Perfect Pass/Speedo Opinion Needed

[ryan_8099]

Alright, need some opinions here. Currently, our 2000 Mobius V does not have a working speedo. So, we have a few options and don't everyone say just to get PP Stargazer (I know it is the best) because we aren't made of money ;) I have not driven a nicer boat with a working speedo so I don't know how difficult it is to maintain say 23 MPH for wakeboarding.

Speedo (Paddlewheel) Replacement - 342 (labor included)
Stargazer Wake Edition - 1195
PrecisionStar GPS Speedo - 329

Another option is to get the paddle wheel speedo now and then upgrade in a year or two to PP Cruise. I guess the main thing I'd like to know is how well are people who don't have PP manage their speed. Our lakes are very small and get very busy at times...Thanks in advance for te advice.

[rdlangston13]

I have. 2008 mobius LSV with the moomba cruise and all I have to say is pp star gazer is on the list for this winter

[bergermaister]

My twin speedos on my 01 MobV both worked pretty well. Each time out I'd adjust them as best I could against my handheld GPS to about 20mph for wakeboarding speed. However it was ALWAYS a challenge to maintain speed, especially when running ballast. The boat would slowly creep up and plane out more. Back it off just a touch and we'd start to plow and lose too much speed. So it was the back and forth game, just slight adjustments, almost constantly. I got all hot to surf a couple years ago and controlling the speed was even worse. "oh yeah, perfect wave right ther.... nope gone. Wait hold it, that loo... gone." Mine has TBI injection too so I figured that would be at least slightly more consistent than an a carb engine but didn't seem to matter.

My girl didn't want to drive because it was too much to keep tabs on me, other boats, kids/passengers, drive a semi-straight path and try to keep the speed consistent. Turn on, turn up or change the stereo? Yeah right... Other drivers who not used to the boat said it was tough to maintain speed too.

Bit the bullet this year and installed PerfectPass Stargazer. It was one of those things where I fell in love with the boat again. My girl drives now and doesn't mind at all. Can actually watch me ride and enjoy being behind the wheel. Hell she even drove when we did a surf bowl this summer where one of the other guys with us flat out said he wouldn't do it - he was too chicken. And he's owned both a Moomba and a Malibu!

As many other have said, it's one of the best upgrades you'll do. Without it, you'll fight the on/off or more/less routine. I'd suggest foregoing other upgrades like stereo or prop to get PP. It really is worth it...

[Mikey]

The only other temporary option would be to go out with a handheld GPS and measure speed at set speeds and record the rpm's at the time to help you try to stay consistant. then you can try to maintain the rpm's when skiing ,wakeboarding etc. Surfing will definetely be tough though as slight changes make big differences in boat speed . Other than that its back to old school driving and watching as best possible how the rider is doing and shape of wake etc.

[LakePerson1952]

Other than the speedo being broken, I'm confused about why there is a problem to maintain a speed. Does it have something to do with wakeboarding? I have the Outback DD with Moomba cruise. When I'm driving I don't usually use the cruise control but my lady uses it when pulling me so there is one less thing she needs to worry with. When just cruising at almost any speed and when pulling skiers, I never experience any speed change except in turns and I love the fine-grain control I have with the throttle.

[bergermaister]

Definitely different wakeboarding vs. skiing. At around 20mph loaded down with ballast my boat anyway is right on the fringe of planing out and still riding bow high. This is were I'm getting a nice ramp on the wake at ~70ft. So without some sort of cruise control the boat would always gradually pick up speed and want to plane more. I'd back off the throttle a touch and it would start to plow too much and lose speed. This is the biggest complaint of driving - constantly watching the speed and adjusting....

Running no ballast and at skiing speed you probably don't see much variation in speed as the boat is planed out and staying that way. Maybe also with the DD weight being further forward than the V-Drives.

[ryan_8099]

Other than the speedo being broken, I'm confused about why there is a problem to maintain a speed. Does it have something to do with wakeboarding? I have the Outback DD with Moomba cruise. When I'm driving I don't usually use the cruise control but my lady uses it when pulling me so there is one less thing she needs to worry with. When just cruising at almost any speed and when pulling skiers, I never experience any speed change except in turns and I love the fine-grain control I have with the throttle.

Berger pretty much nailed it as far as I'm concerned. This summer I was constantly telling the driver faster/slower, granted this was with a not working speedo :). And every time they would go slower, it was waaay to slow and then I tell them to speed up...pretty soon I am going 30 (or around there) trying to jump the wake and getting hurt from hard falls. We weren't running and ballast and no one could get a feel for what speed I needed to go. It will also be nice for consistency, some drivers don't realize how important it is to maintain that speed. Simply saying, set the cruise at 23.6 is stupid easy. Anyways, our old boat sold this week so I am pretty sure we are going the star gazer route. Our boat is getting a complete overhaul and I can't wait to see the result.

[VA LSV]

I had the same issue with falling of plane and constantly adjusting speed. Was ready to pull the trigger on PP untill I upgraded my prop for more hole shot. Now I rarely touch the throttle once the rider is up when boarding or surfing.

[danielspivey]

Get PP!

I just installed PP stargazer 2 months ago, right before the end of the season. Totally worth every penny.

My friend that helped me install it thought I was nuts spending 1200 on it. But once we installed it and used it, it made since to everyone. He said its like a light bulb going off. When you wakeboard, you want a consistant near perfect pull. Why would you have a boat that couldnt do near that? Especially with surfing.

If you spend even 7 grand on a wakeboard boat, much less some of these 15-30k boats without PP you should spend the 1200 on it. It makes riding, especially for you SOOOO much better. Anyone can pull you perfect. Just throttle down. Surfing is near impossible without it. Just .2 or .4 mph makes the bigggest difference in the wave, much less have someone trying to hold it there manually.

I think everyone when buying a boat, if it doesnt have perfect pass, just plan on adding 1200 to the price. Its essential IMO;)

[bret]

Thanks everyone we decided to go with perfect pass. Go big or go home eh?

[withamwr]

I got to agree with Berger also. I went from a 87 Ski Centurion and a "why would I need speed control on my boat" to a 2008 XLV. The Perfect Pass didn't work a first, and I got it to work intermittently and my wife fell in love with it. Got to be where if we were going skiing her first questions was "is the perfect pass working?" Took me all summer but now I've got the perfect pass to where it is bulletproof and It makes surfing and wakeboarding so much more fun it is clearly worth the money

(only down side is now I got 4 friends who want me to fix their's)