Ski/Board behind Sea Doo ?

[SkiTundra]

Looking for y'alls advice. Thinking about getting a PWC and thought maybe one that can also be a second towboat of sorts, particularly for younger ones, might not be a bad idea. Any experience with skiing or boarding behind them? Like maybe a Sea Doo Wake 155 or Wake 215? Bad idea to let a 14 or 15 year old run them?

[SkiTower]

Bad idea to let a 14 or 15 year old run them?

Despite their size, they are boats. Would you let this individual take your Nautique out un-supervised? The problem with PWCs is people think they are safe and will let anybody drive it.

Just my 0.02

[SkiTundra]

Thanks SkiTower. Kind of my thinking as well, but I don't want to be over cautious if it's not warranted.

[Texan1554]

I'd be less scared giving a 15 yr old my boat to take around the lake than a jet ski. That said, during the week or some other time when the lake is calm and relatively void of traffic I'd be fine with it. They are fun to board behind and do act as a good tow boat under the right circumstances.

[SkiTundra]

I'd be less scared giving a 15 yr old my boat to take around the lake than a jet ski.

Curious Why?

BTW, one benefit of the newer SeaDoo's is the electronic key and ability to program different keys with different settings so you can limit how fast some folks can go.

[TxJole]

Teach them right from wrong time and time again. Both my nieces drive my wife's new Yamaha SHO and do it well. We snuck around a point one weekend when she had no clue we were even on the water and watched her turn away from a ski trying to race her that she knows she could have ate alive. 1800cc supercharged Riva stage 2. Both have taken on water safety courses.

[swankster]

We tried a friends jetskis on a long weekend trip and pulled little kid skis, kneeboard, wakeboard and tubes. Our favorite is the tubes but you have to watch the slack... It kept hours off the 230 SANTE. Also, the smaller wake was good for the little kids skis.

I agree safety needs to be trained and practiced if your going to let the teens ride them.

[SkiTower]

I agree with everybody else, if they're trained right, no problem. A 14-15 year old that's grown up around boats should be very capable of safely operating a boat (Nautique or PWC). Most of the issues I've heard of are inexperienced riders on PWC's who haven't been trained, and the owners don't think there's a danger because they're 'just toys' (or worse, rentals). Like I said before, a good check is whether or not you'd let this individual take out the Nautique. If you're comfortable enough with that then no problem.

And one other thing to keep in mind (that I frequently see PWC's violating), the one on the end of the rope counts toward capacity. So a two person PWC shouldn't have two on it while towing a third.

[gride]

a ski is made for wakeskating. IMO, they aren't good for anything else except filming and helping big wave surfers.

[Texan1554]

Curious Why?

BTW, one benefit of the newer SeaDoo's is the electronic key and ability to program different keys with different settings so you can limit how fast some folks can go.

It's safer, period. Doesn't do 0-60 in 4 seconds, you (generally) can't throw yourself 50' across the water, does not lend itself to racing, jumping waves, and generally driving recklessly.

But, others have said it. Every kid is different, one that has been taught the way of the water and knows boats, skis should be fine. It's the other folks that ruin it.

[lucky7t]

Every weekend my wife and I have to yell at some child driving a sea doo capable of over 70mph because he or she thinks it's fun to jump our wake while wake boarding. While I do think they are fun , I also get very annoyed by them

[scott resick]

Not only the slack, but a ski needs throttle to turn. If you let off the throttle and turn the bars nothing happens. Add a tube to the mix and the tube then steers the ski if its swinging around a turn. A guy on my river killed a little girl in that way about 12 years ago. Although fun, in the wrongs hands they are dangerous.
Too bad they cant just put moron restrictions on them.

[mdvalant]

Same as everyone else here, responsible people on them and I'm ok with it. I HATE when everyone and their dog asks "CAN I RIDE YOUR JET SKI I DID IT ONCE BEFORE" No, No you cannot. TRAIN, know the waters, etc etc blah blah same jargon.

I LOVE to barefoot behind mine...can't foot at 50 behind our Nautique

[motosno963]

i owned a 2009 wake pro 215 and thats what i learned to wakeboard on..i also had the ballast tanks on the back to make a bigger wake..for its size it had a nice pop to it..only reason why i got rid of it was to get a boat..couldnt fit like 5 people on my sea doo haha..ohh and when i had my wake pro 215 i topped her out at 71~mph..thats what the gauge said haha

[SkiTundra]

Great big thanks for everyone's input. Went with the Wake 155. Current Plan: Everyone running it will have to pass the online boat safety cert (http://www.boat-ed.com/minnesota/index.html) as well as spend some time on the water with me. A few things that others have mentioned that they feel make PWC's safer than a full size towboat for younger folk; ability to limit top speed (learner key), requires finger on throttle so more intuitive to stop, brake, better sightlines and better situational awareness, other larger boaters must watch out for them, other boaters can tell that they're young folk.

I think several folks here nailed it on the head that too often people think of PWC's as a toy rather than a boat and don't take proper steps to become knowledgeable.