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skiing with a jet

6K views 41 replies 29 participants last post by  mrjoshua 
#1 ·
With so many great looking vintage jet boats on the market I'm starting to think outside the propeller box. My family is pretty into recreational skiing / boarding / footing, and all my experience is outboard, i/o, direct drive. What's it like on the end of a line behind a jet?
 
#3 ·
With so many great looking vintage jet boats on the market I'm starting to think outside the propeller box. My family is pretty into recreational skiing / boarding / footing, and all my experience is outboard, i/o, direct drive. What's it like on the end of a line behind a jet?
its pretty cool :)...i pull almost everything behind my jet...the 1 thing u DONT have to worry about is some1 getting cut up by a prop, especially kids! :)

FastRat
 
#7 ·
and enough power to get them out of the water. my SBC had a real hard time getting a large skier out of the water. that was before the rebuild so maybe better now but it was real hard previously. Pulled a tube like a champ though.
 
#8 ·
in my experience someone that is pretty good on a single ski can pull the back end of the boat around pretty gd, a bit more than when you have a prop in the water. the wake behind my boat is decent size for wake boarding but maybe a tad big for slalom. Guess that would change depending on the hull type though. just my .02
 
#9 ·
so my family has owned 5 jets including sea doo's (2), and own 1 prop (supra) the prop gets people out of the water better hands down, so my uncle says, he weighs 250+lb, but he likes footing and skiing behind the jet no prop wake, but most jets dont through a wake, so wakeboarding sucks, as well as to a lesser effect, knee boarding and tubing. plus i find pulling with the jet eats some fuel not saying they all do.
but a ski boat does not get the looks that my jet gets even when they have spent 100,000 cnd on it
 
#20 ·
I like skiing and tubing behind a jet. The wake is a bit turbulent in the center. But the wake is a LOT better to cross on a jet than an I/O, might not be as good for wake boarding because of that though. I don`t know how it is for barefooting, never tried to barefoot. I imagine the turbulence in the center of the wake might be annoying? But the quick start should be nice. Tubing works well too, don`t even notice the turbulence in the wake and the wake is still tall enough/well enough shaped to launch 1 tube and rider onto top of the 2nd/3rd tube/rider when you get the urge for demolition tubing:)devil.

the prop gets people out of the water better hands down, so my uncle says, he weighs 250+lb,
What kinda prop boat is that? I have always had a much faster launch off a jet, pulls me from sitting in the water to fully standing in probably 4 feet.
 
#10 ·
Depends on how much of a fanatic you are with your skiing. If you love slalom an make really hard cuts stick with an direct drive. A jet lays a pretty flat wake, but you can pull the ass around a little if you make hard cuts. I learned behind a jet and have had alot of fun skiing behind one. If the main thing you go boating for is water sports, I would get a direct drive. If you like to hotrod and boat in shallower rivers and just do watersports here and there for fun, definately get a jet.
 
#11 ·
its the sheet!

I learned to ski behind a jet without a diverter, and I must say that a typical jet makes alot shallower wake than a I/O and that makes for alot better cuting. I now own one with a diverter, and the down position makes planing out alot faster, so you can pull weenies on two skis alot slower.
There is also nothing that will make a quicker turn to go pick up a downed skier than a jet. Ask around, they turn on a dime compared to a prop if you know how. Another plus is that the kiddos dont have to worry about a prop chopping them up in the water.

Tubes are a blast behind a jet, you can sling around the serious riders like no prop boat can, and if you have a diverter you can play with it to change the wake or ever spray them a little. The kiddos can get a nice ride too if you just slow it down a little.

My personal opinion:A jet cant be beat as far as playing on the water, the only down sides are you can suck the rope into the intake if you arent paying atention and the average jet has less seating and storage than your average I/O.
 
#12 ·
I learned to ski behind a jet without a diverter, and I must say that a typical jet makes alot shallower wake than a I/O and that makes for alot better cuting. I now own one with a diverter, and the down position makes planing out alot faster, so you can pull weenies on two skis alot slower.
There is also nothing that will make a quicker turn to go pick up a downed skier than a jet. Ask around, they turn on a dime compared to a prop if you know how. Another plus is that the kiddos dont have to worry about a prop chopping them up in the water.

