Low speed handling.

[R&T Babich]

Ooops - "We still have the original OJ 14"-18 prop and have an Acme 535 13.5"-16 I'm putting on next week." - should have read Acme 537.

So a bowrider would be like an older Glastron or Sea Ray. Way back in the '70s "tow boats" were a Ski Natique, Master Craft, etc. They were inboards with direct drives and the emphasis was on making a smooth, flat wake. I know, "How boring". Our kids are growing up with a whole new generation of boats.

[da.bell]

Our kids are growing up with a whole new generation of boats.

I would say LUCKY KIDS!!!!!!!

[zad0030]

What does the term "bowrider" mean? Is it a hull shape or type of boat where it has an open bow you can ride in? Our '75 Cobalt tri-hull had an open bow, as does our 21V.

We've taught quite a few scouts how to ski behind our outdrive and now our V-drive. I agree outdrives usually are hard to get up behind, but that's because they are typically underpowered. With a few mods to our 302 it pulled up skiers just fine. Our 21V with the 350 MPI has plenty of power. We still have the original OJ 14"-18 prop and have an Acme 535 13.5"-16 I'm putting on next week. Will changing the prop change that bulge in the middle of the wake? I'm sure it will help pulling up skiers, but how big a change is it?

When we first got our 21V our relatives/friends would ask what did you get? When I would say an "inboard" I just got blank stares. Then I would say a "Tige" and they sort of knew what it was, but mainly is was "Oh, that's how you pronounce it." A "wakeboard" boat and it was "Oooh, that's cool".

The Term bowrider,or cuddy, or towboat, or cruiser or whatever, would be the class. In car world this would be SUVs, coupes, minivans etc etc...

The terms jetdrive, Inboard, Inboard/Outbard (in/out whatever), and Outboard are the drive systems. Its the way the engine is linked to the propulsion. In car world this would be like, 4x4, AWD, RWD, FWD etc...

Towboats are specifically designed for popping skiiers out of the water, and created the best wake for the desired sport. I/O boats just because they have a tower, does not make them good wakeboard boats. They lack in acceleration, hull design and wake shape. If you put an inboard boat and an I/O next to each other and slam on the throttle who takes off faster? The inboard. The inboard will get up and on plane faster whereas the i/o's bow will raise up real tall and then gets up to speed and planes off. This is due to the fact that the outdrive acts as a lever. If you have ever ridden on a jetski you might know that if you lean back then jam on the throttle you will shoot into the air, because you applying vertical thrust instead of horizantal which you do get with the inboard. The engines the put into towboats have higher low end toque to pull up and the skiier and the design of the hull is made to plow through the water and create a nice clean wake.

The market for wakeboarding is huge and any I/o company can slap a tower on their boat and call it a wakeboard boat.

[Coop]

I have also heard that, at wakeboard speeds (18-22 mph), I/O's tend to fluctuate on and off plane, making it hard to see and hard to hold the speed steady.

[dogbert]

If you add trim tabs, it dampens the effect. Also, you can add a whaletail type device to the outdrive to make the trim more effective.