and out of the way for wakeboarding, because you will NOT want them down when you're riding on a wakeboard.
