AWSA Water Ski Towboat Tests

I ran across some the test scores that AWSA used to share back in the good old days of AWSA Tow Boat testing.  Seems the Hydrodyne Outboards which are 15 & 16 on the list below had the best total scores.

We have not changed the hull shape although the new style Dyna-Ski 20' hull running surface is about 9" longer than the old 20' Hydrodyne. The 9" was added near the back end on the hull.  The deck's of the Dyna-Ski Boats are much different than the Hydrodynes of old.  We still use the original hull mold for the 17.6 models. I think that the 17.6 also was an approved tow boat in 1986.  The outboard motors now are more powerful as they went to measuring the horsepower at the prop instead of the crankshaft in 1991. I'm going to look thru my stuff and will share some of the interesting things in the future.  Below is an enlarged and cropped version.  The complete scanned form is on the bottom of the article.

Dyna-Ski 17.6 Open Bow Barefoooting Pictures

Here are some pictures taken a couple years ago.

                                   Backwards Barefooter on a 75' Line

                                          2 Barefooters on 75' lines

                                         Barefooter on a 75' line

Outboards, back in?

Katharine McPhail of  www.travelboater.com wrote the following article a couple years ago. She wrote it for WaterSki Magazine but they never published the article.

Are you a serious skier who can’t stomach the price of an expensive inboard boat, consider the alternative: a tournament style outboard. For less than half the price, an outboard ski boat can offer some pretty sweet advantages.

Dyna-Ski, a tournament style outboard based off the classic hull design of the popular Hydrodyne, can be equipped with motor and a trailer, starting in the low $20,000 range.  The size of the motor significantly influences the final cost of a boat, but even a fully optioned 20’ open bow Dyna-Ski will stay priced around $40,000.

This is a smart investment for the budget conscious water skier.  Outboard motors typically use less fuel than the V-8 engines in most inboard boats.  When you consider the power it takes to pull a water skier all morning, this can add up to substantial savings beyond the boat’s already lower sticker price - an advantage that gives you more ski-time for the same amount of money.

With outboard motors now just as clean and quiet as any inboard, easy maintenance is another advantage. The diagnostics and repair of a motor that hangs off your transom is much easier than a motor buried in the hull of your boat.  Plus, as outboard technology continues to develop, you can modernize your boat by simply replacing the motor rather than the whole boat.

But what about performance, how does it compare to an inboard?

The wake on a Dyna-Ski is similar to an inboard boat, only smaller.   Pete Pfankuch, the owner of Dyna-Ski noticed, “a smaller wake is often preferred by women and kids - since the bow of the boat stays down at all speeds [Dyna-Ski] is an excellent boat for pulling any size, age and level of skier at speeds up to about 50 mph.”

Outboard ski boats allow for added horsepower - an advantage that makes them a good towboat for all disciplines of water skiing. Eric Nelson, the boat driver and Vice President of the Beaverland Must Skis (a Wisconsin ski team) vows  “there is no better boat for a Water-Ski Team.”

And Nelson would know. His team owns five outboard boats - four Dyna-Skis and one older Hydrodyne. In September of 2006, a Dyna-Ski rigged with three 225hp E-Tecs, had enough umph to pull 48 skiers stacked four-tiers high - a feat that put the Must Skis and three other Wisconsin Teams in the World Record book.

Even if you’re not attempting to break world records, Dyna-Ski is a good option for the recreational user as well.  The boat will accommodate friends and family who want to tube, wakeboard, trick ski, slalom or barefoot.  And options such as pylons, booms, towers, and fat sacs can be added to suit the serious skier. In fact, Dyna-Ski is currently working with mechanical engineers to designs a device that will further improve the wake for wakeboarders and barefooters.

In this economy, value is a principal concern, but a smaller budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality.  If you’re pinching your pennies, but still want a high performing tournament style ski boat, take a second look at outboards, especially Dyna-Ski.  See how newer motor technology on the back of a classic hull design can benefit your wallet and your skiing experience.

Dyna-Ski Outboard compared to other outboards boats.

