ski recs for teenager?

[robdew]

Pulling a 100 lb teenager behind my 70hp 20' toon shouldn't be a problem right so long as he's on two skis, right?

Any recommendations for a starter set of skis for a teenager?

I've skied for years but have never taught a kid.

[bassn386]

If you don't have a watersports store close by, look at Overton's.
Wal-Mart stores close to lakes sometimes have skis, as does Bass Pro.
I can tell you that with a 70 hp motor you should probably not have more than one or two other people on board and don't fill up all your gas tanks.

[jimrs]

How fast is your toon? Perfect speed for towing a skier is 28m.p.h. The skier is more comfortable at that speed and will not have to fight to stay up on top of the water. I would think your most likey in the 22mph range and he will be working to stay on top of the water.

[robdew]

How fast is your toon? Perfect speed for towing a skier is 28m.p.h. The skier is more comfortable at that speed and will not have to fight to stay up on top of the water. I would think your most likey in the 22mph range and he will be working to stay on top of the water.

with three adults and the cover down we can do 22 if I watch the trim. So maybe it is too slow.

I had assume with a lot of ski under him that I could get by going a little slower.

[screwball]

Speed is the secondary problem, acceleration is the primary. If your kids are rookies, holding on until the boat gets to speed will be a real problem. Short rope from a tower may help. Since we sold the 'go fast' boat for the pontoon, #1 son (36 years old) skis behind one of our 155hp Seadoos.

[tms0425]

Any thought of just trying a wakeboard instead? It's very easy to pull him up with a lower powered toon and less acceleration is actually better to gain balance. The board surface area is so big for 100 pounder they can almost stand up just above idle. Once up, they have a lot of options for sliding around behind the boat too. I teach a lot of friends and kids to ski and this has worked well for young kids who are right at home on a skateboard, snowboard, or bmx but are a bit afraid behind the boat. Use a short rope too so you can talk to them.

Mind you, this is coming from a diehard slalom enthusiast