Freestyle New found respect for stand up riders

[Stunts]

I am about 175 so not too light but not too heavy. I hope I don't get hurt once I have enough skills for the surf, that is the ultimate goal years down the road, backies/rolls etc in the surf. I definitely have been watching tons of videos, but everyone makes it look so easy!
Yeah my couch bores me too, only good to take friends/family out tubing or if I am tired and just want to cruise the bay. If I want fun, the superjet gets the call! I always am pushing myself so hopefully I will be flipping within a couple of years!
I am hoping next time out I will do a lot better, really practicing my turns, although I think my steering is sloppy, need to look into aftermarket steering for that. I only have maybe 20 minutes ride time, so I need to really get out there for a while and just ride, finding time is the hard part though, and unloading/loading the ski in my truck bed by myself was no fun at all, pulled my back on that!

 

[shawn_NJ]

Dude if you only rode for 20mins on a SJ and you were not in the water 50% of those 20mins, you are doing just fine...LOL

 

[eeerieski]

There are threads on here where people (including myself) have built a launching system for a truckbed, a winch is used to crank the ski up.

 

[swapmeet]

Get one of these. I made mine for around $75 (thats not it) and there are people selling them on here for $150+.

 

[Buckwild12]

I have been riding stand up for 6 years now, after riding couches since the waverunner 1 and wavejammer. I have never found something to be so frustrating, and so rewarding within about a 10 minute period it's the nature of the beast. I am on my 3rd hull, 4th motor. And I will say that you seem to have a good combo there. Once you get it to run right you have a great platform to learn on. Tubbies may help you stability wise much more than the lowered hood etc.. I learn somethin new every day on this site! Nearly everyone on here is a wealth of information! Ask questions often people will help whenever they can!

 

[dbredleader]

The best way to progress your skill is to ride with others... to see them ride skillfully and emulate what they do. Riding with a group will fuel your aspiration to get better. Even if you have to travel to find them.

 

[Buckwild12]

If you want to travel to Maryland, we ride almost every weekend here! Great bunch of guys!

 

[MDStandUp]

We do?

 

[Stunts]

I was in the water for a half hour tops and fell twice because I tried pushing myself and taking turns like I see in races, not ready for that yet!

The problem with the whole truck bed thing or that cool hitch hauler is a lot of the times I will be pulling my couch or boat so I don't know how that'd work then. I guess I could use one of those hitch haulers when I am just riding the SJ. Where can I find one of those? If I had access to a welder, I'd just make my own.

I definitely want to ride with others, have people try my ski and see what it needs. This is the only stand up I have ever ridden so I don't know what needs to be fixed, adjusted etc. Once I get a little better I am down to ride Buck, but I don't know any of the places you ride. I go to the Bohemia and Chester rivers a lot (mainly for crabbing), but I think your on the other side of the bay.

 

[AtomicPunk]

I have seen hitch haulers with a ball on them for towing a couch too (dont think I would try a boat). I was going to add one to my hauler but I have not needed it.

Keep riding, there is not substitute for time in the tray...

 

[Buckwild12]

We ride at Kent narrows on your side of the Bay, and in the Severn near Annapolis. Like I said, I have ridden for a bunch of years and the surf makes me feel like I have never ridden before! It's a whole different animal.

 

[Stunts]

Well I took the SJ out again yesterday, pretty much only fell when trying to turn right, I just can't turn right! I made some good left hand turns at a faster speed, carved pretty good, this ski is pretty powerful though so it's a handful to hangon when getting into it. When I tried turning before, I kept trying to lean my body into the turn, which would cause the ski to go right over. I have seen racers do that and thought that's what you do. But I tried to stay on top of the ski, pushing down with my foot that is in the direction of the turn and it worked good for left, right is just not possible yet! When I got above say 35mph the ski just kept jumping out of the water, it wasn't too choppy but man this thing just would not settle down under any kind of speed! Also sometimes when I wrecked, I'd get back on, get up and the ski just wouldn't balance, it was all over the place no matter how fast I went and I'd wreck again, dunno whats up with that. I had my bilge on the whole time, but I think it burnt out because I couldn't hear it running anymore, might of knocked a wire lose wrecking.

