Shoes & Vinyl

[Cornut]

It appears that most people on this board do not allow people to wear shoes on their nautique. 99% of the people on our boat are wakeskaters (including me & the wife), which means just about everyone has shoes on when they walk over the hatch on the rear ski locker (we have a '00 Air DD). So now we're into our 6th season with this boat, and sure enough, one of the center seams on the hatch pad has split wide open.

I've been trying to think of a solution since this happened, but I keep coming back to thinking that it's just something that we're going to have to deal with, meaning having to get that area of vinyl repaired or replaced more often than if we didn't have shoes stepping on it all the time. It's just not realistic to require everyone to wait until they're on the swim platform before they put them on, and then take them off before they get back in. In fact, I prefer the next rider to have them on & ready, so it doesn't take so long between riders.

I don't really have a question here, I just wanted to share my experience with this issue. Maybe someday we will be able to afford to trade in for a newer boat, and get something with a walk-thru transom, like the new 216V.

[AZWAKEHOG]

ive had all my seems that busted restiched with a stronger material almost like fishing line and never re ripped after that

[01bigair]

Why not try some sort of a rubber mat with holes like they use in kitchens and such. You could roll it up when your done, I think it would help disperse the weight from the person thus spreading it out, also would keep the shoes off the vinyl. Worth a try to save your new seams. Good luck!

[Chexi]

Are you using 303 on the back pad (including making sure you work it into the seams)?

[Cornut]

Chexi, we use Meguire's conditioner / protectant, but probably not as often as we should.
Good point.

[SkiTower]

this is a reason I love the walk thru on my 211. No real reason to step on vinyl, with or without shoes. Does still happen from time to time, though.

[gride300]

i would make everyone put shoes on on the platform. i'm guilty of this on my boat, but when on others i make an effort not to wear shoes on the vinyl. you wouldnt put a wakeboard on while in the boat.

[mcbridek]

On our DD - the practice was no feet on Vinyl - remove the center seat, step on the center seat rug, put your butt on the Vinyl Storage and swing your feet around to the platform. We got to the point where we very seldom had the rear center cushion in (stored it under the observer seat).

[Bevan]

No shoes on my boat...period!

[gride300]

if you take your boat for service you get shoes in the boat.

[AirTool]

if you take your boat for service you get shoes in the boat.

amongst other things

[SkiTower]

amongst other things

I can honestly say every time I've seen the dealer enter a boat, he removed his shoes. Not sure about techs, but I was impressed.

[jjgag60]

No shoes

I have a 02 Super Air and after seeing my buddies Centurion I want to figure out a way to retrofit a plastic stepping platform on either side of the v-drive. On his Centurion when you open up the cushions on either side, there is a plastic hard surface hinged so you can still get access to the ballast tanks, but it is strong enough to walk on from the swim deck to the inside of the boat. Has anyone tried this on a Nautique?

[gride300]

i've been thinking about cutting out the foam in the middle of the engine hatch and laying down some sano in between. this way chicks could still lay on it comfortably but we could walk to the transom w/o worry. it would probably be as wide as your two feet when together.

[tdc_worm]

my GF and myself are the only fruitbooters on our boat. in the past 4 boats i have owned, i have never had to mention to one wakeskater to not wear shoes on the boat. it takes a skater less time to shoe up than it does a boarder to boot up...and the time diff is neglible when picking up a downed rider (i.e. one skater is getting ready while the other rider is getting in the boat and stowing boards/gear/changing rope length, etc) when a skater is done, they pull their shoes off and set them on the board while we are circling around to pick them back up.

it seems as if you are creating the problem all in the name of efficiency, when you are actually not being efficient at all...not trying to be a dikc...just saying we have never had a problem and can churn through riders like nobody's bizz...