Jump to content

cold water skiing


disland
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Baller

what do you think is the biggest factor that makes it difficult to ski in cold water (50 deg or less)

1. water density makes it hard to create and maintain angle

2. cold makes you stiff

3.  dry suit limits flexibility

4. you cant ski as often so you lose timing

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller
Everything puckers up when it's cold so the drysuit is still more flexible than I am. Ski days drop from twice a week with 3 sets down to twice a month with 1 or 2 short sets with more spinning and fewer drops at each end of the course. I do feel the difference in the water so density is a factor but not worth changing the fin settings when I'm cold and tight and only skiing a few passes at my opener to maintain a little muscle memory. Bragging rights for skiing every month is a bigger motivation than getting an extra ball. Have not checked January off yet... waiting for some sunshine.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller

Everything you both said is right on.

The only reason I ski in the winter is to keep some semblance of balance, sticking with my easiest passes. Skiing just isn't as fun when it's cold.  The first thing I lose when I stop skiing regularly is being able to stay centered over the ski.  If I can get a set in every 2-3 weeks through the winter I feel soooo much further ahead when spring finally does roll around.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller_
We try to ski on the weekends all winter, either the Sat. or Sunday depending on which day the weather is better.  As long as the air temp. is in the 40degree + range.  It does take some getting used to in order to ski as well in a drysuit, but with the proper underlayers you can ski right at your average, or possibly even better if it's one of those "on" days we all dream of.  Of course, the proper boat heater/shower/dock hot tub is required.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller

I have the same problem as you have MS. I can usually ski up to my pb in cold water but I have to move my fin forward as the water cools down. If my hands didn’t get so numb I would probably ski all winter long if I had open water. 

Tsixam

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have problems with Willey's in cold water?  Mine goes on w/ normal degree of difficulty, but hurts getting it off at end of set. WW thought it may be rubber getting stiffer after being in cold water (should have thought of that myself...) and had me sit on platform and squirt soap down the sides which was easier.

Question is, does anyone ever use lube that doesn't rinse away immediately?  Willey he's heard of people using sun-tan lotion, but only when they run out of soap. I've also seen hair conditioner floating around in the back of at least one boat...

And no, I don't think my overlays are too tight - foot is comfortable and no cramps as long as I can ski, and I tried half position loser this summer for other reasons and it felt too lose.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Use wire pulling juice. You can get at any hardware outlet. Its the lube that they use to pull new wires through construction. Works great if you mix with water. For cold water Wileys, just get some hot water on the bindings before you put on and if you can, when you take them off.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

miski

My animal binding stiffens up considerably, I am a firm believer in the use of Baby oil! Top of foot, back of heel. (After a few sets your front foot will be as soft as a babies bottom.)

When things warm up, there are plenty of other uses for it...... 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had Robert at Wiley's build me a pair of bindings with their stiffer rubber wraps, I always had a problem getting my feet out of the bindings. When the water was cold, they were worse,  I couldn't get my bindings off unless I pulled myself up onto the dock. I started putting a small amount of vaseline on my heal and a small amount on the top of my foot. It helped to get my bindings off a lot easier. However try not to get any vaseline on the bottom of your foot. Vaseline on the bottom of your foot will make  you slide around on the bottom of your bindings, as you probably would guess you doen't have good contol of your ski.  I am now using HO approach bindings and don't have to deal with the Wiley's bindings in cold water any more. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller

I used to slalom more in the winter than the summer. Sometimes the coldest water would come on nice ski days. The physical issues for me were trivial. 

I found that the ski rides quite a bit higher on cold water. The water feels harder. The ski will not roll over as well. It will bounce off the wakes and chop a lot more. All the problems were magnified by the feel of the water.

My water rarely drops below 50F so I have never learned to ski cold water. But when it gets cold we try to ski just for the novelty factor. Or fly to Tahoe for some season appropriate snow skiing.

