Perfect Pass on PRO Air Nautique hull - who's got one?

[Tim Krasin]

Ok, I'm about to get Perfect Pass Wakeboard Pro installed on my Pro Air Nautique (with ramping vents) and need to know if you've got a Pro Air - where is the paddle wheel mounted? My dealer says he's mounted it just on the side of the centerline without issues. Whereas, Perfect Pass says directly on centerline under the engine, but I don't know how much experience they actually have with this specific hull - lots of stuff going on there. I know the location can make all the difference in the world. I know the rules of mounting - not behind items, clean water must pass over wheel, fairly far back to always be in the water, etc...

My buddy has a Wakesetter and his initial mounting location made the system work like crap - then they remounted (another hole) the paddle wheel and it's perfect! I'm very critical with speed if I'm spending the money on a system, so I don't want it to work "alright" - it must be perfect.

Please - if you have a Pro Air or have seen a Pro Air's paddle wheel location - let me know where and how well it works. Thanks!
-Tim

[Doug]

My friend Tony has the same boat. He initially mounted the paddle wheel to one side of the centerline, up near the drain hole in front of the engine. The boat would not hold speed. Called PP and told them he did everything according to the instructions. PP said he had received the wrong directions, it was their fault, and paid for the dealer to repair the hole, and remount the paddle wheel!

[Tim Krasin]

So, they remounted it directly in the centerline? How far back from the drain hole? How does it hold speed now? Thanks for the info.

[skicrave]

Yep, it goes on the flat spot right on the keel. There is just enough room to install it under the oil pan. Put it in front of the vents so that you don't have interference from the turbulance.

[midwest rider]

Tim,

Hi what's up? I have (had) the yellow 2001 Pro Air in STL. I think we talked a bit in the past over email. You were the one thinkng about the speakers on the end of the handle right??

For those of you who have PP which work PERFECT on your PAN, this experience is just that, my experience.

Well, any way...I mounted my own PP on my PAN. I was 80% satisfied with the end product. The pro air hull is a cluster under there. To make a long story short, I followed PP instructions and after MANY phone calls with my dealer and PP, I ended up drilling the hole directly under the reverse hump in the oil pan in the center flat portion of the boat.

Now for my evaluation. For reference later, my friend put PP on the same day I put mine on, he put his on a 2000 Launch. As long as the water you ride one is glass and you make no turns, your PP will operate as intended. You can mess with the KDW to pick up any gittering the TB makes.

If the water you ride is rough and you make a lot turns...don't expect your 1K investment to make you very happy. I speak from experience. The river we ride in is 32 miles one way and almost always glass, therefore, I almost never turn around and it's almost never rough. B/c of this, I was happy with the way PP performed.

It (PP) never was really happy. When I rode with my friend in his launch, that thing was ROCK SOLID! Turns, rough water, it never moved. I was depressed mine did not perform this way, but this is the risk I took knowing PP told me it's a hard system to get right on the PAN. To me it was worth the investment.

If I had to do it over again...I would buy it, the thing is a "wife saver"!
B/c of the experience I had with it, I would tell (if it makes you feel better) to mount it where they tell you, BUT I would look LONG and HARD for another location. I'ver heard people mounting them off to the side on PAN but I've never actually SEEN or HEARD from anyone who did, so it's hard to say.

When I was at the boat show a few weeks ago, I noticed that the paddle wheel now has side shields on either side of the wheel. This may cut down on rough water screwing with the wheel and only channel in smooth water, hard to say if it would effect my boats performance or not.

If it were me, I'd mount it somewhere else other than where PP suggested. If worst comes to worse. The kit comes with a Plug that you're supposed to put in when you are traveling etc. I would plug up the old hole and try a new location and not give it another thought. I know your boat is your baby but trust me on this one. If my reasoning sounds absurd, it's b/c I've intalled 2 PP and just last night drilled another hole in the bottom of a 2002 SAN for a ballast intake. Once you drill in the bottom of one 40K boat, the rest are easy, Ha!

So take my advice with a grain of salt. If you'd like more info, please email me
at dude2go@hotmail.com and I'd love to give you all the insight I can.

Sorry for the long post.

MWR

[Tim Krasin]

Thanks for the insight guys. It should be going on this next week. I hope the new designed paddlewheel helps the turbulence issues.
-Tim