I'd have to admit, this is getting a little discouraging, it's a lot harder then I thought and everything is the complete opposite to riding a motorcycle, so I have lots of bad habits to break. Hopefully I can stick it out, we'll see. As for the trailer, I think I am going to get a double trailler for my couch and SJ.

Buck, I think kent is really far south? I will have to look on a map where you ride and where I can put in at etc, hopefully your guys aren't too far, but I don't think you want to ride with such an amatuer though. I defintely need more tray time, I want to get out into the surf this year, we'll see.

 

[AZRIDER]

You'll get it dont get discouraged
half the fun is the learnign/falling just wait till you get to the other half

 

[Stunts]

Yeah, I am determined to go back out again next weekend. I have been watching a ton of videos, especially on turning and how people are doing it, even though there isn't really any how to vids. When turning, do you really turn the handlebars? I see most people seem to keep them still and just lean a little? I tried just barely turning them and leaning and fell over, so I tried staying on top of the ski and turn the bars and it worked, but thats not what I see people doing, I see them REALLY leaning into the turn. If I leaned at all, over I go, I actually leaned the otherway to get thru the turn. I guess I don't know what the proper way is?

 

[AZRIDER]

I think you might be overturning, the "action" of turning is really fast then you want tobe re-centered. just goose it

 

[Stunts]

So you just barely turn the handlebars? Is it more leaning then turning the bars? I gas it coming out of a turn and my ski is all over the place, it just doesn't seem as stable as it should.

To make matters worse, my bilge isn't working now, guess I shouldn't leave it on 24/7 while riding. I can't even get to the damn thing since its under the driveshaft. I know nothing about these skis so I am scared to start taking things apart. Its already missing screws everywhere. If there is 2 screws to hold something down, theres only one on almost everything! This is getting discouraging. I don't want to take it out without a bilge, what a bummer. I may be a couch rider for life!

 

[AZRIDER]

jetskis are really simple dont be scared of taking it apart
just do everything a little less and a hull filled with water responds alot differently (water causes wierd inertia shifts)

 

[baxt3r]

There's no crying in jet skiing! If you can tie your shoes you can work on a ski. Well, for the most part. Just make notes as you go then use them to reassemble.

It took me several times out riding to get turning down. I'm still learning and can't turn right worth a crap. I couldn't turn left in the beginning but it's improved a lot! Everyone has been where you are right now and just like them, you will improve with practice.

And how on earth could you get discouraged while doing something so much fun?

 

[AtomicPunk]

just keep riding, try to find another stand up rider to hang out with...

Your bilge should be OK to leave on while riding. Mine is always on (even on the way home sometimes).

Look for a fuse at the battery for your bilge, make sure the fuse is good. Next, your switch *should* be wired so it switches the ground side of the bilge. Bypass the switch by jumping a ground lead to the ground wire on your bilge. Last, everyone mounts their bilge under the drive shaft, remove the black coupler cover, two bolts (or maybe one in your case). The bilge clips into the basket, push the clips in to release the bilge and inspect if necessary. I can do all of that in about 5 minutes, it might take you 15 minutes.

 

[Stunts]

I've just been having a BAD BAD week, a lot of things been going wrong. When I was driving away from the ramp after taking the skis out I had zero cares in the world,it was great. But then shortly back to reality. I'm too stubborn to quit, I will get this, just wish it came easier. I'll wrench on the ski later in this week when my head clears. I've just about torn down to nothing and rebuilt cars but jetskis and 2 strokes are completely new to me. Besides, I could never be a couch rider for life (that was a joke since I know stand up riders hate couches). Thanks for the tip on the bilge, and yes its missing a screw and wires up wrong, the hot side goes to the switch.

So about turning, I want to practice the proper way. Is it more leaning and less turning of the bars? The only way I can safely turn is to turn the bars a decent amount, push with the foot that's leaning and stay above the ski,not leaning with it.