Driving Help - Stern Drive to V Drive [Archive]

wixomx15

07-08-2007, 07:57 PM

I have been slalom skiing since I was kid (now 49) but always behind a stern-drive boat. The process for pulling me out of the water was easy, push the throttle as far forward as possible and I would hang on until I eventually got out of the water.

This year we traded up to a 2007 X15 with the MCX 350HP engine. Great boat! Kids and I are having a blast wakeboarding, but I am struggling to get out of the water on one ski. Once I get up I am fine but my son and I are struggling to determine the correct speed/RPMs for pulling me out of the water. He has no problems getting up - oh to be 16 again.

I am 6'2" and weight approximately 205 lbs and I am skiing on a new Connlley F1X (69"). The ski is great, once I get on top of the water.

Any suggestions for transitioning from stern drive to v drive would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

ProTour X9

07-08-2007, 08:03 PM

Wow, what an inspirational story!:) Uh my guess, just because im a Directdrive owner, is fiddle with it until you get it. Just a little tip : smoothly give throttle (still fast) then when you get up give it some more gas and get to your speed.

:twocents:

are you the guy that up and bought a 15 and wanted it right away and Action WS was prepping it as fast as they can?

peason

07-08-2007, 08:09 PM

I am heavier than you, and I have my wife give me a lot of throttle when pulling me up. I like to get up fast and get on top of the water. On the other hand my wife who weighs 120 lbs. likes me to pull her really slowly to start. My suggestion is that you have your son give you a strong throttle maybe start at 3/4's of a throttle to get the boat and you on plane fast and then back off to your slalom speed. My boat is a 209 with the standard 350 engine not the 350 MCX - I would imagine the 209 is lighter in weight than the X-15. Good luck.

Leroy

07-08-2007, 08:18 PM

Are you coming over the front or falling off the side?

Guys in the boat were talking yesterday about bad habits of learning behind weak outboards and I/Os. Lifting up the rear foot to help plane out, getting on top of the ski too quickly and not staying behind the ski.

Also the driver should pull the same everytime. Same throttle and straight direction. If it is the same you will probably adapt, if it is different it's hard. I can make small changes as someone is getting up and make almost anyone fall.

Hoosier Bob

07-08-2007, 08:32 PM

What are you saying Leroy? See how straight I drive next time!:mad: Are you coming over the front or falling off the side?

Guys in the boat were talking yesterday about bad habits of learning behind weak outboards and I/Os. Lifting up the rear foot to help plane out, getting on top of the ski too quickly and not staying behind the ski.

Also the driver should pull the same everytime. Same throttle and straight direction. If it is the same you will probably adapt, if it is different it's hard. I can make small changes as someone is getting up and make almost anyone fall.

JKTX21

07-08-2007, 08:54 PM

Also the driver should pull the same everytime. Same throttle and straight direction. If it is the same you will probably adapt, if it is different it's hard. I can make small changes as someone is getting up and make almost anyone fall.

Couldn't agree more. I was up on my third try ever with my slalom buddy. When my wake buddy, who is also a skier, tries to pull me up... the success rate declines dramatically until he starts pulling me the way I prefer.

Farmer Ted

07-08-2007, 09:08 PM

I'd say that since you're used to being dragged around by an underpowered stern drive try this,

have your driver put the boat in gear and steadily move the throttle to about half way

if half way isn't enough keep going until the driver finds the right throttle position

the throttle response on your new boat should be immediate, no need to slam it to the firewall in a boat like yours

once you guys get a system down and you're getting up consistently try and tweak it

I have a difficult time going from a dead stop to slam the throttle and go, I need a little bit of gear to get the ski and my body into position then steady throttle to get up on a slalom.

Hoosier Bob

07-08-2007, 09:13 PM

Another good tip for the layman is go right to the RPM that matches the speed you wish to travel. The driver will roll in and maintain the RPM until the speed is met. If this does not make sense it is due to the fact that I have been drinkin'!

sully

07-08-2007, 09:17 PM

Are you using a double boot or dragging a foot?

My wife will "taxi" a bit, just in gear. This help to stable the ski for me (double boot HO burner). She then hits it to 3/4" throttle and then backs off.
Me as the skier will push down on my back foot to pop the ski up.
Hope that make sens. It works for us.

