Tabla de contenidos para June 2018 en WAKEBOARDING

CONNELLY KATANA THE STYLE: It’s a surfer-style board that has straighter rails and deeper fins to give it more drive to allow for pumping and gaining momentum to surf in a traditional ocean-wave style. THE SHRED: The Katana is an expert-level board with sharp rails at the tail, round buoyant rails toward the nose, and a quad fin setup. The board has a blazing-fast drive and pop off the lip. THE NUMBERS: $600 for a 4-foot-7-inch or 4-foot-10-inch board; connellyskis.com CONNELLY BIG EASY THE STYLE: It’s the wakesurfing equivalent of the classic longboard, designed for cruising and doing tricks such as nose riding. THE SHRED: The Big Easy is the longest surfer that Connelly offers, with a tri-fin setup and a tapered tail design that allows for easy maneuverability. The…

Watersports offer boaters a unique experience not available to non-boaters. That privilege comes with the responsibility to ensure safety for your crew and to extend courtesy to fellow boaters. In this month’s Seamanship, we examine how these principles apply to the task of retrieving a skier, tuber or rider who has fallen. The first thing to do is to remind the spotter to keep their eyes fixed on the person in the water. Positive reinforcement goes a long way in helping people stay focused. The spotter’s job is important. It can seem nonessential — until that one time a downed rider is hurt and goes under for some reason. Stay vigilant. Don’t blast over to the downed rider at a speed that will throw a wake in their face. Make…

Not all boats can generate the sizes and shapes of waves that wakeboarders and surfers who enjoy their respective sports need. Installing a ballast system with a reversible pump can change that, letting you pump in water to add extra weight when and where you need it to add displacement and boost the wave-making ability of your boat. These systems then let you pump out the water to empty the bag when the watersports are done. Companies such as WakeMakers simplify the addition of a ballast system for watersports by supplying the parts and technical guidance for DIYers. You need to put the boat on a trailer for this project. Take time before to plan the location for the elements of the system such as the ballast bag itself to…

When Formula’s new 330 CBR arrived dockside, it really turned heads. Thanks to sweet graphics and triple Verado 300s on the transom, our 900-horse test hull attracted gawkers wherever we went, largely due to the sheer size and wow factor of this mega-bowrider dayboat. Plus-size bowriders with huge outboard power continue to rank high. How does Formula’s crossover bowrider stand out? We think boat buyers will be impressed with the 330 CBR’s impeccable style, well-executed design, and top-notch construction and features. How does it perform? At 33 feet long with a 10-foot-3-inch beam, the 330 CBR takes every foot-pound of torque the triple Verados have to offer. The punch and reaction time of triple inline-six, 900 supercharged horses get the 330 CBR on plane and passing the 30 mph mark…

If you’ve been patiently scouting out a new a tow boat for wakboarding or surfing, you could make the case that the new Centurion Fi21 is worth both the wait and the weight. Fully optioned, it has a total ballast capacity of a whopping 4,750 pounds, which almost equals the boat’s dry weight. But what’s great besides the ballast potential is that the Fi21 is totally plug-and-play — order the options you want and forget the things you don’t. It’s why the Filine, which includes a 23-footer, is offered at a more budget-friendly price point — what Centurion calls “entry premium” pricing. Beyond the options list, the Fi21’s true highlight is Centurion’s new Opti-V hull. The design’s intent is to take advantage of a V-hull’s characteristic increased displacement to assist…

Whether it’s a tournament tow boat or a Downeaster, boats powered by single inboard engines require more technique and skill to operate in the close quarters of a dock, marina or launch ramp than boats powered by other sources. Enter Project Disruption from ZF Marine’s (zf.com) Special Driveline Technology unit. Introduced as a concept last fall, sources say that Project Disruption testing and development are currently underway aboard an undisclosed make of test boat at an undisclosed location. For now, this is what you need to know about this new propulsion system. Project Disruption interfaces with a standard-issue ZF Marine transmission and is comprised of a strut-housed underwater gear box that transmits power to two contra-rotating propellers. “For many years there has been little innovation in inboard shaftline technology. ZF…

Having learned to ski before he could even walk (at a tender six months old), Trevor Hansen has spent his life on and around the water. For 14 years he competed at the highest levels on the Pro Wakeboard Tour, but since 2015, as his riding career was winding down, he still found himself in the thick of the competition — in the driver’s seat. What’s it like going from competing on the Pro Wake-board Tour as an athlete to being the driver? I have always loved the competitive atmosphere, so it’s different not having that game-day pressure and having to go perform at my highest level on the water, but it’s pretty cool to still be part of the action by being in the boat. What’s the hardest part…

Acushnet, a Coast Guard cutter involved in one of the most famous rescues in the history of the service branch, is being re-commissioned to help save the oceans. The 213-foot diver-class vessel actually got its start in World War II as the USS Shackle, a salvage and rescue ship based out of Pearl Harbor that completed 55 salvage and rescue operations in the Pacific Theater — its crew was decorated several times over for its service. After World War II, the Coast Guard re-commissioned the vessel as Acushnet, beginning its second life as a search-and-rescue cutter, as well as an ice-patrol boat monitoring icebergs, based out of Portland, Maine. Acushnet was involved in the rescue of several crewmen after two tankers split in two during a blizzard off the coast…

