Proper way to pick up your downed rider

[Coop]

The funny thing is, given the wider turn, I'm not sure a power turn even gets you back to the rider much faster. The few times I've felt like I needed a power turn (another boat approaching my rider, etc.), I'm not sure it was much quicker.

[RockRig]

OK, So I'm sure everyone here has their own way to pick up your downed rider.

First off if your power turning all the time then your risking allot of unwanted water to douse everything and everyone. Not to mention getting all of our cloths in the storage wet...and having to put in work drying everything out. Especially if your weighing down your rig with ballast & Sacks.


Here is the way I do it...

1. Your rider falls.....

2. Put throttle in neutral position and slightly turn the steering wheel to the left allowing the boat to rest in the water with a slight left turn

3. Once the boat has rested out of a plane, put the throttle in the reverse position, not gunning it but just until it engages reverse.

4. The left turn you made was to posistion the rope to the left rear of the boat allowing you to engage reverse without running over your rope!...reverse will back you out of the huge rollers your boat has made and let them roll on by in front of you

5. Once the rollers have now past you..engage your throttle to forward position only letting your RPM to 1000 or just under(not creating another wake) and go pick up your rider.

IMO the best way to do it. I know that conditions may be different at different times, such as other boats near by or a shark in the water



My boy didn't listen to me on how to do this technique and now I am drying out my boat

ok...im done ranting!

anyone agree with this way?

With Number 2 on the list, if you turn slightly to port, then power down, you can turn to starboard immediately, the boat will be inside of the wake.

[laserfish]

I grew up skiing behind the Glastron outboard and power turns were the norm. When we got the Tige, my son was wakeboarding with some really good riders that taught him the proper way to pick up downed riders. He came home and taught me. I think the key is the quick left while you are shutting it down. Enables you to make a sharp right as soon as the boat settles and still be inside your wake. Keeps everything much dryer and the water much calmer. I hate power turners now.

[tigeblue]

I grew up skiing behind the Glastron outboard and power turns were the norm. When we got the Tige, my son was wakeboarding with some really good riders that taught him the proper way to pick up downed riders. He came home and taught me. I think the key is the quick left while you are shutting it down. Enables you to make a sharp right as soon as the boat settles and still be inside your wake. Keeps everything much dryer and the water much calmer. I hate power turners now.

I wouldn't make a right in fear I may run over my rope. Then again haven't tried turning right after the boat settles.

[Jeffe]

I wouldn't make a right in fear I may run over my rope. Then again haven't tried turning right after the boat settles.

Zoolander FTW...

[somebodyelse5]

I wouldn't make a right in fear I may run over my rope. Then again haven't tried turning right after the boat settles.

the boats are symmetric, why would turning right, vs turning left make any difference?

Throttle down, let the rollers pass and then turn around by just putting the boat in gear. You can throttle up ONLY when your going straight, then throttle back down and leave the boat in gear when you come around to pick up the rider.

[Ewok]

the boats are symmetric, why would turning right, vs turning left make any difference?

Throttle down, let the rollers pass and then turn around by just putting the boat in gear. You can throttle up ONLY when your going straight, then throttle back down and leave the boat in gear when you come around to pick up the rider.

The torque and P-factor of the prop which make the boat difficult to turn in reverse also make the boat easier to turn in forward in one direction vs the other. I believe it's easier to turn the boat to the left in forward but it's been a few weeks since I have been out.

[somebodyelse5]

The torque and P-factor of the prop which make the boat difficult to turn in reverse also make the boat easier to turn in forward in one direction vs the other. I believe it's easier to turn the boat to the left in forward but it's been a few weeks since I have been out.

funny how you forget the things like that, but i know what you mean i guess. when we surf, I always turn to the right, starboard, to pick up the rider. Port is heavily weighted and it turns MUCH better towards the side that is not weighted. i kill the throttle and crank the wheel to the right, then the boat basically turns itself around as the rollers come bye. i finish off the turn in gear and head back to the rider.

powerturning takes longer to get back to the ride haha. so idk why people do it.

[dogbert]

My boy didn't listen to me on how to do this technique and now I am drying out my boat

ok...im done ranting!

anyone agree with this way?

That's why you need to keep some carpet cleaner and a brush on board. Look at it as an opportunity to get your carpets (and your bilge) cleaned. Be sure to tell him to do it a second time after scrubbing your carpet to properly rinse

[embo]

I wish there was a mandatory class that boaters took where things like this were taught. I don't ever throw it in reverse (I feel like it too much strain on the tranny going from drive to neutral to reverse and back again). But then my boat is old!

On a side note, I find it really funny how some of you guys with weighted boats are worried about taking on water from your giant wakes. How do you think fishermen and skiers feel? They have to combat those same wakes. Honestly if I see a boat with a surfer, I drive as far away as I can. If I'm not careful I will get all 4 of your wakes into my boat. (end of my rant)

On the river we surf on there is 17 miles that are restricted to no wake enhancing devices...guess where the fisherman are? As far as I am concerned, if they are stupid enough to be in the few areas where it's legal to surf and still insist on fishing there instead of the 17 miles I can't surf...well I am surprized they can even catch a fish.

Everyone here on this forum should be getting educated on this no wake enhancing idea. It's going to be coming to a place close to you. All it's going to take is some environmentalist saying that those big wakes are destroying our water reservoirs and those great days that Ragboy is having are going to be numbered unless we as a group (including dealerships and manufactures) get together and do something to stop this infringement on our rights. Last time I looked the rivers, lakes and streams were everyones to use. But there seems to be some special interest groups that get special treatment.

It's eventually going to get where there are surf, waterski, wakeboard, and tubing zones each having their own area.

I have fished for 30 years and if I was in an area that was being used by surfing boats or wakeboarders...I wouldn't be fishing there for several reasons. The wake size would not be on the top of the list as to why I wasn't fishing there.

It could be a bunch of boats waterskiing and I wouldn't be there fishing...no wake to really deal with there.

There are more lakes, rivers and streams to put a boat in and fish on there there are to surf in. Why do the fisherman or kayakers or who ever have to pick the surfing areas to do their sport?

I used to be able to drive 15 minutes and have over 25 miles of river to surf...now I have 5 or 6.

[dogbert]

The funny thing is, given the wider turn, I'm not sure a power turn even gets you back to the rider much faster. The few times I've felt like I needed a power turn (another boat approaching my rider, etc.), I'm not sure it was much quicker.

A power turn is never quicker or safer.

[Jeffe]

A power turn is never quicker or safer.

But they are so much funner...The feeling of the wind blowing through your hair as your whipping the boat around at full throttle.

There is nothing like it...It actually gets my panties all wet

[laserfish]

[QUOTE=somebodyelse5;451219]the boats are symmetric, why would turning right, vs turning left make any difference?

I turn right because I can just look over the side of the boat and see my downed rider go by. On the left, I cannot see them and don't know how close they are. If I turned left, I would have to cross over my rope to have the rider come down the right side. Much safer if you can maintain constant visual on your rider.

[tigeblue]

I turn left and give a little reverse to pick up my riders a bit faster, I guess it all comes down to skill and how comfortable you are doing it.

Dogbert I have a little green carpet steamer, works so good. Get the carpet so dry that it wiould be dry by next morning. It also steam cleans the carpet so well that the boat is always smelling so fresh and so clean clean!

[Dave S]

embo, think about it this way, after all wake enhancement devices are outlawed, we will be sitting pretty good with still the biggest wakes with our convex hulls! Now if they outlaw convex hulls then we may have a problem, lol.