Hoosier Bob

07-08-2007, 09:20 PM

I use DB's and focus on the middle of my front foot as the pivot. Place it high and push. Let the ski pivot to plane with less backfoot to (a little) and pop up. Takes a few yards. Stand and deliver so to speak.:o Are you using a double boot or dragging a foot?

My wife will "taxi" a bit, just in gear. This help to stable the ski for me (double boot HO burner). She then hits it to 3/4" throttle and then backs off.
Me as the skier will push down on my back foot to pop the ski up.
Hope that make sens. It works for us.

JohnE

07-10-2007, 11:47 PM

I skied for years behind my father's underpowered outboard and my brother in law's I/O. It does develop some different (bad) habits. Without enough power, you need to sort of put a little weight forward so the boat can actually pull you. With the ski boats (as I've had for a few years) I keep my weight a bit further back and the boat does the work. The bad habit of weight a little forward with the underpowered boats led to the skiboats pulling me over forward on occasion. This is all with double boots. With a RTP and dragging the back foot, I think I can get up with a trolling motor.

Leroy

07-11-2007, 12:30 AM

You my friend are a great driver and I have got up everytime behind your boat unless my arms were jelly!

What are you saying Leroy? See how straight I drive next time!:mad:

mccobmd

07-20-2007, 01:10 PM

We had the same problem with getting up. My wife wondered why I spent so much money on a boat that is harder to get up on. Here's what worked for us. I take off slow and steady up to about 2000 RPM until I see the tip of the ski then I take it full force to the RPM to 3100 or whatever you ski at. This has allowed the intial feel of the slow pull but for a much shorter time than we had with the stern drive. My wife has now learned that she can stand up when the fast pull starts.

east tx skier

07-20-2007, 01:15 PM

My brother in law is a 200+ lb skier as well. As strange as it sounds, we've found that he has a much easier time getting up with less acceleration from the boat as opposed to what other skiers in our circle prefer. You just need to find what works best for you (as vague as that sounds).

Archimedes

07-20-2007, 01:38 PM

Odd thread to me. More difficult to get up than an I/O?

I find that the more power, the easier I get up. I just tell the wife to take the slack out of the rope and then peg the throttle all the way. I just keep my weight forward, use my front foot to level the ski and stand right up. The only time I ever have trouble is if she isn't aggressive with the throttle.

Sodar

07-20-2007, 01:40 PM

Just Hold on ang give 'er hell son!!

randyb

07-20-2007, 02:38 PM

This is an interesting thread. We just went from skiing behind a stern drive SeaRay for years to a PS205 with the 275HP Indmar. For me, the increased power is great and I just have the driver drag me for a sec and then peg it. My slalom buddies on the other hand have had difficulty adjusting to things happening that much faster (my wakeboarding buddy I just pulled over on his face...). The trick for them seems to be not slamming down the trottle hard but instead a steady progression (still not slow though) to full power. It definatley makes more work for the driver but I'm now pretty used to how everone likes it.

dmayer84

07-20-2007, 03:07 PM

I am still need to comepletely break a lot of my bad habits from the stern drive days.

Jerseydave

07-20-2007, 03:18 PM

Command to your driver should go like this.......

In gear......(let rope get tight)............hit it!

Like others have said, have driver accel. to the RPM you would normally ski at and keep it there.

If all else fails, hang up the ski for wakeboarding like I did after 30+ years of skiing. (It is an X-series after all) :)

Chicago190

07-20-2007, 03:48 PM

I just made the transition this spring and here is what I found. On our old I/O my father used to just take the slack out of the line and wait until I said go after I felt I was pretty balanced (I start with my rear foot in). This spring it took me about 10 tries before I got up and realized what I think the problem was. I would tip to the side right as he gave it throttle, and I could never get balanced again.

The solution was to take out the slack, wait to get balanced, and then idle it for 2-3 seconds before taking off. The idle pull would allow me to get balanced with tension in the rope and also to get the boat going straight. I don't think it was a problem before because the old boat was underpowered and wouldn't take off as hard so I was able to regain balance if I started to lean to one side.

JohnE

07-22-2007, 12:28 PM