New boat speed control (cruise control) for wakeboarders

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to introduce myself to the community. I’ve been a long-time lurker , but hope to contribute my knowledge and experience now that my company, Hydrophase, is finally unveiled.

Our product, “Ridesteady” is a new paddlewheel-based (speed over water) boat speed control designed for wakeboarders that can be retrofitted on boats with mechanical throttles. It has a number of technology and product improvements over other offerings, but I will direct those that are interested to the website rather than turn this into an advertisement.

I look forward to contributing soon; feel free to send any questions my way!

Thanks,
Justin Muessig
CEO, Hydrophase LLC
www.hydrophase.com

9DROZD · Outlaw Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 114

Is there or going to be anything GPS based. Just curious. Im glad to see theres an alternative to Perfect Pass.

ridininmd · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 1231

Ridesteady, looks good, I've been arguing against GPS based speed control ever since it showed up. Glad to see someone gets it.

9DROZD, No GPS, that's the point, GPS speed control does not work correctly on moving bodies of water.

9DROZD · Outlaw Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 114

If you could,(cause I honestly dont know) explain to me how on moving bodies of water the GPS based PP doesnt work right. Where I live I ride on lakes so I have no experience with rivers. Thanks.

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

Thanks for the positive feedback!

@9DR0ZD: No GPS-based speed control plans.

@ridininmd: You're correct - GPS-based boat speed controls have issues on moving bodies of water. They do have their place, though, as they don't require thru-hull installation and can work better in sharp turns. We just humbly believe the paddlewheel's advantage outweighs GPS. Speed-over-water, no startup time, water temperature readings, etc. to name a few.

FlyZone CR · Posted: Apr 08, 2011 9:17 pm Post subject:

Interesting! Nice project, good luck!

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

Looks like a good product. Speed control is on my list of things to add...hopefully next year.

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

@Okie Boarder - thanks! If you have a mechanical throttle and want a paddlewheel-based speed control, you might want to check out our grand opening discounts going on now - it's about as cheap as a RPM-only model if you submit pictures back to us.

@FlyZone CR - thanks! We're determined to be the speed control provider for all wakeboarders.

@9DROZD - That's a common question - let me try to explain it this way.

A GPS unit simply cannot know your speed over water. Based on various satellite signals, it can calculate your speed over the ground (beneath the water). If the water is not moving relative to the ground (say on an enclosed lake with low wind), the GPS speed (over ground) should be approximately the same as the paddlewheel speed (over water).

But, if you go on lakes or rivers with currents (moving water), there will be a difference between the water speed and ground speed.

Imagine your engine is off and a current is moving you down a river at 2 MPH.

What does the GPS speed say? 2 MPH. This is your speed over ground.

What does the paddlewheel speed say? 0 MPH. This is your speed over water (the water is moving with you, so you have a relative speed of 0).

Now, you fire up your engine and start wakeboarding with your GPS-based speed control at 20 MPH upstream. You're actually going 22 MPH relative to the water. You turn around and wakeboard downstream. Now you're actually going 18 MPH relative to the water. That's a 4 MPH difference between up and down stream with a GPS, but a paddlewheel-based speed control would've given you the correct speed both ways.

Let me know if that makes sense. I have another treadmill analogy I can use. Smile

cadunkle · Criminal Joined: 16 Jul 2009 Posts: 60 City: NJ

Glad to see a competitor to Perfect Pass. If I didn't order a PP (paddlewheel version, I ride on a river) last month I would be ordering your system. Your priced a good amount less than I got my PP for even with a group discount. PP sets pricing and if you discount it too much they'll pull your dealer status and stop selling them to you.

When I got my PP I looked over it and there's not a lot to it, several pieces are off the shelf parts from other manufacturers. The markup must be insane! I could peace together everything except the control module and gauge for peanuts. Realistically I could probably control it with a laptop or netbook without any overly complex code. Could make it to run off GPS or paddlewheel. Just the interface and whole laptop thing isn't exactly convenient on a boat. Making a nice solid state control module and nice gauge/interface cost money, but the markup at PP must be insane. Regardless, I think you're pricing is much more reasonable and in line with what I would be more comfortable paying. I'm not rich, so a few hundred bucks makes a difference to me especially with gas prices these days!

I think the biggest obstacle to overcome is everyone thinks GPS is great but few understand how it works or the advantages of a paddlewheel vs. GPS. Yeah GPS is fine if you ride lakes and such but a lot of people ride rivers or tidal areas that have currents.

ryan351w · Addict Joined: 26 Jan 2009 Posts: 532

Cuss less, ride more.
Laughing

My boat has been in a 4 year upgrade, this is scheduled for next year, but... hmmmm
how long is the intro price for?
As far as the paddle wheel location, how far above the waterline does it get installed?
OK nevermind, I took some time on the install PDF, through the bottom of the hull.....nice.

Nice tag line too!
Don't. Waste. Glass.

