Putting a boat in reverse while drivng forward

What is the rule when putting a boat in reverse when driving forward. Does it put any strain on the engine if your coasting slow with a rope for a boarder and then put in reverse to stop the boat? Is there a speed at which you should not put the boat in reverse so not to hurt the engine? I'm a new boat owner and I just do want to screw up my new boat! Thanks.

Depending on the situation - danger etc... - I would make sure you give the transmission time to spool down before throwing into reverse. But thats just me.

I have heard both that it does and does not hurt the boat.

I only do it when I have to but dont really think it is going to hurt anything as long as the boat hits neutral for a second to let the prop stop. The prop and water dont provide the resitance that tires and a road do in a car.

it doesn't hurt the boat at all that is what it is there for, now I would not through it in reverse if I were doing 25 (also would not try and go 25 in reverse) but if you need to use it use it. reverse in boating translates to brakes if you are drifting by your rider you can bump it in reverse and almost stop next to them. when your rider falls and you go to neutral you can bump it into reverse (when slowly turning around) and then back into foward to help you avoid rollers when your boat is weighted down. reverse is good

The clutch for the reverse gear is no where near as robust as the clutch for the forward gear so you want to treat it gently. At idle speeds you can safely go from forward to reverse.

I don't recommend shifting into reverse while you are still going fast in forward, and applying full throttle in reverse is a very bad idea.

Hot-Shotting (going from forward at high rpms to reverse at high rpms) is something that should only be done in a have-to situation. However a velvet drive tranny is supposed to be able to handle this so many times. as Rod stated above, reverse acts like your brakes. it is a tool so use it. also use common sense. to further expalain and clarify, if has no effect on the engine or any other part of the boat. the pump for the tranny is indexed for either rotation, further more the tranny takes all the hit...

I may have 'seen' that done a time or two back in the day.

It will stall a Mastercraft if I remember correctly.

There was a guy whose transmission failed prematurely on Tigeowners.com and the shop insisted the only way that he could have ruined it so badly is to do a high speed forward to reverse maneuver. At Idle speeds, you should go to reverse to control the boat, this will not hurt a tranny or V drive.

I always pause in neutral when shifting from forward to reverse. Just get in the habit of pulling it up into neutral as you are getting close to where you want to be that way you can shift right into reverse when needed.

There have been a few instances in my show/competition skiing career that I have had skiers get tangled up in ropes resulting in them getting dragged by various body parts. This is the only case when I have slammed into full reverse at full speed. I have done it only twice, nothing broke either time, but those were desperate situations.

I had an I/O and I took this guy out who's never been around boats. He got up on the ski's and while skiing he put the handle around his neck and fail. Without thinking I throw it in reverse. Luckily both were alright. It now has become the safety briefing.

He got up on the ski's and while skiing he put the handle around his neck and fail.

I think this guy fail way before he got on your boat. you shouldnt have thrown your boat in reverse why risk damaging your boat for that brain surgeon.

J. Howard, it is not wise to screw with natures natural selection laws.