I'm used to people comparing Dyna-Ski Boats to Inboard water ski boats but never really stopped to think that they might also be comparing Dyna-Ski Boats with boats made by other outboard boat manufacturers for water ski use.  Well after a nice phone call from a potential buyer of a 17.6 Open Bow the other day I decided it was time to rethink some things and write this piece.

There are some nice Fish & Ski Boats being made.  I have always thought that you can fish with almost any boat and I guess that you could ski behind most any boat as long as it has enough power but would you want to?  If you ski more than once a year it is nice to have certain things that skiers and drivers take for granted on a water ski boat.  We can add anything that you want to a Dyna-Ski boat if you want to fish some.

There are some pontoons made that the manufacturer's suggest make good ski boats in addition to being a party boat. They are rated for a big enough engine but usually draw a lot of water taking off.  They turn sharp enough at speed to throw everyone around and spill drinks. I know that trying to teach a person to ski or pick up a fallen skier with my own pontoon boat would be difficult as the docking of the boat is difficult enough some times so having a skier in the water to deal with would be difficult also. Once a person is up skiing or tubing it might be fine. I wonder how the wake is and if they hold speed very well?  Going the proper speed (often slow) with good control is important with skiers young and old, big and small. We do fish a couple times a year from my pontoon boat.  It has seats mounted up front for fishing. It is hard to keep anchored in one place if it is windy though.

Dyna-Ski Boats are purpose built for water skiing. Our boats are designed to ride with the bow (front) of the boat close enough to the water so the driver can see where they are going at all speeds.  When you turn a Dyna-Ski around to pickup a fallen skier you will experience that the bow of the boat will be high enough most of the time so the driver and passengers stay dry. Dyna-Ski Boats handle and perform very well like a sports car on water.

We make a boat that is very good for all types of water skiing.  It is not purpose built for any one aspect of the water sport. The tracking fin gives Dyna-Ski Boats stability I doubt you will find in a boat without a fin.  Dyna-Ski Boats powered by a single motor have a nice wake for all types of skiing.  You can make a bigger wake for wake boarding by adding weight (fat sacs) just like the inboards. If you add weight to any boat the bow of the boat may ride higher which is often necessary to make bigger wakes.  A two or three motor boat does not need fat sacs to make bigger wakes just tilt the engines up.  As a bonus an outboard motor can be trimmed or tilted up for operating in shallow water while docking, loading, etc.  As long as you have enough water for the outboard motor to operate it means you should not have a problem with the tracking fin either. An outboard powered water ski boat is easier to dock than an inboard water ski boat and most inboard/outboard boats.

Deck boats are interesting.  I've noticed they are expensive but then what boat isn't?  The deck boats I have checked all seem to be very big and heavy.  Sort of like a pontoon with a fishing boat hull.  Hydrodyne made deck boats many years ago.  Long before their time perhaps?  I have a 24' Hydrodyne Outboard Deck boat.  I bought it cheap many years ago and keep telling myself that I should rig it up and try it.  Maybe next summer perhaps? Hydrodyne made a lot of interesting boats over the years including house boats, a paddle wheeler, a fire department boat and inboards for several years.  I guess they never made much money or they might still be around perhaps?

Dyna-Ski Boats have a nice small well define wake for slalom skiing. Women and kids love the small wake. Barefooter water skiers like the speed available. The propeller on the motor, motor height and trim all affect the barefoot wake. Most footers like a rope slight longer than 75' behind any outboards being used for barefoot water skiing.

Fiberglass boats tend to ride a lot nicer than aluminum boats.  Our Dyna-Ski Outboards ride pretty well in rough water.  Much better than many inboard water ski boats I've been in.

If you are having a tough time deciding what to buy you really should try a boat before you buy a boat. Try it the way you will use it when possible.  Remember that buying a new boat is less of a risk than a used boat as a new boat will run well and has a warranty.  A used boat usually does not. Truly buyer beware when it comes to buying used!

Since we have built a stock 20' Dyna-Ski Closed Bow Boat that has three 300 horsepower engines for the Badgerland Water Ski Club I'm sure we can build a boat that will last forever for the average recreational boater. What do you think?

17.6 vs 20 Open Bow Dyna-Ski

I get asked how the 17.6 & 20 Open Bows compare.  I'll try to give you an overview of the differences and similarities including some of the obvious ones.

