Goode Powervest, after a year any feedback?

[eleeski]

Is anyone using or skiing with someone who uses a Goode Powervest? Did anyone quit using it and why? Is it worth it for a short time? Can it help after an injury?

 

Eric

[SkiJay]

@eleeski I shattered the ball at the top of my right humerus (shoulder ball) skiing almost three years ago. After six months of rehab, a start dislocated it again, so I went to the Powervest. I've been using Goode's Powervest for about two years now, and my shoulder is almost like new. The vest takes all of the shoulder strain out of starts, and lots of the energy out of slack hits, both for my shoulder and my back. I've tried skiing without it but my shoulder doesn't like it. With it, I can train for twice as long without getting tired, and I ski better now with it than I did before the accident without it. I think it could be better designed, lighter, better looking and half the price, but I'm sure grateful it's available cause I'd be off the water without it.

 

One of my training partners got one just so he can ski as long as I can. He started using it sporadically, but now uses it all the time.

[Steven_Haines]

I've had one for a while now. It has been one of the best skiing investments I've made! I wouldn't be skiing anymore due to an injury. The only problem I've had is that I've broken the back panel already. Goode replaced it immediately though. I've now heated and formed the new panel to custom fit my back. I don't think that I'll be having that problem anymore because forming it has corrected the problem of the panel flexing under load.

[ktm300]

Great tool for allowing someone to ski while recovering from injury. Herniated a disc and used the PV to ease me back into skiing. However, I am now able to ski without it and am glad for it. The drawback that I did not like was that the transitions (release and hook up) were more like an on off switch than the reostat you get skiing w/o the PV. In other words, once the line comes tight there is no modulation; you are locked in till the edge change. I still have my PV and will keep it in the closet in case the snake bites me again. The price sucks until you realize that you can ski again.

 

Eric, you could easily make one.

[Joeski]

Ah yes the Power Vest. Well I love that thing!. 3 seasons ago got it as I was dealing with chronic low back pain and it was great and yes at first it was hard to deal with the clincher type gloves and also the deep water starts were hard to get use to. So after 3 years I can say its the best 500 bucks I have spent on skiing!. and another thing nobody talks about is in that time I have yet to get a blister and I ski in AZ where the summer water temp are in the 90s so not kind to the hands, I am 44 years old and in the past year I have spent a lot of time working out, crossfit and weight training so my core strength is the best its ever been I really could go without the power vest but I love it and wont ski without it again.

 

[eleeski]

Thanks all. How do you guys size them?

 

Eric

[Steven_Haines]

Go on line and they have instructions and a form you fill out for all of the pertinent info.

[Ed_Johnson]

Steven,

 

When I had my PV, it had a pretty heavy-duty backplate. Coming out of the water it could flex in the middle. How did you heat and form fit the plate ? Did it stop it from flexing ?

[Steven_Haines]

Ed,

After forming, the back panel stopped flexing. To form it I heated the oven to 200-250*, put it on a cookie sheet and watched it until the panel sagged and lost it's shape. To prepare for the forming, I put 2 wetsuits and a sweat shirt on so I didn't fry my skin. That may have been over kill, but I was pretty nervous about burning my skin! I then had a weight belt ready and an old life jacket. Once the panel lost it's shape my wife positioned the panel on my back while I used the weight belt around the lower section of the panel to form the lower back and hold the panel in the correct position on my back. Once we had it set, I then used the old life jacket (a tight one) over top to conform it to the contours of my back. It took me a couple try's to get it just right. Don't be afraid to get it real hot, actually the hotter the better so you have more time to work with it. It makes the panel more pliable too (naturally). On my first try I was pretty nervous about over heating so it didn't end up fitting my back the way I'd hoped. But the second time it worked like a charm! Now the vest fits like an exo skeleton and I no longer look like a 5 year old in my dads vest. The way it fit before was weird! It was like a piece of plywood back there that stuck up above my shoulders and made it look funny! Mine broke twice where the straps come around under the arms because the panel stuck out away from my body. It would flex in that area while under load. It was kind of bother some! I love the way it fits and performs now! Goode luck! Let me know if you have any other questions. BTW, you can get replacement panels pretty cheap from Goode.

