Water skiing capability

[gsarge]

Will I be able to pull an adult water skier (let's say about 160 pounds) with a 20-foot pontoon (Bennington SLX 20) and a 90-horsepower engine (Yamaha four-stroke)?

[NonHyphenAmerican]

I have behind a 22' SunCatcher with a 90hp Yamaha.

It also pulls a tube nicely.

I'm not the fastest boat on the lake, but I get out and back.


Now then, if you're talking about a BIG Guy like me? Maybe not. Course I'm not the worlds greatest skier either.

[RcgTexas]

Kind of depends on the amount of weight on the boat. Too many passengers and the speed would be a bit slow.
but a ninety ought make a light 20 footer go at a good clip for skiing or tubing.

[willy13]

Yes, your boat should do fine.

Whats your top speed?

I water skied behind my 24ft pontoon with a 40 hp engine, the top speed just wasn't enough to pull me completely on to plane. Point is, adding a water skier does not effect our pontoon boats much. Our engines are already propped to push a heavy boat. Its a small addition to the total drag.

Now that I have a 115hp engine on my boat, I pull water skiers all the time. My top speed is 25 mph. So I cant pull a slalom, but most two skiers prefer a speed between 18-20 mph.

I bought some new wide body ski's that advertise that you can actually slow the boat up a bit. I will be trying those in a couple weeks.

On a side note, I wish my boat could go 35 mph. It would make a great slalom boat because there is basically no wake on these 2 toons.

[gsarge]

Whats your top speed?

24 mph without trimming, if the speedometer app for the iPad is to be believed.

[willy13]

gsarge,
These are the ski's i bought but have not tried yet.
http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product ... is&i=16512

The H.O. ski's you emailed me seem to have a similar wide body. H.O. is a great brand, so they probably have there version of a wide body ski.

[Scott1]

I think two skis you will have no problem. Pulling someone up on one ski that is just OK at, that will be very tough I think.
Also, since when is an adult male 160lbs? Are you sure they are an adult?

[gsarge]

Thank you, one and all, for the encouragement about the capability of my boat to pull a water skier. I'm going to spring for the skis and hope for the best. In other words, I hope the neighbors don't die of laughter watching me do a few aqua face plants.

[CapKaz]

Gsarge
We skied behind a 20' pontoon with a 90 hp for the last 14 years. I have pulled skiers from 90lbs and 195lbs. I use a Connelly shaped ski which works great. Keep the overall weight down and enjoy.

[gsarge]

That's great to hear, Cap.

Do the Connelly shaped skis differ significantly from these HO Blast Combos?
http://www.hosports.com/product-detail. ... ast-combos
I thought they might be appropriate because the description includes the following:
"Wide Combo shape for easy deep water starts."

[CapKaz]

Gsarge
The HO combos look like nice skies they should work great. I just ordered a new ski for my wife it is a HO women's Freeride. Hope she will like it as well as the ski I had custom made for her in Boulder City NV. It was a wood/laminate ski that she enjoyed for many years. It finally failed due to wood rot.
We also upgraded to a Bennington SCWX with a 150hp Yamaha this summer and have to admit I love the extra horses and the tritune ride. Hope it will give us another 14 + years of fun.
We have also added another new water toy to our toy box. It is a surf board. Now we can't use it is intended to be used because we can't create a wave with the pontoon and we have an outboard motor. We use a ski rope and it is still a kick.
Enjoy!!!