Stang7tl · Outlaw Joined: 15 Sep 2010 Posts: 113 City: Hobe Sound

does it work on merc 3.0l carb

kartman · Posted: Apr 10, 2011 5:17 am Post subject:

that is a crazy price. i just bought a USED pp pro setup, and spent about the same amount of money. where were you a month ago? lol

h2obug · Soul Rider Joined: 10 Aug 2003 Posts: 450 City: Muncie, IN

Justin - Check you email sent to pr@hydrophase.com

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

Wow - thanks so much everyone for your positive feedback. It really gives us pride to know that we're offering a competitive product.

@cadunkle - Yeah, GPS is often perceived as the 'latest and greatest'. We could have chosen the GPS route (it frankly might have been easier) but decided to go with a paddlewheel because we often wakeboard on Lake Austin, which can have a pretty decent current during the summer as they produce hydroelectric power. You're correct in that electronically there's not a whole lot to a boat speed control. A microcontroller and maybe a few other ICs and some discretes. The expense comes primarily from the software design (which is deceptively complex and takes MANY hours of testing and refining) and custom parts (such as the display, throttle motor assembly, etc.). Plus, being relatively low-volume vis-a-vis the rest of the electronic industry does not help in terms of buying power.

@ryan351w - the intro price will probably be good for a couple months, but its all dependent on how fast we burn through our initial lot of inventory...

@Stang7tl - We haven't tested on a 3.0L. The carb is no problem, the question is whether it can interface to the engine correctly and has enough power to adequately maintain speed. Send an email or call us if you're interested - we'll gladly work with you to evaluate your particular setup.

@kartman - PP Pro's are good speed controls, so you should be fine. Call us if you ever want to upgrade. Smile

9DROZD · Outlaw Joined: 21 Apr 2010 Posts: 114

Ya see the problem with GPS based Cruise on a moving body of water. Thanks for explaining it.

pickle311 · Newbie Joined: 17 Sep 2006 Posts: 48

Looks like a nice unit. I ride on Lake Austin too and would love to see the unit in action. I've been seriously considering something other than my factory Moomba cruise and didn't want to pay for a Perfect Pass. This could be a great option for someone like me.

Hogger · Criminal Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 55 City: Kennewick

I must be missing something.
Ridesteady is $895. $795 introductory offer.
PP Cruise is $675.
Both are paddlewheel driven, and are a cruise control designed for boats.

Just playing devil's advocate. I don't have cruise, but would really like to get one. Why is Ride steady more than PP for what looks like the comparable product?
What are the differences?

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

pickle311, we aren't currently setup to give test rides, but we do have a 60 day money back guarantee in case you're not 100% satisfied.

Ridesteady · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2011 Posts: 20 City: Austin

Hogger, well I'm obviously not a spokesperson for PP, but I think you'll find that PP Cruise is actually a RPM-based system (no paddlewheel or GPS). Trying to control heavily-weighted boats with RPM only is a real challenge.

Additionally, it doesn't have a display where you can see and set your speed, no water temp display, nor any way to change any settings, to my knowledge.

Plus, you can get an additional $100 back from hydrophase by submitting pictures / info so we can grow our install database. That brings Ridesteady down to $695 for now.

HTH

Wheeler · Criminal Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 74 City: Decatur, AL

I installed this system in my '93 malibu Sunsetter. Installed quick and easy and the performance is great. Will hold the speed with 2000 lbs of ballast and people.

12string · Newbie Joined: 16 May 2012 Posts: 3

I just went to the website and didn't see anything about the introductory price. Does that mean the offer has expired?

Any tips on cutting a hole in my Kevlar lined hull?

anw7405 · Outlaw Joined: 10 Sep 2010 Posts: 188 City: edmond

Wheeler- did you take any pics of the install?

Bambamski · Posted: May 17, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject:

Can this be installed on an I/O?

rowlex · Outlaw Joined: 05 Oct 2006 Posts: 207 City: seattle

bambamski: it says it will work on I/O.

jamespjackson95 · Outlaw Joined: 17 May 2012 Posts: 113

I wish these things weren't so expensive... I'm gonna have to get a summer job for sure Crying or Very sad

Wheeler · Criminal Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 74 City: Decatur, AL

12string · Newbie Joined: 16 May 2012 Posts: 3

I guess the intro price is over?

wakeboarderdave1 · Posted: Jun 06, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject:

If finances are right this summer, I might be buying this. What setup would work on a 89 Ski Nautique 2001?

Wheeler · Criminal Joined: 04 Sep 2010 Posts: 74 City: Decatur, AL

I have to say, this was money well spent. Mine works great. For me, the paddle wheel setup this has is the way to go because the river we're on is moving 1-2 mph.

Ski Supreme · Criminal Joined: 10 Mar 2012 Posts: 50 City: Las Vegas

I am so getting one of these. Very Happy

Jay Dutton · Posted: Jul 13, 2012 2:37 pm Post subject:

I bought a hydrophase unit last year when it first came out, it's been great. Justin from Hydrophase also provides amazing customer service. While the Stargazer unit may hold speed slightly better and you don't have to drill a hole for the paddlewheel, the price difference wasn't worth it to me. With the 400 dollars I saved I was able to install a ballast system and have speed control for the price of a Stargazer unit.

Speed control also equals happy marriage, my wife can now drive me w/o worrying that I'm going to get mad about a crappy pull!