Super Jet first superjet, normal to feel very unstable at low speed?

Tevonini

Tevonini

Location
Turlock california
hello all, i just bought my first superjet, its a 97, been reinforced for surf, foot holds stock motor, modified wet jet pipe, stock impeller extended ride plate(for now). put the whole thing together form a hull and took it out for the first time the other day, and i grew up riding 550's and honestly this thing feels 3 to four times as unstable at low speeds as my old 550 even though the superjet is easily 3 inches wider. is it cause i just need to get my sea legs back? i do plan on trying to turn this ski into a freestyle ski slowly i only ever ride lakes.

when i test rode it the water was pretty choppy so i couldn't really get to top speed, but i even at medium speed it felt a little unstable.

is this normal, i know the answer to stability is tubbies but they are so expensive, just curious if there is a way to get stability for less green stuff?

i was thinking maybe retrofitting rear sponsons off another ski to get a little more width? any one done this?
pic? or bad idea?
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
Practice. Rear sponsons help keep the back end tracking in corners but will not make the ski stop rocking side to side. Front sponsons help with the rock but you should not add them until you figure out how to ride the thing. Save front and rear sponsons for riding faster on a race track rather than a crutch while learning. Pole length is a factor when going very slow, like idle slow, where a short pole helps you get up towards the more boyant nose, but that is another crutch until you start doing tricks that require the shorter pole.
 
Tevonini

Tevonini

Location
Turlock california
Vumad said:
Practice. Rear sponsons help keep the back end tracking in corners but will not make the ski stop rocking side to side. Front sponsons help with the rock but you should not add them until you figure out how to ride the thing. Save front and rear sponsons for riding faster on a race track rather than a crutch while learning. Pole length is a factor when going very slow, like idle slow, where a short pole helps you get up towards the more boyant nose, but that is another crutch until you start doing tricks that require the shorter pole.
Click to expand...
i am 6'2 and 240 lbs, would shortening the pole help me ? the pole is currently stock length. I've been playing with the idea of doing it.
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
Tevonini said:
i am 6'2 and 240 lbs, would shortening the pole help me ? the pole is currently stock length. I've been playing with the idea of doing it.
Click to expand...

Yes, but practice more before you change anything. You can learn to ride it as is. Shortening the pole is done in a day with a day or so of dry time but your time is better spent at the lake.

Shortening a RN pole when you are ready is a simple process. You just need rivets and glue. I used marine tex for that job. You can also shorten it up with a different steering. My pole is -3 but I also have an OVP steering with straight bars which is effectively an additional -4. I'm 5'10" 200 atm. It's okay as is but if I was racing some more i'd go back to a longer steering system.

Remember when you decide how much you want to shorten the pole to include the amount left behind in the bracket when you measure. So to go -3 I actually only cut off about 1.75" because about 1.25" was already hacked off inside of the bracket.
 
Vumad

Vumad

Super Hero, with a cape!
Location
St. Pete, FL
I think the stock 650sx pole is like 4 inches shorter than the stock RN pole in relation to the back of the ski. The RN pole is probably a lot longer than the 550 pole to so don't think that my suggestion to keep riding it in anyway should deter you from shortening. You will be happier shortening it. How much is hard to say.
 
Tevonini

Tevonini

Location
Turlock california
Vumad said:
I think the stock 650sx pole is like 4 inches shorter than the stock RN pole in relation to the back of the ski. The RN pole is probably a lot longer than the 550 pole to so don't think that my suggestion to keep riding it in anyway should deter you from shortening. You will be happier shortening it. How much is hard to say.
Click to expand...
thank you so much for all the replies the water was still pretty freakin cold when i went out last weekend, should warm up in a few weeks or so and then ill be on the water 2-3 times a week and ill learn fast.... i have this friday off i was thinking of shortening the pole I've already read and kinda got a game plan... just need to decide on a length i twas thinking with my size starting with -3" i can always take off more later or get a shorter steering system to make up another inch or so

thanks again for all of your guys' replied and always so fast. i appreciate al the input
 
G

Gokian

Location
Knoxville, TN
I am hopefully going to be getting my first stand up soon also. Any tips and tricks you learn would be awesome to hear about. I am already planning on drinking a lot of water.
 
V

Vortex

Location
Southeast
Shortened steering and a lowered bracket (recommend rad dudes bracket) will help a ton of you don't have them already. You can move the lowered handle pole bracket fwd about a half inch and re drill the holes, that helps a lot imo. That will give you about -3 inches altogether. May not even need to go further than that. I'm 6'3 and that setup works for me
 
BradyK

BradyK

Location
GA
I rode a 550 as my first ski all last summer and got so used to it. It just wasn't enough so I hopped on the SJ bandwagon and got a RN at the end of last summer. The testride was unlike anything I had ever experienced, I seriously felt like I was learning how to ride again. It's just having to adapt to how it rides and sits in the water, especially making turns. Day and night difference but after getting used to it the SJ is by far the way to go. Congrats on the new ski!
 
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