Perfect Pass or SmartTow?

[ClearCreekRdr]

Last week I bought a new 2008 Sport 205 (see signature). I took it out last weekend and had a blast. No problems pop-ing new wakeboarders out of the water for their first time, with 7 people onboard.

One thing I noticed is that I had to spend a good amount of time working the throttle to keep a constant 20mph. This has got me looking into a solution for this.

Reading forum posts I discovered Perfect Pass and then SmartTow. They look like the solution for me, but I would like to hear from other people who have installed these on their Sea Ray's. Any feedback would be great.

Also, how much should a reputable shop charge me to install it?

Thank you for the help.

 

[browneye253]

From my research I would say to make sure and go with the GPS version. The install is easier and more accurate.

 

[dfav000]

I had the same problem. It took me some time to get used to the throttle. After a while I found that if I placed my hand lower the movements were more subtle. Also, 300 lbs of fat sacks in the back helped alot too. I was thinking of changing the throttle to a ski boat style. but now Im thinking about perfect pass now. GPS, and it seems effortless. Let me know what you find out..:thumbsup:

 

[Lazy Daze]

Smart Tow only works with DTS engines. You don't have DTS.

You can buy Perfect Pass aftermarket. Do a search on this forum - there was a really good thread about this a little while ago.

 

[billandamy]

Keeping a constant speed just takes some practice. After a while it just becomes second nature.

As the driver of a towboat, especially for wakeboarding, you also have to watch the wake, maybe even more so, as this gives you the best clues for speed.

Watch the wake: if you start seeing some wash, speed up a bit...if the wake starts to flatten a bit, slow down a little. Eventually, you get the feel for just "tapping" the throttle up or down slightly and keeping a sweet wake going. My wife is even perfect on it now with some practice.

As well, as unenjoyable as it sounds, you should be concentrating on the wake and speed, not the rider.

Get a mirror! It was the single best addition to watersports I could have made, even more so than a computerized gadget. It really allows you to diagnose the wake in real time. This along with a gps makes life easy.

Have pics to share?