Hello Jeremy,

My name is Jim and I have been to your shop many times, my family had a cottage in Houghton Lake for over 30 years. My questions is in reference to my 2001 Four Winns 190H. I seem to get an excessive amount of vibration on acceleration. When I get to plane it goes away. I looked at my prop and it has the normal nicks and dings in it. Is there something that I can check easily?

Jim H, Lansing Mi

Jim,

Depending on how "excessive" the vibration is could be debatable by some. However, with that said I would get the boat out of the water and inspect the out drive more closely. It is possible that the prop shaft is bent, by free spinning the prop you should be able tell if its bent or not depending on how " excessive the vibration is. I have also seen props with minimal dings and nicks cause this symptom as well. If all looks ok, you probably are going to have to remove the out drive before any major problems occur. I hope this helps.

Thanks

Jeremy

Have a question for Jeremy? Email it to us here!

Wakeskiing: 3 Quickies to Hittin' It Right

To test the learning curve of how an avid wakeboarder/water skier would adapt to riding wake skis and popping off the wake, we enlisted Orlando resident Timmy Clinton. After a few pointers from Beauchler, Clinton actually looked pretty comfortable hitting the wakes. "Figuring out the edge and the proper way to turn them was a little challenging at first," he says, "but toward the end of my set, it was fun."
As a pro wake ski rider, Beauchler says trying new moves is all about having a vision. "You have to see yourself doing it and perfectly executing the moves," he says. But before you dream too big about the endless variations of tricks you'll be nailing, get started by learning the fundamentals of a solid wake jump.

1. Standing in an upright position with your hips forward, keep your chest nice and proud. To ensure a solid body position, pretend you're pinching a beer can between your shoulder blades. Edge out wide and turn in slowly on the balls of your feet with a progressive edge. Keep your legs together.

2. As you edge up the wakes, try to stay on the balls of your feet. Relax! Keep your skis together and use them as one tool for maximum pop.

3. As you leave the wake, keep your eyes on the horizon and maintain two hands on the handle through the entire jump. Letting go with one hand will increase the chances of getting pulled out of position. Once you're in the air, you're free to do whatever you want. Just remember to get those skis back together for the landing.