The boats are the same height & width.  They use the same windshield. The 20 is 2 1/2 feet longer. The open bow on both boats is the same size. All Dyna-Ski Boats have a tracking fin.

The 17.6 is like a sports car with a 150. The 20' is OK for sking with a 150 but hardly a sports car. I suggest at least a 175 on a 20' and a 200 HO or larger is much better it seems. The 150 HO isn't any faster than the regular 150 on a Dyna-Ski boat.

The 17.6 Open Bow with a 150 and a water ski prop will run around 50 mph on the GPS.  A 20' with a 200 HO and a water ski prop will run around 54 mph on the GPS. A 250 HO is only a few miles per hour faster.  The 17.6 is rated for a maximum of 150 hp by the US Coast Guard.

The 17.6 makes a good ski boat with a 115 two stroke. I've personally pulled 2 barefooters with three adults and one child in the boat and pulled 4 footers behind a 17.6 with a 150 with a little more power on tap.  I've pulled a 185 lb barefooter behind a 17.6 with a 90 hp two stroke with 2 adults and one child in the boat. I was surprised by how good of water ski boat the 17.6 with a 90 was.  I suspect that a Dyna-Ski 17.6 with a 75 would be a good ski boat but I'm thinking pulling a barefoot skier might not be possible.  I have the testing information that I'd be glad to share with you if you email me at info@dyna-ski.com and ask for it. The thing that amazed me was how little gas and oil the 90 & 115 used while testing the combinations even compared to a 150.

The 20' will pull a barefooter with a 150 but I doubt it will pull 2 footers together with three adults and one child in the boat.  A 200 HO on a 20' will pull 5 barefooters.

Outboard motors cost more for more power.  Bigger outboard engines tend to use more gasoline than smaller ones.  Inboards with V-8 engines tend to use a lot more gasoline than 4 and 6 cylinder outboards for the obvious reasons. Torque is more important than horsepower on Dyna-Ski Boats.

Rear seat passengers in the 17.6 effect the boat's feel more than they do in the 20' Open Bows. The nose of the 17.6 boat comes up a little more with rear seat passengers. Once on plane the 17.6 settles down just like the 20' does. If the rear seat load isn't somewhat balanced in the 17.6 the boat tends to lean slightly to the heavier side.  I have not noticed either of these characteristics with the 20' Open Bow Models.

17.6 & 20' boats hold speed very well if properly set up.  The most important things are motor height, prop selection and even the quality of the control cables.  Little if any motor trimming is needed for any skiing other than barefooting with either length Dyna-Ski.

The lighter 17.6 has a smaller wake than the 20'.  The 20' has a smaller wake than the heavier typical inboard water ski boat. Our slalom wake is great for kids and women because it is smaller.

Both boats respond to weighting with fat sacs just like inboards do. We designed our boats with Barefoot International or Fly High Products in mind. You can get a tower or an extended pylon for the Dyna-Ski boats. The V-Drive style of boom with a height adjuster works very well on both the 17.6 & 20 models.

17.6 requires a lower capacity boat trailer and boat lift.  We normally put the boat on a 2400 lb. capacity trailer.  A 2000 lb. capacity lift seems good also.  The 20' boat trailer needs brakes, the 17.6 trailer does not according to the DPMV.  Less garage space is needed for the shorter boat, motor and trailer.  The lighter combination also tows easier.

We have not built a 17.6 Closed Bow for several years for several reasons including they are little if any cheaper to build than a 17.6 Open Bow. The 17.6 closed bow has less interior space. Women like open bows. You can just leave the snap on bow cover on the boat if you like the look of a closed bow. We have even made white snap on bow covers for customers that wanted the closed bow look from a distance.

Hopefully this information will help you make a Dyna-Ski your next water ski boat.

17.6 Open Bow

 20' Open Bow

You have to look hard to notice the difference from the front.  The 20' Open Bow has a sun deck behind the rear seat.  The 17.6 does not.

Welcome to the Dyna-Ski Blog

Dyna-Ski Boats plans to use this web site as an addition to the primary Dyna-Ski Web Site at www.dyna-ski.com to keep people informed about what is going on at Dyna-Ski Boats.

Thanks!

Pete