Tubes are a blast behind a jet, you can sling around the serious riders like no prop boat can, and if you have a diverter you can play with it to change the wake or ever spray them a little. The kiddos can get a nice ride too if you just slow it down a little.

My personal opinion:A jet cant be beat as far as playing on the water, the only down sides are you can suck the rope into the intake if you arent paying atention and the average jet has less seating and storage than your average I/O.
ditto all that! Back in the 80's, most everyone chose to ski behind my jet over a Ski Nautique and a MasterCraft just because the wake was a lot better to cut through.
The other semi downfall is if the ski tow is on the rear of the boat, it will get tugged around a lot more than a typical ski boat. The driver of the boat will need to be able to control the boat more than they would a ski boat or even a boat with an I/O. It's not all that big of a deal though.
 
#13 ·
one thing i notice a little between my sanger mini jet and my dads sanger mini v drive, is that my jet has a slightly bigger wake. (these are two identical boats with different propulsion) however the majority of jets are going to be smaller in size and have less v in the bottom then a ski boat, which is why the wakes are typically flatter as CAS said. The other thing i notice a little between mine and my dads boat is that inside the wake of a jet it can be very turbulent, i have always been used to it, but after skiing behind my dads v-drive it is a little nicer not having all the turbulence in the water.

Andrew
 
#14 ·
Wife, kids and friends have blast behind this. From skiing to tubing and also, we have had a professional wake boarder go behind this. He said, it puts out a awesome wake for wake boarding.



 
#16 ·
With so many great looking vintage jet boats on the market I'm starting to think outside the propeller box. My family is pretty into recreational skiing / boarding / footing, and all my experience is outboard, i/o, direct drive. What's it like on the end of a line behind a jet?
Safety

One of the reasons I own a jet, we spend lots of time towing skiers,
tubes, kneeboards and even air chairs.

a good setup jet will pull the rope right out of your hands.

they have a very turbulent wake but only down the center, who ski's
in the center anyway. my last boat had a pylon mounted in front of the engine and that helped with the skier pulling the boat around.

most beginning skiers start out with at least a 75' rope and a diverter
helps a bunch.
 
#18 ·
Skied for many years behind a jet even shortened the rop at times too never a problem had great power for pulling up skiers.

now have an i/o it too does well just doesnt get me up as quick its only a 350 motor but doesnt struggle either.As far as wakes go they are about the same.
 
#19 ·
With so many great looking vintage jet boats on the market I'm starting to think outside the propeller box. My family is pretty into recreational skiing / boarding / footing, and all my experience is outboard, i/o, direct drive. What's it like on the end of a line behind a jet?[/QUOTE]

So much depends on the hull. The CP has a pretty small wake for a jet , but larger jets can have a hell of a wake. If you are an aggresive skier you can pull a smaller 20' jet around on "good cuts" so you may want to place the ski pole in front of the engine it helps a bunch. If the vintage jet is over 19' expect a good wake to jump.


S CP :D
 
#21 ·
With my GlenCoe 20, I have towed almost everytbing. The only thing that I have noticed as a Driver, is with some of the better skiers,Slolom skiers the boat moves side ways. I am putting a single keel fin under the boat in front of the engine like the turniment ski boats. This will help the boat go strieght while pulling skiers but also turning on the race course.
 
#26 ·
Thanks a lot for all the shared experiences, guys. This site is great.

4trax, I'll keep my eyes open for your Baja on Shawano. We used to take our Eliminator tunnel out there when they still had the boat shop in town. We live in Oconomowoc, and have a cabin up near Mountain.
 