Eric

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller
For those of us who live up north we spend almost half our season in a drysuit or a full wetsuit. I have a Ski Warm Sahara which works very well. I also have cold water gloves. I ski in Pennsylvania. The earliest I have been out is on March 28, and the latest is November 3rd. If I did not have my boat to worry about I would keep it ready to go until Thanksgiving. It takes me a couple of sets to get used to the extra gear. It feels much better when  you stay warm, and it reduces the chances of getting hurt. I think it is well worth it. In the spring it is a great training tool. The extra restriction really makes you work on endurance and technique. Once I am able to switch to my warm weather gear I feel that much further ahead. In the warm weather I wear a Neo slalom vest, barefoot shorts, and a spray leg. I use a regular nylon 4 buckle vest with my drysuit which is lighter and less restrictive, regular ski gloves in the fall and cold water gloves in the spring. I know it bugs alot of skiers to wear one, but I am converting my crew one by one. It is nice to jump in the cold water and not scream....  The coldest water I have skied in was 46 degrees. 32 miles per hour feels like 36 miles per hour does on a warm day. I wear the drysuit in the spring until the water hits 70 degrees. It makes a good early season training tool, and keeping warm reduces chances of injury. October is some of the best skiing in PA. Don't want to miss it!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller_
I actually like skiing in my drysuit, and I know my back & shoulder muscles appreciate it as well.  We ski in the drysuit from October through June, so after 8 months it's quite a change to actually get wet.  Post us a picture of your ski site in Pennsylvania, are there any Amish skiers?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller

No amish skiers that I know of.. I may be the closest thing to an amish  on the water. Wakeboarders are taking over. There are a handful of barefooters(myself included). I slalom, trick, kneeboard and barefoot. The lake I ski on is called Lake Latonka. It is about 2 1/2 miles long and about 1/2 mile wide. The course is out in the middle in the widest section. It is not the perfect place to ski. You have to drop at each end of the course to keep the backwash under control. It is pretty good most of the time. You have to get out in the early mornings on the weekends to get good water. I have learned to handle rough conditions. I can get into 32 off in 6 inch white cap wind chop at 34 MPH.  It is as good as it gets unless you can get to a specialty ski site like Dave's Pond in Edinboro PA, or Ski Utopia in Newton Falls OH. The owner of the property built it back in the 70's. I think the Eastern Regionals were held there last year.  The course is in water that is 15 feet deep on the north end, and 22 feet deep on the south end.

Here is a picture of my boat with part of the lake in the background. 

http://www.planetnautique.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=12879

I will post a winter time shot too. Speaking of cold water. I will be putting my lift and docks back in soon. I am waiting on an order of new slalom course buoys. Our docks have wheels on them so we can move them in and out without getting in the water. The ice tears of lifts and docks pretty quick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Baller

Finally back on the water. The water temp is PA is 60 degrees. The air temp is in the 40's sometimes in the morning. We are trying to beat the wind. My whole crew has drysuits now. Got the course put back in before the end of April, and got all six timing magnets in too. Just about back to form. I am getting into 32 off at 34 MPH. I am still adjusting to my D3 Nomad RCX after being on a 2000 O'Brien Mapple for 8 seasons. The water temp is still bouncing like a basketball so I have not messed with my fin settings. This new ski is more sensitive to cold water than my old one. It rides a little higher.

       Slalom is not so bad in a drysuit, but it makes tricks really hard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

what do you call cold water??

having to scrape the ice of your car window before you get to the lake is hardly motivating.. (UK from oct/nov-apr)

skiing in hardshells has made a huge different putting on neoprene dry socks doesn't affect the performance. one thing I do notice is wearing a wet suit adds a ton of weight. takes time to adjust to that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My buddies and I have a 100 degree rule in WI.  It adds at least 2 months onto the season.  If that means being fit like a polar bear, so be it.  One trick that we do that I've not heard mentioned is to keep a cooler full of hot water in the boat.  After the set, dunk your hands and feet in there.  They warm up much more quickly.  The heater then maintains that.

 I get nauseous from the cold air hitting my sinuses.  I therefore have to ski with a neoprene diving hoodie  on.  I don't like it because some times it fills up with water.

This last spring, my FM E's have drastically eased my mind about releasing in the cold.  I also don't get "cadaver feet" as easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...