Boat Upgraders: What was the final straw making you upgrade?

[Erik]

Yesterday, I had my little Ski Nautique as full as it has ever been in its' 19 years. I had the rear fat sack (550 lbs) and side sacs full (350 each, 350x2=700), 100 lbs of stone up front for a sum total of 1350 lbs of ballast, and 6 people in the boat. As an aside, I had my personal best run of the summer so the wake was needless to say, about waist high, hard as a rock and perfect.

So we chug out to the riding spot, and the first thing that happens is some put-ins make a slow circle around us in a Malibu Wakesetter and swamped us to the point that water was coming over the back, so I was for all intents and purposes, scared and pissed. Water has never come over the stern of the boat - water washes over the bow at least once per set, but that Wakesetter swamped 3 waves clear over the stern and drenched the inside of the boat and made me basically almost crap myself with anger. By the way - kids on the Wakesetter on Lake Singletary - be warned. A$$es.

Anyway following that, our first rider started, and with all the weight in the boat and now behind it too, the boat sounded like it was working REALLY hard and I saw clouds of some type of smoke billowing out of the exhaust pipes. After cutting the engine and dropping my rider, I stopped and took a look at the engine, and nothing looked or smelled out of the ordinary. Our working theory was that the water that had crossed over the stern was now boiling and producing steam - and that was the billowing white smoke. I felt better; so we continued to ride, but the damage had sort of begun. On every single person's run but my own, I drove, and swamped the front of the boat on almost every fall, and once even swamped my passengers sitting in the observer's seat.

The final act of craptastic-ness was our friend was trying to move over the side sacs and fell. The kid is a runner and an athlete so he caught himself as he was falling and didn't get hurt.

So feeling increasingly upset, I started thinking how much I can start to justify a new boat soon. For the most part, our riding crew is limited to 3 or 4. But for those weekends where we've got 5,6 or 7 people on board who want to hang out and ride, I would so love having a bigger boat that can accommodate our guests. I went home and started telling this story to my fiancee. We took another step in the continuing discussion about upgrading to a Super Air Nautique or Super Sport Nautique and I got 'greenlighted' as much as I need to move forward on that search.

So I guess my question is as follows (if anyone actually got this far after reading my little sob story): What was the defining moment or sequence of events that led you to upgrade from your old boat to a newer, more roomy and creature-comfort equipped boat. Mine, I'm pretty sure, was yesterday. Too many things happened that made me think I am ready. What happened to y'all that made you decide to take the plunge on another boat? I'd really appreciate hearing other's experiences with this sort of thing.

Thanks very much!
Erik

[wakeboarder_360]

Pretty much the same as you with the weight. The boat would struggle to get on plane and we also had a extended pylon whch took away space. The biggest thing is we went from 210 horsepower to like 320. now we can have alot of weight and the boat has no problem. but I've seen what you mean by smoke billowing out on a old ski nautique(78') and then it drives awful.

[ShawnB]

Upgraded a 1998 I/O to an 04 X2 this year and there were many reasons for upgrading. The I/O had a monster tower and a few fat sacs and by most accounts was acceptable for our level of riding, but it was underpowered, took an exact sequence of events to get the wake right and didn't seat enough people. Last offseason the motor was replaced and the 'new' used motor had a blown head gasket. Suddenly, boating was about as much fun as losing at blackjack--repeatedly. The old boat will eventually go up for sale, but for now I use it to pull the kneeboarders and little kids who are scared of the big wake

[Bruky]

Room was the issue going from the old Ski Sanger DD to the 01 X-Star, but after that it was a matter of putting 3500+ hours on a boat every year.

[DavidHoff]

Well for us we went from a 31 Formula PC (House boat) and when we realized we couldn't do anything on it except for sit on the boat we decided to move on to an inboard boat. Then came our Tige.

[Bruky]

You could bust some extreme walking on that thing!

[DavidHoff]

If wakesurfing was around back then when I had it the wake was huge but I wouldn't do it considering the 2 props hanging off the back.

[Bruky]

Yes, and wouldn't that had been lovely to have your leg amputated in the name of wakesurfing.

[bmartin]

The defining moment for me to upgrade was getting the money to buy the boat (Got a nice consulting check). I do not do the loan thing for toys like boats.

[Seth Martin]

I had the same boat as you Erik, and also had the same problems - no room, no power, etc, etc. There really wasn't one thing that pushed me to upgrade, it was all of it combined. Yes, I had my own boat and Yes it had a nice wake, enough for the tricks that I could do, but i wanted more. I wanted a v-drive for the comfort, wake, bow room, etc - just a better boat. A ride in my friends 02 X-star really sealed the deal!