#27 ·
.02

i have 18' advantage , sbc , e pump, pull my 6 yr old son all the time on tube with no prob at all, my wife wakeboards behind also, i grew up behind a pump boat and i'm 32 now, hammer down and roll!!:)devil
 
#28 ·
Learned to ski behind my Dad's Glastron Bayflite 16' w/95 merc. Great holeshot and basicilly no wake. Switched to a 19" Family Jet (nice boat 4trax!), but it definitily had a wake; A friend liked to ski behind it @ 40+ and jump the wake- clearing the wake laterally by 10' and reaching 6+ high w/legs extended. He hit so hard sometimes that his fists would hit the water. And he pulled the backend all over the place- Now, my CVX-20 has the pull in front of the engine at the back of the back seat. It doesn't get pulled around and I've had two Hot skiers behind it- one owned a marina and several different tournament boats and rated my boat an 8 out of 10.
 

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#29 ·
Learning to ski behind an SK flatbottom, then sking for years behind a 85 stars and stripes Mastercraft, Id have to say the 18' Mastercraft had the best overal wake. I skied behind plenty of jet boats as well, but the lack of physical connection of drive to the water had it's draw back during solam starts, and hard cuts. The back of the jet will pull out with an aggressive skier, and the white water behind the boat it not the most fun to cross either. This pretty much elimainated, short rope sking behind the jetboat for me. As for towing tube, tubes jetboats can't be beat. We still ski behind the MC, but have since retired from Jetboat sking/towing. Got to ski again, behind the ole SK a couple years back, good times.
 
#30 ·
Just fly B4 U buy

We have skied behind jets since I can remember. If you find a boat you like, and is in your price range, ask to take it for a test drive including towing a skier, maybe even you. I think you will be plesantly surprised. DONT MAKE THE MISTAKE OF BUYING A BOAT WITHOUT DRIVING IT!!. If it is a project hull, atleast make sure it floats. Do a search on what to look for when buying a jet, wish I had known about this forum when I bought mine, would have saved alot of headaches.
 
#31 ·
I have a wake tower and a front motor mount ski pole on my jet. Its a 18' with a 460/berk with div. Sucks up the gas a bit more but I have a 40+ gallon belly tank. I can get air on both mounts and I weigh bout 240. I recently rebuilt my entire int to work for me. Jets for life....


 
#33 ·
I want to make this clear; My Dad's jet boat was a heavy layup(2800) deep dish, deep vee and got pulled all over the place- I would be at opposite-lock trying to control it while the jumper skied.
My much lighter(2000) CVX-20 w/skipull in front of the engine never gets pulled laterally, but as the two very good skiers crossed the wake I could feel a slight tug- no varience on the speedo, just a tug. As for getting you up, well, I'll admit to being a light weight @ 155, but one of the really good skiers was 200 and said, " I can take anything your boat can dish!" after which the handles almost hit the back of the boat; Went back, "What happened?" "Just throttle back a bit, please". I used half throttle to get him up. Hot jets with B-C cut impellors have poorer Hole shot- You want an A or AA impellor and an engine that's tuned for it. I'll give up top end for hole shot any day of the week. Love the "Gees"...
 
#34 ·
Hot jets with B-C cut impellors have poorer Hole shot- You want an A or AA impellor and an engine that's tuned for it. I'll give up top end for hole shot any day of the week. Love the "Gees"...
YEP!! Runnin AA SS myself.;)
 
#35 ·
I know that it ain't easy to quantify "G" forces, especially in a boat, but I'm quiet comfortable with my boat doing 62 mph; It out accelerates almost everything to 30, including a friend's flaty w/390 tunnel ram; He tops out at 80+, but I toast him to 30 every time.
My Dad's boat was called an "Islander", built by Crook's Marine in Castro Valley w/Olds 455 390hp(It is basiclly a copy of an Enterprise 18'7" Vee)- that boat was unstoppable; It could crush 2'+ waves and one footers weren't even felt, and it would turn on a dime every time. It was a Gold color- Baby sh1+ brown. My Dad bought it from the original owner for $3300 in 75; The guy wanted $4400 but my Dad played him like a fish- hell, I felt sorry for the guy, even if some of the work he did on the boat was...laughable...the shifter worked backwards!!!:)sphss
 
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