PDA

View Full Version : Slalom Wake Struggles, 2006 Outback



TimGT3
06-24-2016, 06:38 PM
To put it short and sweet, my dad and I who have skied off my '06 DD Outback since new are in a continuous struggle with the wake. We've progressed up to running a temporary course that we acquired, but our limiting factor is crossing the wake. 32-34 mph, full line up through 28 off, we cannot find a happy spot that will allow us to really attack and get more than 2 or 3 balls. Slower speed is certainly not an option, so this season, after reading up on GUT, we're running full 75' length to try to finally achieve our first full passes. At full line, the wake is quite table-like with the drop off on the second wake rather pronounced. At 15 off, it's the worst of both worlds -- both the ramp up and down with a hump in the middle. At 22 off the ramps go away but the famous hump is ever present. We're not to the level of visiting 28 off in the course, but even in open water skiing it doesn't level off too much at that length anyway. Zero ballast in the boat, no additional passengers, no wake tower equipped - stripped down slalom boat with even the rear bench seat removed. It does get a little better when we ballast the nose: approx 120lbs added to the left front bow storage. As a side note, I towed a couple members of the US Disabled Ski Team two summers ago and they were rather disappointed in our wake as well. Granted they were running 24-26 mph, but compared to their Malibu Response on their home lake, they would have thought we were towing them with a wake boarding setup.
I've never skied behind a CC, Mastercraft, or Malibu to get a comparison. I've searched posts in the archive that state Outback's wake is as flat as any. My question becomes: is wake crossing an art that takes years to master or does something sound off here? Out of habit we always have the fuel 3/4 full. Does 80lbs in the tank make much difference? Does this sound like a skier problem, boat problem, or setup problem to anyone?... Let the suggestions fly.

ian ashton
06-25-2016, 08:13 AM
I've never had a complaint with our '08 Outback, but I'm no pro either. The only issue I ever had was spray from the rooster tail at 31 and 15 off - easy solution was shorten the rope and/or increase the speed.

Slicing through the wake vs. bombing over it is definitely an art form, and after 6 years of skiing I still haven't gotten it perfected (although I must admit I'm rather timid after my knee injury - my struggles are more mental than anything, lol)

A few questions;
-have you calibrated the speedo lately? Lots of good free GPS apps to help get it right - never trust the gauge (unless you have PerfectPass, which was an awesome upgrade for or '08 when it comes to consistency!)

-Do you have a wake plate, and if so what setting is it at?

-Lake bed can make a huge difference in your wake - how deep are you skiing?


You'll never find a completely flat wake; yes a ProStar or Nautique 200 will have a smaller wake, but I personally didn't notice the difference to be that dramatic. I went from an '08 Outback to a '13 OBV and while there is a noticeable difference in wake, I'd argue that a few more MPH and some practice and I am skiing both boats at the same level.

iwaterskihard
06-27-2016, 08:44 AM
Sounds to me like you have a hull issue with regards to displacement of water if the wake is as terrible as you say it is? When I owned my Outback I loved skiing behind it and would put it's wake up against any of the other big names. That said the new boats are better but still shouldn't be that bad for you.
Now if you have been towing other good skiers and they are complaining about it you make have some concern?
How big of difference was there for the people you towed a couple years ago? People do have preferences with boats and it's natural. Just about all boats every manufacturer has the worst wake/bump at 22 off. The wakes will then get better again as you continue to shorten the line.
Can you post a video of you skiing? Might be both the boat and the skier. :)