In the end i didn't get a newer boat - I looked at it as an investment and as such it needed to be kept up. I don't have a garage that i can store it in, so by the time i added on the extra expense of renting space for it - it was just too much.

[CHiLi DaWg]

I had a 1990 Supra Conbrio. It was a great boat! It sat real low in the water. It looked cool. But I didn't like putting more than 750 lbs and no more than 4 people in it, because of how low it sat. Compared to wakeboats, the wake was soft. I think the only way to make a real difference would be to go 3-4 people and about 1200 lbs. Then it's lack of hp to get on plane. And the fuel economy went to hell because of that. It's tank was only 12 -13 gallons.

I upgraded to a Moomba Outback LSV (02 model). I'm waiting for the dealer to get the tower and ballast installed. It will be sweet! Except at the pump, as it has a 40 gallon tank. The floor plan will be more accomidating for passengers too. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but it has what I need to ride. Next year I will get perf pass.

[chavez]

[i36hyperlite]

we upgraded to our current boat(95 sunsetter) because of the space issue...
but we are thinking of upgrading to a newer boat(01-02 wakesetter vlx) because we want a stronger engine that i can add more weight in, a vdrive, ability to hide sacs, and its better for hanging out...
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[Leggester]

My wife said it was time to look at new boats.

[dizzyj]

I can completely understand where your coming from. I own an old mastercraft stars and stripes, and I wont put any more weight than the two side sacs in it I have.

That boat is so low to the water that I get swamped by every new boat out there.

I'm itching to upgrade. But then I think about the payments (or lack of on my mc) and I think about what a unique boat I have, vs another setter or xstar.

Then I think about how I dont really need any more wake to do what I want to do (Im learning backrolls, and the wake is plenty big for that).

even a moderatly priced v-drive is 30k for what I want (tower, ballast, etc). Thats real hard to justify for me.

I'm also ~2 weeks away from having no more credit card debt, or truch payments, which is another factor in not wantint to take out a new loan.

[CHiLi DaWg]

chavez-y-chavez, AMEN! I just wish that the dealer would get it all finished!
I'm itching to take a ride behind it!

dizzyj, You are right. It is hard to justify. Of course, I was more concerned about justifying it to my wife

[dizzyj]

Here is the sick part. I already got the ok to upgrade if I can do it for ~20-25k. And Im STILL having a difficult time justifying it.

[i36hyperlite]

we've spent no more than 20k on my sunsetter and its an awesome boat to upgrade to...i highly recommend something like this, we originally bought it for 16,200 but blew a head gasket and had to replace the engine

it has (95 sunsetter lx)
tower, wedge, new engine,rebuilt carb, 1500 lbs of sacs(and i'm adding at least another 500#), acme prop, mtx 12, infinity 6x9s on the tower, rockford 6.5s inside, pioneer deck, new dash/switches, 2 amps, new interior lighting, new trailer axles
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[CHiLi DaWg]

dizzyj, LOL my wife finally went along, and gave me a max of 30 G's. I got it spent, but it does make me wonder if I'm spending foolishly. I probably won't think that way when I get it home and start riding with it!

[Ruune]

my sea doo just doesnt put out enough wake, and sacs were a no-go.

[simland]

Our old outboard couldn't pull a skier the way my dad and I wanted. Plsu the wake in it was horendous for wakeboarding. I learned terrible form behind it. So with pushing form be and desire from my dad we talked the mom into letting us buya new boat. We got a mobius moomba that is totally sweet for an all around boat.

[eldorett]

I actually thought the little boat represented pretty well on sunday. If anything, I thought it made me feel LESS like we needed a new boat right away. I think that thing does an amazing job and I thought that the new side sacs made excellent seats thus accomodating the people better than it had in the past. I guess I had the complete opposite reaction to the way the boat performed as I can't imagine spending 30 grand to replace something that's already more than getting it done.

[lcap]

Erik

My logic went something like this:

I could sell my 95 Sport for 25k last year, I figured I would loose 5k to 7k on resale if I waited another year.

To upgrade to what I wanted was: 2k for the perfect pass, 3k for the tower, another 2k for dealer install ballast. After all this I had a 10 year old boat with 32k into it.

Not necessarily bad but my kids started getting into boating--16 hours per weekend. That is what put it over the top.

But, I completly blew apart my ankle attempting a Pete Rose July 24th. Two surgeries, one more to go, and the Docs, do not know if I will ever walk normally again. They do not know if the nerve damage is permante.

May sell my 04 SANTE. I think Wakeboarding, unless I can design a releasing binding is over.

