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  1. #1
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    Jul 2019
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    Oakdale, CA
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    New Champ owner needs to learn how to drive!

    Hey all!

    Bought my first Champ, a 2000 190SX, back in May. After a bit of work, I got it on the water in mid July, and realized my driving skills did not match the boat's capabilities.
    Not trying to be a rodeo pro, just trying to get where the fish are without tossing the family into the drink on the way.
    I have been piloting a 16-1/2' Crestliner with a 50hp tiller for the last 10 years, and this is a major increase in speed for me.

    Does anyone know of any instructional videos or web pages that will help someone with the different aspects of driving our boats/bass boats in general?

    I've made 12-15 trips out this summer, and have gotten a lot more comfortable with the way the boat handles, and some basic driving skills. I start getting a little apprehensive when the wind starts picking up on the CA Delta, and when I need to cross some of these wake surfing boat wakes, or if there is some pretty heavy chop.

    Always wearing the lifevest and connecting the kill switch lanyard are a given.
    Any tips, suggestions, advice, would be greatly appreciated.

  2. Member Mizzou211's Avatar
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    Dec 2004
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    Goddard, KS
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    4,611
    #2
    You need input from a gent named Pat Goff here on the board. He is the MASTER and can teach you what you need to know.

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
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    Oakdale, CA
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    #3
    Read all that Pat had to say, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Helped a lot in the early stages, and got me comfortable on the water quicker, for sure.

    Just hard to visualize some of the things he says. I know watching someone else who knows what they are doing is the best way, I just don't know anyone locally that would take me out in my own boat for a lesson or two. That's why I was looking for some kind of video instruction.

    Definitely not trying to be a demo driver! That breach stop looks like a great way to get my wife to seriously consider homicide....

  4. Banned
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    Jul 2016
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    Skiatook, Oklahoma
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    7,952
    #4
    You need to have a experience driver teach you. I would go out to the main page and scroll down through the states to the west coast page and make a post. Theirs a great group on BBC and I'm sure one of them would be more then happy to go run it with you.

  5. Member dlewis10's Avatar
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    Jan 2009
    Location
    Tamaqua, PA
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    3,506
    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by jarhead175 View Post
    You need to have a experience driver teach you. I would go out to the main page and scroll down through the states to the west coast page and make a post. Theirs a great group on BBC and I'm sure one of them would be more then happy to go run it with you.
    ^^ This....find someone who has experience and sit in the boat and ride along. You at least have one of the easiest boats to drive at moderate to comfortable speeds. The hull design of Champs cut through quite a bit of chop, waves, and wakes, that many boats would have your kidneys bleeding. It does require some skill once your lifted up on pad and approaching wide open throttle speeds. At that point, it's just best to trim her down a tad, and let off the throttle a bit.

    And welcome to the Champion Family. We have a great group here on the BBC. Tremendous amout of knowledge shared.
    1993 Champion 190
    1991 Evinrude Intruder 150

  6. Member bigfish1259's Avatar
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    Dec 2009
    Location
    Springfield, MO
    Posts
    2,090
    #6
    Here's the best explanation I've heard from the man himself Pat Goff;
    1. If your boat isn’t wanting to walk it’s not setup to it’s potential.
    2. When you understand what caused it, only then can you understand what you should do to prevent it from starting.

    Here’s why it starts: your prop is rotating to the right. That force tries to take everything right with it.
    Your boat wants to go straight. Those two forces working against each other causes the wobble.
    Your job is to prevent it from starting. You do that by never letting the boat flop over to the right. So when you get it, it’s a constant left turn against the prop torque which lets you balance the boat on the pad.
    How do you learn? Go out on a wide part of your lake and do wide sweeping left turns, increase throttle and trim until you feel the boat lifting on pad. If you start getting out of balance and it starts to walk trim down and start over. You do NOT start sawing on the wheel, that makes it worse if aren’t feeling the balance. You had to learn to balance to ride a bicycle, this is just like that but with a 40mph cross wind.
    Or find one of us to show you in fifteen minutes.

  7. 80.3 mph and squeezing bruce''s Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Southlake Texas
    Posts
    435
    #7
    Seat time. Life jacket and Kill Switch. Try on days with little wind.
    Fishing Texas lakes one at a time
    2000 Baltex hull 202 Elite Champion
    2016 250 pro
    8 inch Hydraulic Jack Plate
    tempest 27 work by Steve
    Hook sets are fishing reality.

  8. Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Oakdale, Ca
    Posts
    491
    #8
    Welcome to the Champion family. Seat time is the best way to learn what your boat will do. Use common sense when in doubt. Post pics of your rig when you can. Lots of good places to fish near the Cowboy Capital. Take your boat out to Tulloch and just get used to it. Small enough lake to open it up and close to home. Have fun and be safe.
    Bruce Theriot
    2003 Champion 196 Elite
    200 Mercury Optimax

  9. Member MMosher's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Bout 50 miles West of St. Louis
    Posts
    6,151
    #9
    Beg borrow or steal someone who knows what they're doing to give you a 30 minute lesson. It'll save you time, frustration and money.

