Vdrive vs Direct drive handling

in theory if both styles are weighted corectly with 1000 lbs to offset the motor position wouldn't they drive the same. if this is correct then the choice would be the cockpit arengement. I'm looking at an 02 supra 22ssv vs an 01 Calabria 20'cal air.

The center of gravity is farther forward on a direct drive so they tend to turn easier/flatter than a V-drive. Theoretically your weighting to offset the motor would make it even however weighted boats don't handle that great anyway.

Does the handling difference matter that much? Are people driving wakeboats like they are jetboats or something? How often do you guys drive at full throttle? Just curious. I don't see many folks driving wake/skiboats that hard around here.

Ok I have a GMC 350 in my boat, it weight is 825lbs add the trany and V drive and we are around 900lbs.
My boat holds 38 gallons of gas or 300lbs that leaves 600 lbs to offset.
Now we all know that the farther something gets from a CG point the more it will affect the CG.
So get a couple of people to sit in the bow, and you have balanced the boat.


Now I have never driven in a DD before, but I can tell you this. That my 20V will out maneuver any IO at speeds over 20mph. Now when it comes to speeds below 10mph, I have to bow down to them. ( but does anybody drive that slow anyway)

yes handling matters a lot to me, I like driving almost as much as I enjoy skyskiing. there are many driving tricks that we like to do such as around the boats, double ups and hot pickups when pulling two riders and one goes down. It seems that everyone is putting some sort of static weight in there boat (lead) to improve wake and rough water handling.I want the vdrive layout with direct drive handling. giving up some handling for wake and rough water is all part of the total ride.

Did someone say Fat Seat?

I have made u-turns at speeds over 40 in less then 15 feet.
(Make sure that everybody is holding on, as I have had a few end up on the floor)
(don’t tell anybody as power turns are not allowed) lol

David
My Nautique "2001" will pull a round-about, a 180 at full speed. It will "turn on a dime". Great fun to introduce beginners to boating and make the girls scream. Are you saying I'm not allowed to do this? Cool. Will a v-drive do a round-about or are you just describing a high speed turn? When I do a round-about, I pull the throttle to neutral and then immediately turn the steering wheel all the way. Are we describing the same thing?

What is a "hot pickup?"

Round about, isent that a waverunner thing?

Loki,
Yeah, but we were doing round-abouts before waverunners existed.

ok a hot pickup is where the boat never slows down, the boat drives a circle around the rider to be picked up. when the rider is ready to go he gives a nod to the driver and the straightens out and picks up the rider. this can also be done at idle as well so that you don't have to put the boat in reverse when the rider gets the rope.

around the boat is a fancy way of turning around and going back up your path. The rider goes out to the flats and the boat does a keyhole turn and drives under the rope. from the passenger view it looks like the rider goes all the way around the boat.

this is what makes driving fun when done responsably of course

Neil

What I like to do at the end off the day is a little different.
The like I go to has center markers, I will come up about 2 feet of the side of the marker at about 35mph and as I start to turn and at the same time I will punch it.
What this does is make my boat stay flat (no leaning) I will do a 180 and stay with in a couple of feet from the marker.
This will really freak some people out, so be careful.
Remember Safety First, but lets still have fun.
David