Steve

 

[Ed_Johnson]

Thanks Steven,

 

Talked to Bud Davis last night and he did about the same thing. Loves the new feel of it.

I totally agree that form fitting would be the way to go. We use to form fit the race car seats, which really helped your endurance, comfort, and crash protection.

[Steven_Haines]

Ed,

Bud was the one who clued me in to molding it too.

[SkiJay]

Heat molding definitely makes the back fit and look better, but it isn't guaranteed to stop the cracking. I've seen three different heat molded backplates crack at the shoulders anyway. It seems if you round them enough to avoid cracking, the cupped shape restricts your ability to roll your shoulders back and/or straighten your back if you like chest-up stacked technique ("extreme molding" would work fine for Terry Winter's technique and not so well for Chris Parish's).

 

I've gone to using a heat gun and methodically changing the shape to what is a happy medium for me. That includes wrapping the top of the plate forward to better fit the profile of my shoulders, narrowing the waste so it is both stronger and better fits my shape, and rolling the bottom edge away from the base of my spine for comfort. No cracks so far on this one (only a couple of months).

 

http://db.tt/B1pFvyoF

 

http://db.tt/AIKrUgcg

[Wish]

Has anyone tried this? It's from FM.

 

http://www.jagersport.com/product_info.php?cPath=89&products_id=260

 

[SkiJay]

On the FM website, it's described as a bungee cord going through the strap loops of your vest. I wondter how long it will take for the average vest's strap loops to fail. For that matter, the "average" vest no longer has strap loops.

 

+1 for @Wish Has anyone actually tried one?

[MattP]

I will do a product test if anyone can get Paul to send me one.

[Wish]

Or me. I'm up for being a ginny pig.

[MattP]

I will even do a un boxing video

[Wish]

@MattP You must have a three legged cat in the background if you do.

[MattP]

I have an ET. @Horton that is almost better than a 3 legged 1 toothed cat.

[Wish]

It only had one tooth.... @Horton good grief does it have a feeding tube?? Can't catch it's food or chew it.

[jipster43]

I used one for a little while at the beginning of last year, but it bugged me during deep water starts and I was only skiing at 28mph at the time, so I really don't think I'm a good judge of its functionality.

 

Maybe I'll give it another try after I clinic with Jodi Fisher this week and report back.

[Horton]

I am not reading this thread

[eleeski]

@Horton This thread is exactly what this forum is all about. A year ago the hype on this vest was extreme. There were threads here questioning whether the vest should be legal as it was claimed to be such an advantage. Now I don't see many on the starting dock. Is this a legitimate product now that the marketing hype has abated? What more relevant question can this forum pose?

 

Or are we only allowed to rah-rah the minor engineering tweak du jour? Don't get me wrong, that can be entertaining. I use this forum for both entertainment and information.

 

If your comment was about the cat, to quote Rosannadanna "Nevermind!"

 

Eric

[Horton]

Yea thread is good. I am saying I have been mentioned but have not kept up

[Steven_Haines]

In my mind the use of the PV in a major tourney is questionable, especially in a head to head. I wouldn't want to ski against anyone using it against me in a head to head! One could argue the point that it's use is legal according to the rules (I think). As for the average Joe, it's not going to magically make you run -39 but used as a training tool, it most definitely allows you to ski more passes and allows you to work on technique. Will the PV make me a contenda? Not a chance! But it allows me to be a participator.

[acmx]

Do any of you using the Powervest have a problem with the waist belt riding up when you drop in the water at the end of a pass? Also , how tight is your vest, mine fits good over a wetsuit but is loose without. I like the idea of heat moulding I'm gonna try that. The vest quality could be better, some of the stitching on mine is coming loose after only a couple months use.

