Qυеѕtіοn bу iggyscup: Hοw much HP іѕ needed tο waterski?
I want tο bυу a small boat, mainly fοr fishing bυt I wουƖԁ Ɩіkе tο hаνе thе option οf doing ѕοmе water skiing. I hаνе never owned a boat. Whаt ѕhουƖԁ I look fοr?
Best аnѕwеr:
Anѕwеr bу Tony
ɡеt a fish аnԁ ski. οr a pontoon. іf уου hаνе thе money look аt tahoe boats. thеу аrе nice
Know better? Leave уουr οwn аnѕwеr іn thе comments!
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We had a 14 foot runabout with 40hp. It took a lot of skill to get out of the water on skis. More power lets you pop up faster, before you flounder and get your skis crossed up.
HP is not the only factor. I used to slalom behind a jon boat with a 25 hp mercury on it. The boat was light and would go 35 MPH. A little skill to get up but fine after that. You want to get the best boat/motor combination. That being said, I would reccomend having whatever HP the boat is rated for.
Speaking from many years of towing others, waterskiing, kneeboarding, tubing, and wakeboarding, the MINIMUM you should have is a 85HP engine for a boat to fish AND ski. Personal watercraft (PWC’s/Jet skis) can go slightly lower than this due to weighing less (70 to 80HP) but must be 3 seater PWCs to tow any person.
Anything lower than 85 HP on a typical boat weighing around 1,200 lbs or heavier will result in VERY crappy towing performance, especially if you have the boat fully loaded with people.
My advice is to get a 16 to 17 foot “Fish n ski” with a 90 to 100 HP outboard on it. Most Fish n Ski’s carry an outboard HP around 70 HP to 115 HP.
If you don’t know the boat inspection and evaluation procedures for used boat shopping, you better ask here and ask now. There are no lemon law protections for people buying used boats from private owners in the US, you have to have it professionally checked out at your own expense before making a buying decision.
i have a 17 foot with a 60hp johnson works great for what you want
That all depends on your power to weight ratio. Generally, more is better when it comes to waterskiing. My dad had a 14 foot Glastron with a 35 hp Evinrude and it pulled him just fine. Our last boat was a 17 ft Larson with a 130 hp Volvo. It did the job.