Preferred mirror location?

[Guest]

What’s your preferred ski mirror location?Centre? In front of driver? On top of screen, or mounted on tower arm?

I’ve never been 100% happy with the placement of the mirror in my 03 Response LXi. It’s the factory CIPA mirror mounted on top of the centre glass. Clear view, no vibration but can never quite rotate it enough to get absolutely symmetrical view.Have just fitted a Bimini and mirror just snags on it when open the walk through glass. Maybe time to change to a tower mirror arm, but will it give symmetrical view?

[FSSPCat]

I have a 2000 RLX and I’m moving mine to my tower. When I sit up in the captains chair, I can’t see over the port side of the bow because the mirror is in the way.

[03RLXi]

@FSSPCat that's what I was wondering, gain view in one direction but lose it in another. I'm keen to hear from someone who has driven boats with a few different mirror locations, what they prefer and why.

[ryno65]

Closer to center & up gives me a better view, but interfere with swing out of center window to Bimini. In front of driver tends to give me a better view of my hat.

[skihacker]

Ptm edge 140, full view edge to edge and the mount bracket puts it just high enough that I don't block any of the view with the top of my head, mount in front of driver.

[spud]

Yep change to a PTM 140 and you will be set!

[Wayne]

Seems to be trade offs for every location and a personal preference. I’ve used a tower mounted mirror on a friends boat. It was more or less directly infront of the driver so you had to mount it above your line of sight for driving. My peripheral vision is better side to side so looking up was a distraction and messed with me holding a “straight” boat path. The center mount on the windshield is more or less the same location as in a car so the muscle memory is pretty intuitive and not distracting to my driving.

I’ve never noticed a non symmetrical view unless I don’t have the mirror adjusted to my seating position regardless of where the mirror is mounted.

Unfortunately I’ve never used a PTM 140 so I can’t make any comparisons.

[TomH]

I really like my tower mount, but you'll likely have to play around with the mount location to get it high enough to not look at your own head, but not so high that it's way above your sight line. If you have to frequently fold your tower, you may have to pull the mirror to do so, so that may play into your decision.

[03RLXi]

@TomH good point about tower folding and mirror location as we do lower the tower each weekend when the boat is put under the storage roof (can just see roof in left of photo). Mirror arm might clash with the windscreen when lowered.I was really careful when purchased the new Indy bimini that it could entirely mount off the front tower hoop so that tower could lower without need to unbolt bimini.

I'm now thinking I'll slide the bimini frame backwards about 80mm so that it lines up with edge of the windscreen rather than being further forward. That'll solve the centre mirror to bimini clash when opening.
As for the non symmetrical view I'll put up with it. It's just the way it is. If the OEM CIPA would rotate 5 degrees more would be all good. Suspect taller driver with seat further back wouldn't experience the same non symmetry problem. Not prepared to buy a new wider angle mirror to just fix that.

[03RLXi]

I wanted front edge of bimini in front of windscreen top edge but because of the clash when opening walk through glass I will slide the bimini frame back. Not quite as much shade but solves the opening issue.

[ski6jones]

I'm only using the mirror on getup and if I think the skier came off. I only watch the mirror while driving if I'm the only one in the boat AND skier is looking for input. PTM 140 does all of that on my windshield, appropriately placed.

[Horton]

If I can see much of myself in the mirror it might be too far to the right. Depending on the boat and the mirror I likely can not see myself at all. It should be just a bit left of my left shoulder when driving but not to close to the center of the boat.

I am a bit neurotic about mirrors. Especially with less skilled skiers, I need to see them when they are in the water and skiing out of the course. I can only see so much by moving my head and then I need the mirror to fill in that blind spot. If I can not see you in the mirror I will not pull you up for a deepwater start. ( except for @rico - I do not pay attention when he skis)

[03RLXi]

@Horton absolutely agree, if I cannot see the skier clearly in mirror and cannot visually confirm their readiness for tow I will not start the pull. I'll tend to turn head for initial movement away from skier when they drop in off boarding platform and then will use mirror as rope approaches straight then tight.
With current CIPA mirror and it's centre mounted position there's no way it can be moved far enough to see myself. Can't even rotate it enough to the right (anticlockwise when viewed from above) to get the skier view symmetrical. Not worried about not seeing skier at buoy width, but symmetrical would be better than now.Will take some mirror and mount photos at weekend

[Horton]

i hate that they no longer advertise but PTM mirrors are worth every penny

[Keith_Menard]

The Ceiling.

[sagilbert]

I have a 2009 Ski Nautique 196. The small mirror that came with the boat provides an up-close visual, but I can't see the skier near the turn balls. I tried a wider panoramic mirror for a while, but I had to mount it so high (to the top of the windshield) that I had to look up to see the skier---which was very distracting---so much so that I went back to the original mirror.Some of you have commented about the PTM 140 mirror, but when I got on PTM's website, I saw a variety of PTM mirrors (at various price points (from $200 to approx. $400). Confusing!! I'm looking for a panoramic mirror that will fit lower (so that I don't have to look up) while costing less than $300. That said, what variation of the PTM 140 might fit the bill for me? Thanks!

[ETskier]

Whatever mirror works for you, fine. But when you are diving in the slalom course, remember to focus more on your driving, and less watching the skier. If you follow the skier through the turns, you will usually find yourself off course.