  10. Member
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    Aug 2012
    Location
    Clarksville TN
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    31,746
    #10
    I agree with finding someone to take with you. The SX series isn’t bad at all since you sit so much further forward. Take your time and don’t outdriving your abilities.

  11. Member smokewagon's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Sacramento, California
    Posts
    1,317
    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Jdog 190 View Post
    Hey all!

    Bought my first Champ, a 2000 190SX, back in May. After a bit of work, I got it on the water in mid July, and realized my driving skills did not match the boat's capabilities.
    Not trying to be a rodeo pro, just trying to get where the fish are without tossing the family into the drink on the way.
    I have been piloting a 16-1/2' Crestliner with a 50hp tiller for the last 10 years, and this is a major increase in speed for me.

    Does anyone know of any instructional videos or web pages that will help someone with the different aspects of driving our boats/bass boats in general?

    I've made 12-15 trips out this summer, and have gotten a lot more comfortable with the way the boat handles, and some basic driving skills. I start getting a little apprehensive when the wind starts picking up on the CA Delta, and when I need to cross some of these wake surfing boat wakes, or if there is some pretty heavy chop.

    Always wearing the lifevest and connecting the kill switch lanyard are a given.
    Any tips, suggestions, advice, would be greatly appreciated.


    Please check your new messages in box.
    2012 Stratos ChampioN 183 Elite
    Mercury 175 ProXS

  12. Pat Goff
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Seadrift TX
    Posts
    10,942
    #12
    Fear is the most powerful emotion. Let’s get rid of that first.
    No matter how horrible a driver you might think you are just know regardless of how stupid a mistake you might make, the boat won’t hurt you.
    The day you understand that is the day you start enjoying what you’ve got.
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
    of nowhere.
    Smithwick TX.

    [SIGPIC][<a href=http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=583&dateline=1498828542/SIGPIC] target=_blank>http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?t...828542/SIGPIC]</a>

  13. SC Club Moderator ChampioNman's Avatar
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    May 2004
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    Crawfordville, FL/Lake Hartwell, SC
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    #13
    Go big or go home, start right out with the breach turn from Wide Fookin Open.

  14. Pat Goff
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    Jun 2004
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    #14
    Yep.
    Do that just once.
    You’ll never be scared of your sled again.
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
    of nowhere.
    Smithwick TX.

    [SIGPIC][<a href=http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=583&dateline=1498828542/SIGPIC] target=_blank>http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?t...828542/SIGPIC]</a>

  15. Member
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    Jul 2019
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    Oakdale, CA
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    #15
    Thanks for all the support, this is one of the best forums I've been a part of.
    I am seeing a common thread; practice, practice, practice. That, and Champs are the best hulls, so don't worry about it too much.

    Looks like I'll be reading up on that breach stop, and give that a go next time out. Daddy always said, "if you're gonna be a bear, might as well be a grizzly..."

  16. Banned
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    Jul 2016
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    #16


    Here is the video of Pat and a couple gentleman doing a few. If you try it have some video it then post it.

  17. Member
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    May 2007
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    #17
    That video never gets old!!!!

  18. Member Jim Dunn's Avatar
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    Nov 2008
    Location
    Pacific, Missouri
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    4,077
    #18
    Just think riding a bike. Balance is a matter of putting it on its pad a keeping it there.
    I got nothin

  19. Pat Goff
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Seadrift TX
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    #19
    I don't advocate anyone doing a breech stop. It's a violent move and can break stuff.

    But...if you're gonna do it, do it correctly.
    If you have a passenger, ALWAYS to the left. You don't want to throw the unsuspecting out of your boat.
    So, it's simple...
    Get up to as fast as you want.
    Chop the power, count thousand one, thousand two and on three turn the wheel hard left. It'll be a nice J hook stop, you'll have a solid wall of water around you, which is pretty cool.
    IF you don't count to three, or just yank the wheel that hard going WFO, you'll do a spin out. You can see one in the video. Spin outs are not desired, so follow instructions on something I'm not at all telling you to do.
    Pat Goff

    Two degrees from center
    of nowhere.
    Smithwick TX.

    [SIGPIC][<a href=http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?type=sigpic&userid=583&dateline=1498828542/SIGPIC] target=_blank>http://www.bbcboards.net/image.php?t...828542/SIGPIC]</a>

  20. Member
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    Jul 2019
    Location
    Oakdale, CA
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by pmgoffjr View Post
    I don't advocate anyone doing a breech stop. It's a violent move and can break stuff.

    But...if you're gonna do it, do it correctly.
    If you have a passenger, ALWAYS to the left. You don't want to throw the unsuspecting out of your boat.
    So, it's simple...
    Get up to as fast as you want.
    Chop the power, count thousand one, thousand two and on three turn the wheel hard left. It'll be a nice J hook stop, you'll have a solid wall of water around you, which is pretty cool.
    IF you don't count to three, or just yank the wheel that hard going WFO, you'll do a spin out. You can see one in the video. Spin outs are not desired, so follow instructions on something I'm not at all telling you to do.
    Not that I'm going to, but if I was, would I trim the boat up or keep it trimmed down for the turn?

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