[ForrestGump]

I'm still on the fence. Do I think it should be allowed in a head to head tournament? No. Have I considered ordering one? Yes, most definitely. I tore a rhomboid in my upper back 3 1/2 years ago. I can ski without issue, but there is a good bit of discomfort from June through September. Especially this year when I'm skiing much more aggressively than in years past. I have a feeling it would offload some of that load on that muscle group and make it so that my days not skiing are more enjoyable.

[eleeski]

Regarding legality, there is no fence. The vest is legal per AWSA rules. It is precedented by jump slings, clincher gloves and integral back brace slalom vests.

 

Jump slings quickly spread to everyone jumping seriously. Back braces are really common. Clinchers made a pretty good dent but those are still a minority item. If there is a true performance advantage with the Goode vest I haven't seen that reflected in starting dock numbers. Realistically, there are probably tradeoffs where mobility and flexibility issues are offset by load tolerance and injury recovery. As we age, the latter issues may become more important and some sort of load spreading apparatus will be more useful.

 

Thanks all for the info. I'll give the Powervest a try. Review coming later - but I'm not going to video the "unboxing".

 

Eric

[SkiJay]

@acmx The Goode website's method for determining size is not very good. I returned my first vest to change the vest one size smaller, the plate one inch shorter, and the belt and gloves one size smaller each. The vest now fits snuggly and doesn't ride up when I drop in, either on its own or over rubber. I agree the quality could be better too, especially given the stupidly high price. I had to replace my first vest after 18 months cause it was tearing under the arms and along the bottom of the plate. The $90 gloves last only an average length of time too. Molding makes it work a little better and look a lot better. Without molding, it looks like you have a sheet of plywood shoved up your back.

[sbink]

Been using one a couple of years now.

I tried to outpull ZO in 2008 (bad idea)and it damaged my back so

I am on team powervest now.

I thought it was retarded at first but I modified it a little

and it keeps me on the water instead of on the sideline.

Ben using clinchers for 20 plus years before I started using the PV

so there was no issue with the PV gloves.

If I would lose a little weight I could probably wean myself off of it

but...

Out the fronts are really scary!

[Steven_Haines]

Sbink,

What was your modification?

[sbink]

Sorry for the slow response.I was away from my computer

and my phone is dumb.

 

Mine is closer to what is called an elite Powervest.

 

I think Dave Miller uses the elite powervest as a training aid

from time to time.

 

The backplate is shorter with no waist belt.

 

A 2" wide slot is cut about halfway up from the bottom to

allow the 2 vest straps to secure the vest well enough

to hold it in position.

 

I use a heat gun to better fit my shoulders

to the backplate.I just heat and form and see how it fits.

Without the waist belt this is a lot less critical.

I am not brave enough to let my wife lay any molten plastic on my back.

 

If your backplate cracks in the shoulder area and you have some old backplate material around you can laminate a patch

over the cracked area as a temporary fix while waiting for

a new backplate.I used some fasteners from the hardware

store (that are like rivets but they are threaded)

to attach the patch.

This helps keep you skiing.

 

None of these mods are factory approved

and my warranty is voided.

 

A year or two ago I was at a Cottonwood tournament

that Horton was at and he looked at me wearing this vest,shook his head,and walked away.

[The_MS]

Bink,

When Horton walks away without talking to you, that is a positive.

[sbink]

Slayer

 

Thanks for the words of encouragememt.

 

Bink

[ForrestGump]

Bink, Maybe you could write a step by step tutorial on getting Horton to walk away? Is it as simple as donning a powervest? Inquiring ears want to know. ;)

[The_MS]

I would drop 600 on a vest in a heartbeat if Horton would walk away. Its like bug spray.

[sbink]

My memory is old but now I am recalling a short conversation.

I was on the starting dock getting ready to ski.

I think Horton asked if I felt like a pu..y for wearing the powervest.

I said I did and then he walked away.

If I had any nerves left it would have bothered them...

Maybe you just have to agree with him...

Memory fading again.....sorry.....over....out..

[The_MS]

M5 will do that to you.