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1. Equipment Related Questions
2. Boat and Trailer Related Questions
1. Equipment
a. Choosing the right ski size
There are a number of factors involved in choosing the right size ski. Weight is the predominant factor, but skiing speed may also be important. For recreational skiers there may also be factors such as boat horsepower.
Weight
How much you weigh plays an important role. Many manufacturers use weight alone as the guide for ski length. Many manufacturers make larger or smaller skis for larger or smaller skiers.
Skiing Speed
How fast you ski also plays a role in ski size selection. If you are a recreational skier that skis at 40-60 km per hour you might consider a longer ski. If you are a slalom course skier running 55 km per hour then you would consider a smaller ski... and you probably would not be reading this either!
Other Factors
There are many other factors that can affect your decision about ski size. For example if you have a very low powered boat or weigh in pretty heavy e.g. 90kg plus... you might consider a very long ski to help you get up easier and ski easier.
b) Equipment Storage Tips
Just as your towboat and motor need to be properly stored for the winter, so too must your ski gear. Todays equipment is designed to be long-lasting and requires very little maintenance, but a little effort and care in use and storage will keep your ski gear in good condition for many seasons.
Great tips for preparing your ski gear for storage include:
- always dry and store your ski gear out of the sun
- rinse ski gear used in salt water thoroughly as salt is damaging
- store your ski gear clean (use a mild soap and water solution to clean any dirt), dry (moisture will destroy materials, seams and glues) and out of sunlight.
Wetsuits
- Store clean and completely dry. Ideally stuff the suit with newspaper and the zipper closed. Then lay the suit flat and store it under a bed or in another area completely out of sun light
- Hang and stored on broad hangers. Do not use wire or narrow hangers, as these will cause excessive stress on the material and seams and may cause permanent damage
- Hang wetsuits in the back of a closet where they will be out of the way and also out of sunlight
- Cover wetsuits to protect them from scrapes and dust. Garment bags or plastic garbage bags make good protective covers
- Do not store suits inside-out. They may be turned inside-out temporarily to ensure that they are completely dry, but always store right-side-out to avoid excessive stress on the material and seams.
Neoprene accessories
Store other neoprene equipment like hoods, booties and neoprene vests clean, dry, and out of sunlight with the weight of the garment dispersed as evenly as possible.
Drysuits
Store drysuits in the same way as wetsuits with one important distinction, depending on the suit. YKK, a leading manufacturer of drysuit zippers, recommends that drysuits with a Delrin, a type of plastic, zippers be stored closed to avoid a potential leak-causing kink, while nickel, or metal, zippers be stored open to prevent the rubber compression seal from taking a "set" during storage.
Skis, Kneeboards, Ski boards
Since these items are relatively durable, the only requirement is that you store them out of sunlight and in a place where they will not pick up scratches and dings. Try under a bed or horizontally overhead with minimum support at two points.
Leaning a ski against a wall may result in it getting bumped occasionally, knocked over and damaged. Skis and boards should be stored either in a fitted case or covered with plastic bags or cloth. If your slalom bag causes your high-wrap bindings to be bent down, leave the bag open to allow the bindings to stand up and cover the open areas with a plastic bag or towel.
Ropes and Vests
Store ropes and vests using the same basic guidelines; clean, dry and out of sunlight. Sunlight will quickly fade the bright colors of polypropylene ski lines.
With just a little effort and proper care, your ski gear should last for several
seasons and survive many long winter lay-ups.
c) Rope Breakage Tips
A couple of tips to help save your ropes:
- Keep out of the sun when not in use. The sun kills both the rope and the rubber on the handle fast
- Keep them clean of sand and grit cut fibers
- Watch that they dont rub on things as skiers ski. Difficult to avoid in all boats but try
- If you tend to break them where the rope wraps the pylon, wrap it a different way. Try just wrapping the loop twice around the knob
- If your ropes tend to break about a foot from the shortening loops then it might be because a hot knife was used in manufacture. The hot knife leaves hard and sometimes sharp lumps at the melted rope end. These are "inside" the line when a splice is made and can cut the line from the inside out. You can pull the end out, cut the hot melt part off with a sharp knife and tuck it back in
d) Stripped Binding Screw Repair
- Take a piece of lead solder and slide it in the stripped hole (only use a lead solder), cut the solder off as close to the top of the ski as possible. Take a hammer and TAP the solder flat so none sticks up past the top of the ski
- Then just screw the binding down as usual. If it doesnt take, use another piece of solder and do it all over again
2. Boats & Trailers
a) Water Leaking from Airguide Speedometer
- Check the pressure line into it. If that is fine, then there is a either a problem with the diaphram within the speedo, or a problem with the connection to the diaphram. Many of these problems are as a result of water getting into the diaphram and then freezing
- In the speedo check for tiny corrosion hole in the diaphram. This allows water to come up into the diaphram
- Check if your hose connection on the back is leaky as this allows water to come up the pressure tube. Water gets to the back of the speedo and as you accelerate, it goes into the diaphram. If the water in the diaphram freezes it will split open.
b) Accurate Speedmoters
- The normal way to tell if your boat speedometer is accurate involved timed runs through a slalom course
- A slalom course is a known length. The time it should take at various speeds is accurately known. Using a stopwatch, you can drive through a slalom course at a constant speed, and time how long it takes from the entrance gates to the exit gates. You can then compare the actual time you measure with the time it should take according to the speed reading on your speedometer
- Some boat speedometers are adjustable. Airguide is the defacto standard in speedometers and these have a front adjustment knob that allows you to calibrate then by trial and error during timed runs through the slalom course
c) Boat & Trailer Maintenance Tips
Boat Tips
Keep your battery fully charged and secured down in your boat
Fit a battery isolator in an easy to get to position
Fit a bilge pump with auto float switch and test regulary
Dry your boat after every use to prevent corrosion and rotting of material etc
Allways stand seat cushions on edge to drain after use
Water between cushions and fiberglass can eventually be absorbed by fiberglass causeing small blisters which over time can lead to fungi and rot
Keep a couple of spare bungs in the boat att all times
Check plastic fitting like bimini mounts etc as they do become brittle after prolonged exposure to sunlight
Make sure your boat is sitting on trailer properly when you pull out of the water
Secure your boat to trailer to prevent the boat from bounceing when travelling
Never dissconnect your winch untill boat is in the water... too many trailers loose their boats at the top of the ramp...
Engine Maintenance Tips
Engine oil and transmission should be checked daily
Use only recommended oils for top ups between services
Regular serviceing every 100 hours or yearly will prolong engine life
Change all oil and fuel filters at every service
Keep all water and fuel hoses tight and ensure they dont rub on anything
Spray with WD 40 or similar at regular intervals to protect things like engine mounts and exposed metal surfaces
Change your water pump impeller every year
Never start your boat out of the water if you dont have it connected to a running hose as you will damage your water pump impeller
Never run your engine if you can smell fuel, check for fuel leaks and repair before starting
Leave your engine cover open when drying boat to get any moisture out of the engine bay and electrics
Trailer Tips
Allways check your tow hitch is secured properly to your car before towing
Attach safety chains even if you are only going 100 yards
Check lights before you tow on the highway
Repack and adjust wheel bearings yearly
Jack your trailer up and spin wheels every 6 months listen for grinding noises and check bearing end float
Fit bearing buddies to all hubs to prolonge bearing life DONT OVER GREASE... if grease can get out through the seal water can get in...
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