Upon first glance, the Malibu M235 is striking — almost imposing. As watersports boats have evolved over the years, their lines and presence have become bolder. With its sleek black-and-gray color combo, this Malibu takes bold to a whole new level. If Darth Vader had wakesurfed, a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, this would be his vehicle of choice. And while you may be disappointed to note it lacks laser cannons and a hyperdrive, you’ll be more than pleased with the features of this 23-and-a-half-foot wake-making machine. Malibu developed the M235 to deliver everything a watersports boat owner could possibly want or need, harnessing technology and design to do so. On the website, the flagship is listed as the “world’s premier ultra-premium wakeboarding and wakesurfing boat,”…

Objectively evaluating watersports tubes (inflatables, in modern parlance) can be a surprisingly tricky task. After all, most each and every one is kind of a one-size-fits-all thrill ride. But after testing by whipping four teenage girls and two young boys around the lake, we just may have stumbled onto the closest thing to a scientific formula for fun factor. Call it SPM — screams per minute. To say our crew pumped up the volume is putting it mildly. There was the excited this-thing-is-awesome shriek, the slightly terror-filled am-I-about-to-get-flung squeal, and the ever-present “Do it again! Do it again!” shout that accompanied every adrenaline-packed skid. Each and every inflatable elicited just about each and every reaction, meaning in the end the only real conclusion we could reach was this: When it…

To all you dads out there, happy Father’s Day. If your idea of a good one is time well spent on the water, then good for you. Whether you plan on spending the day cruising, fishing or shredding, you have many people to thank for the lifestyle you enjoy on the water. Now is as good a time as any to pay homage to a few of the founding fathers of modern boating. Here are five people who helped create the world of boating as we know it today. OLE EVINRUDE With outboard power exceedingly popular aboard all types of recreational boats, every boater owes a debt of gratitude to Ole Evinrude and, apparently, to melted ice cream. The story goes that Evinrude had been picnicking with his wife on…

It was a case of mistaken identity that time when a security guard forced the CEO off the dock at a boat race. Who knew this older gentleman in the big straw sun hat, wearing his trousers high and a camera around his neck like a tourist, was in fact the man paying for the race. He wasn’t wearing the required credentials. And so, despite his protestation, Charles D. Strang, CEO of Outboard Marine Corporation, was escorted off the starting dock just before his fleet of Johnson- and Evinrude-powered Formula 1 tunnel boats blasted off with a howl of two-stroke horsepower. After being kicked off the dock, Strang stewed in the motor home and then refused to sign the purse checks until someone was fired. The old man was pissed.…

When I was a teenager many (many) years ago, I had a 15-foot Starcraft SS15 powered by a 60 Evinrude. I loved that boat and had many great adventures in it. One day, some buddies and I were exploring the upper Niagara River and Chippawa Creek. Chippawa Creek is on the Canadian side and meets the river about 2 miles above Horseshoe Falls. After exploring the creek and re-entering the river, we stopped to relieve ourselves. I turned off the engine, and we took care of our business. By the time we had finished, we had drifted past the warning sign on the bank of the river. The sign, in a typical Canadian manner of understatement, read “Navigation Prohibited. Dangerous Waters Ahead.” By dangerous waters, of course, it meant that…

If your boat uses an inboard engine, then it’s important that you know something about shaft seals. Whether you run a twin-engine convertible sport-fisher, a sedan cruiser or a watersports boat; whether you are buying new, buying used or retrofitting a faithful family heirloom; or whether you cruise the blue water or ride the endless wave of a wakesurfer, it is the prop-shaft seal that keeps the water out and lubricates the shaft at its point of exit from the hull. Here’s what to look for in shaft seals. LIP SEAL Lip seals, like the Tides Marine shaft seal, are dripless seals. The seal is made by a composite plug that bears directly against the shaft, preventing water from getting past the shaft at the stern tube. The shaft turns…

If asked to pick just one word to describe the Sea Ray Fly 400, I’d choose “volume.” Step into the salon. You’ll be impressed by the sheer space and headroom. Sea Ray achieved this canyonesque feel by installing oversize windows, keeping sightlines open (no high dividers), and creating a single-level living area (no steps) from the transom all the way through to the windshield. Even better, it did this while maintaining pleasantly svelte exterior styling. The Sea Ray Fly 400 boasts the staples that cruising boaters expect, and then some. In the salon there are settees and a flat-screen TV. In the cockpit there’s a table and settee. In the galley, opposite the helm, we found several chef-pleasing amenities. The master stateroom forward is equally spacious, offering large windows and…

On May 4, 1942, a fleet of aircraft carriers and destroyers from the Japanese navy set out to seize Port Moresby on New Guinea, and therefore take control of the Coral Sea. A fleet of American ships, including the aircraft carrier the USS Lexington, moved in to stop them, thus sparking the four-day Battle of the Coral Sea, regarded as the first air-sea battle in military history. It was also the first time that opposing ships engaged each other without ever having their targets within sight. The USS Lexington, also known as the “Blue Ghost,” launched its planes into combat during the battle, helping the Allied forces to successfully repel the Japanese before taking direct hits from two Japanese torpedo bombers. Her crew, despite taking heavy losses, managed to contain…

There are two basic ways to peer beneath your boat with electronic eyes — with an up-and-down fish finder or with down-imaging sonar. A fish finder — especially a chirp system — clearly defines fish arches, while down imaging paints photolike images of the bottom and topical structure. Now the best of these two technologies has been combined into a single view known as FishReveal. New software upgrades make FishReveal available free of charge to owners of current Lowrance and Simrad multifunction displays equipped with both StructureScan and chirp fish-finder transducers. Once the software is installed, you can access FishReveal in the StructureScan mode in both brands. Select DownScan, then activate FishReveal with the press of a button. Described by Simrad as “a massive leap forward in fish-finding technology,” FishReveal…