Help please

[mobiusLSV05]

Inliner, give us some of these "unbreakable rules" I could use a tip or two. The problem I am having is when I pull, I seem to plow so much water, drink up half of the lake, and never have sucess. This was all done behind my old boat (5.0 L V8 I/O) but other people can do it ? The best attempt Ive had was when my ski crested out of the water but my kneecap was still resting on the ski, I moreless went over the ski. Pointers appreciated by anyone!!! Thanks

[mtvfiremedic]

ok.... its reaallllyyy not that hard.. I learned with both feet in and i am 6;4 220. I now ski behind a comp ski boat or a wakeboard boat but learned behind a old fashioned closed bow with 115hp MERC OB.. Here is the trick,, try this on dry land on beach with somewhat of a hill..face up hill with both feet in boots.. sit back on ski/back heel.. rope in hand..other end about 10 feet awaynow have them pull the rope as you PUSH with legs. imagine pushing ski away from youand your HIPS comming up to meet the handle... do not lean forward!!! lean back... now you kinda got a feel.. now go into the water..same position.. use a "easy up rope'(deep v handle) or double rope.. put ski between rope.. now driver needs to drag you a little at idle.. push ski agains push of water and try to keep ot straight... keep knees bent all the way and keep tip up!!!buy leaning back a little.. get the feel....now driver must watch and listen if skier goes crooked then stop and back up just a little for slack... now when rop is tight again.. driver must hit throttle smoothly but powerfully(i use about 3/4 throttle to get up) do not JERK from stop to full... as you get up... hold breath tuck head down and WAIT about 3 - 4 seconds.. as boat planes, your ski starts to plane.. key here is to PUSH ski away from you and PUSH hips toward boat DONT TRY TO STAND... by pushing ski away from you and resisting forward pull of rope this allows you to stand.. now key is to keep leaning back and hips towrd boat... if you break at waist you are toast.. hope this makes sense and helps..

[mobiusLSV05]

Now that you say it, I am breaking at the waist, I plow water and then go over the ski. I'll have to give these pointers a try. Thanks to all!!

[mobiusLSV05]

I'll have to keep trying, thanks

[Catdog1]

When using a ski with a toe loop, I do what Dave (BensonWdby) describes on the previous page. And pretty close to the rules, just above.

I'm thinking like this--- Start sitting, rope between legs. Drag leg ends-up way back, toes pointing back. Plant leg starts bent at knee, body ends up in almost a tuck position, with one leg dragging of course. Deep breath, head sometimes completely underwater. Last step is straightening leg as ski starts to rise.


One trick we've used is a crooked start.

Depending on foot forward, have the driver set-up the boat with the skier more to the left or right, instead of directly behind the boat.

Then, when starting, ski has a tendency to stay against the tensioned rope, kind of like a guide. Ski tracks in towards the tension, not out into wobble land.

With some students this buys them a little more time to get up.

[BensonWdby]

I forgot about the angled start. Don't use it often, but I have found myslef doing it naturally if someone is having a lot of trouble with the ski goint ot the outside all the time.

I think the biggest mistakes most people make are:
1. Trying to stand up to early.
You really have more time than you think.

2. Getting forward over the ski.
I know in my previous description I talk about my forehead by my knee, but that only works because I have my front foot well in front of my head. In other words my front leg is maybe 30-45 degrees bent. With my arms fully extendeed I start coming out of the water in kind of a wedge shape (what I used to call a bullet start). I have found that this causes the least resistance agains the bottom of the ski. It is a habit I developed getting up behind underpowered boats.

This bullet start does not work with a two footed start.

3. Trying to hold their start position while waiting for the rope to tighten.
I find that new skiers try so hard to do everything we tell them that one of these days I expect someone to jump in the water and land in starting position. The one footed start in the seated position with the back foot in front of you allows you to sit comfortably in the water while the rope is taken up. Then as the boat develops horsepower it pulls your upper body forward and your back leg back. Just before the point where you get pulled forward straighten up and stand up .

I think that is how I do it.

I kind of like the dry land concept on a hill. Never thought of that one.

4. Trying to learn on a high end ski.
Learn on the biggest fattest ski you can get your hands on. Don't try to learn on a 6AM or a Monza. Competitioin skis don't like to go straight and flat. Get a cheap pair of combos and use the slalom ski from it, or one of the newer wide body slaloms. Once eyou get the feel you will never have trouble again.

Gordon had a lot of great ideas so try em all. If one way doesn't work try a different way.

Good luck
Dave

[Catdog1]

Great idea!

[danielson2fat]

Inliner,
I noticed your great tips. I was wondering if you had any advice for crossing the wake as smooth as possible after a turn. (To "cut through" the wake so to speak). I know there have been times when I have cut back across and when I hit the wake it damn near pitches me over the front of the ski. Or it may just jolt me or knock me off balance in any number of ways. Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to offer.

[Buttafewcoe]

And any input for switchfoot riding. I can get up switchfoot, and can do a 180 in the flats, but cannot carve to sav e me arse...
.
Butta

[Yellowmobius]

When turning around cutting back through the wake slow the boat way down. It makes going throught the wakes much easier for the beginners