Why dual speedometers?

Hi.

We just picked up our first boat ever (2001 Mastercraft Prostar 195) and now I'm going to be asking some beginner questions of you seasoned vets. My first question is why does the boat have dual speedometers? Thanks in advance. Dan

Goes back prior to perfect pass for competition slalom skiers tring to achieve 36 mph +/- .3. They used the water pressure from pick-up tubes mounted on each side of the boat and the driver and monitor had to each watch the speed.

speedos are pretty inaccuate and get knocked out when the pickups pop up from hitting stuff or get clogged...so 2 is better than 1...when they get clogged gas it hard in reverse, keep them cleaned out , i poke debris out with a wire, and i have a gps for speed to the 10ths of a mph

Thanks for the answers! So, what is the proper/best speed for water skiing with two skis? Is 36 mph for slalom skiers just for advanced skiers? Lastly, what's the best speed for wakeboarding? I'm guessing that this might depend on the weight of the person your pulling.

Dan

...not to mention weight in the boat/ballast

Daniel, 36mph is the "pro" level adult slalom skier running a slalom course. There are other speeds for different age groups and ability levels. For the recreation level on 2 skis there is no set speed, however the individual feels comfortable somewhere between 24 and 28 mph for most adults. More speed gets the skis on top of the water and reduced stress on the arms and back, of course the faster you go the harder the falls.

For wakeboarding it is entirely up to the rider. Most pros are riding between 24 and 26 mph, young kids can start at 15-18, when you get ready to start jumping the wake the boat usually has to go faster to clean-up the whitewash. I mostly have teenagers on boat now days with my son. I try to get them up to 21 or 22 after a couple sessions.

Thanks!

Dan

Dual speedometers doubles the chances that one will actually be working when it is really needed. For a competition ski run the boat will typically pull the slalom rider up and then fairly quickly line up to the course. If the speedo isn't working right the rider won't get a valid pull and his run doesn't count. If he just used all his energy on a run that didn't count he will be pissed.

There is no "proper" speed per se. For competition slalom skiing there are a range of speeds mixed in with shorter rope lenghts to keep making the course harder and harder. You may have heard the term "38 off" which means the rope has been shortened the maximum amount, or in other words, the best of the "pro" rider setting.

For recreational skiing the "best" speed is whatever the rider is comfortable with. For a beginner rider that is often just fast enough to get them on top of the water. For a child on double skiis that can be pretty slow (~15 MPH). As they get more comfortable increase the speed, or better yet let them decide (use the thumb up or thumb down to signal speed changes)

For wakeboarding the trick for a rank beginner is to pull them just fast enough to get their board above water until they get stable. For a small kid this might be just above idle! For an adult it might be 16 MPH. Plowing through the water will be tiring but it will allow them to have the board in just about any orientation and be okay. Once they have the board turned towards the boat speed up a bit.

Once a wakeboarder is past the basics and is working on wake jumps it becomes critical that the pull is consistant, both speed and direction. Slight variations in speed, while approaching the wake, can really throw the rider off. If you don't have a Perfect Pass to control the speed for you then you will need to keep a very critical eye on the speedometer and continuously adjust the throttle as the boat simply will not maintain a constant speed for wakeboarding.

Having the boat turn will change the shape of the wake and will either accelerate the rider or slow him down depending on if he is on the inside or outside of the turn. Watch where you are going, and watch the rider, make your turns when the rider is in a neutral position. If you are following a canyon, river or slough it is much better to make sharp turns then hold a stright line rather than making large sweeping turns.

Oh, one last thing: don't make power turns. If your rider falls, and there is not another boat threatening to run him down, keep your direction constant until you have dropped to idle before turning around. This will avoid sending rollers off ahead of you, which your rider will have to ride through once he is up again. It is also more courteous to other boats/riders.

Enjoy!

Rod

amen to that last paragraph Rod, too many people don't slow to idle before turning around