[Erik]

Lcap I am really really sorry to hear that. If it helps you at all, I have been where you are. I snapped my tibia and fibula three years ago. It is difficult to get hurt in the middle of the summer - I had my injury square smack in the middle too. These kinds of injuries are getting more and more common and I sure hope at some point the designers of bindings figure out a way to let the boards release. I know they've messed with designs of slalom ski bindings but I haven't seen good working versions since the early 90's.

I'm hoping you have some people to take care of you while you heal up - and I hope that healing process is fast. Sorry to hear about your injury - wish you the speediest of recoveries. Please play a lot of videogames - I can make a list of terribly difficult ones that can occupy you for hours!

You will heal. I know you're a positive guy with a good attitude so you will be ok.

Don't sell the boat yet. When I broke my leg, I got very disenchanted with the sport too, but slowly it all comes back. You may regret selling it right away. Honestly give it a year.
Erik

[lcap]

Thanks Erik

In 98 I had my right knee reconstructed after a front flip. My foot came out of the binding before it dislocated and broke the ankle but not before it tore the interior crutia (can't spell, or think on the drugs) ligimant.

I wandered at the time why the bindings did not have releases (snow skis, snowboards) etc. Since 98 the bindings have actually gone backwards, they are attempting to hold the foot in the boot that is attached to a board.

Newton's first law of physics: an object in motion remains in motion cannot be ignored. You start spinning and flipping and bad things are going to happen to the foot, ankle, leg and knees because the energy is not released until things start breaking.

I was going to post the question about releasing bindings and my story in general wakeboarding, but I just got out of the hospital and the morphine yesterday. Today I am on Percocet, Napraxin, Vistrial and some antibotics for the compartment syndrome. It's an important topic and a problem that needs to be addressed in the industry to make our sport safer.

Sorry for hyjacking your thread, got to put the foot back in the air.

[Erik]

I had to be treated for possible compartment too. The whole deal with the wide needle - incredible stuff. I was on Morphine and some drug that I think was called Torridol during that. Holy moly was that powerful stuff. I thought I was the pope or an alien there for about 15 min...

But you didn't hijack the thread - no apologies needed. I completely agree with you (yet again) about binding design going backward over the last 10 years. Sure the footbeds are better, but the initial problem remains. At certian angles they should not continue to hold the foot in place. Period. And the system obviously needs to be smart enough to know that if one is released, BOTH feet need to be released.

Someone go buy a seat of Pro/ENGINEER and start working on the thing! Lcap and I will be your promo riders. I will even get in touch with Zane and see if he could get on "board".

[Ruune]

lcap, I'm right there with you man. I'm having an MRI done on friday to see what the damage is, but from what the doc said so far, I separated my fibula and tibia, fractured one of them (not sure which), and most likely tore a tendon. We'll see what the final verdict is on friday.

I totally agree with you on the binding design too! I was wearing '03 ultra sucs and my ankle pivoted outward at a 90 degree angle, through the opening where the two halves meet. I looked down and saw this and almost puked... cuz my knee was practically touching the board, with the bottom of my foot planted firmly in the binding. The REALLY hard part was getting the bindings off...

back on subject...
If you're not happy with what you have, I'd say make a change. if you need to justify it in your head, think about the safety factor... water coming up over the back, etc. Also, what happens the next time someone falls? Your fiancéé will LOVE that.

[Styk33]

My buddy had some permanant damage done wakeboarding. He walks funny in the morning when he wakes up and cannot get out of bindings without lots of pain. He just wakeskates now and really enjoys that.

Back on topic, I bought my boat after getting a ride in someone elses wakeboarding boat on the lake. After that evening I started searching for a new boat for myself. No wife to get permission from for me, so I started searching right away with an idea of how much I new I could afford.

[lcap]

Author Message
Styk33
My brain crosses from inventing a binding system (shear screws) for the wakeboard to wakeskating. I break out in a cold sweat thinking of ever putting my foot in a binding that does not release.

Ruune

Sorry to hear about your leg, I'll say a prayer for you that everything turns out alright this Friday.

Erik

I appreciate the support, this out of all my injuries is the only one that will have a lasting impact mentally. Irronically, the only thing that prevented my foot from hanging on by the skin was my ankles were reconstructed after a few years of college football.

On a happier note, I have been checking in to see pictures of your new ride. Have you made any decissions?

[Tig]

We got into watersports as a family activity. Since we were familiar with waterskiing, we thought that was what we were going to do. We bought Moomba Outback to see if we would really like it. The dealer threw in this thing called a wakeboard and pole. Wakeboarding caught on big time and skiing died. One year into it, we started adding weight and amassing a collection of boards. Needed racks and started thinking tower. Started pricing things out. I came to the realization that I was spending money to make the boat something it really wasn't. Since it was relatively new, I traded for a Supra Launch. It was made for what we were doing and we wanted more room since we always bring friends.