Shortened pole questions!!

aqua

aqua

the taco
Location
Jefferson City, MO
I am thinking about cutting a bit off of my pole and was wondering if it increases back strain or arm strain. If I do wack on it, how much do you recommend I take off. I was thinking 3" but I was reading that alot of people like up to 6" shorter. And how hard is it to get the fiberglass out of the bracket once I get it cut. Will this really help me much in my attempts to get past inverted. :Banane36:

thanks
 
Speedfreak

Speedfreak

Location
So. IL
If it is a stock pole then just do at least 3". You will have to chisel and grind the fiberglass out of the bracket. You can change your bars to gain anything from 1/2" to 4 inches.


I don't know about rotation I heard that it helps a bunch. I am trying it this year to see how it does. I have a -4 inch pole and -3 inch bars
 
infamy

infamy

Westside Freeride
Location
Sacramento, California, United States, 10598806276
i just cut mine about 2 3/4 inches and im happy with it for now. i have stock bars/turnplate. i wouldnt cut more than 3 inches for now, cause you can always take more off later if you need to. getting the fiberglass out of the bracket wasnt hard. i just used a small flathead screwdriver to loosen and chisel it out. it came out in like 4 peices and only took like 5 minutes. the hardest part of the whole thing was jsut getting the nuts on the bolts cause its hard to reach your fingers up inside the bracket. might be alot easier to just use rivets.

i did notice a little more strain on my back while riding long distance, but i can live with that since i dont ride long distance too often
 
thegoldenboy

thegoldenboy

RN Surgery... soon
Location
Toronto
I don't think I'd be concerned with back strain. Usually the shorter pole is used for freestyle applications, but freeriders benefits too. Freestyle is more start and stop (well for me it is anyways...) usually pulling myself back into the tray or swimming after the boat :rolleyes:

If you're doing long runs, or running bouys you won't really want a shorter pole, perhaps a bit shorter for better weight placement but nothing stupid like Geeks -6 or whatever it is..:biggthumpup:

I'd take 2" off the start, or 1.5" (if you cut it flush with the nose piece of the bracket area, than re inset and epoxy, you'll be 1.5" shorter)

A good start.
 
Mouthfulloflake

Mouthfulloflake

ISJWTA member #2
Location
NW Arkansas
shorter poles are cool.

I removed 3 inches ( 3 or 4 I cant remember) from mine last year.

a few things I noticed:

I did some accidental submarines the first few rides.

My 10 year old son can no longer ride that boat.
he is so light that the nose digs in if he leans forward enough to grab the pole.

these things lead me to beleive that is has a PROFOUND effect on the over-all weight placement of the boat.

It DOES make my lower back get tired quicker it seems, but that could be because that pole was heavier than the boat with stock pole I was comparing too.



thegoldenboy said:
I don't think I'd be concerned with back strain. Usually the shorter pole is used for freestyle applications, but freeriders benefits too. Freestyle is more start and stop (well for me it is anyways...) usually pulling myself back into the tray or swimming after the boat :rolleyes:

If you're doing long runs, or running bouys you won't really want a shorter pole, perhaps a bit shorter for better weight placement but nothing stupid like Geeks -6 or whatever it is..:biggthumpup:

I'd take 2" off the start, or 1.5" (if you cut it flush with the nose piece of the bracket area, than re inset and epoxy, you'll be 1.5" shorter)

A good start.
Click to expand...
 
MADMAT

MADMAT

Location
Ohio
We installed (on a friends ski who wasn't sure.) a X-metal turn plate with straight bars which gives you -2 I believe. No cutting needed.:biggthumpup:
 
kingnothing3

kingnothing3

give me fuel give me fire
Location
Petersburg,Michigan
as long as you dont do long runs very often you wont notice a huge difference on back strain.

as far as how much shorter to go, that depends on how tall you are. taller people can go shorter without having problems. I am 5'10" 155lbs and I cut 3in. off my pole plus a shortened blowsion turn plate(-1) and I loved it. actually felt that I could go shorter in the future. You can also install a lowered pole bracket and that will help get you farther forward. This setup got me all the way around on my flatwater rolls. I feel it was a big help

to get the fiberglass out...
clamp the metal part in a vise(clamp it sideways on the mounting parts so not to comprimise the structoral integrety) and use a sharp chisel and just start at one side and work your way around. You should be able to chisel the fiberglass out with a little elbow greese. also when you put the pole back in(it will be super tight) make sure you epoxy the sh*t out of it and make sure you get the pole all the way down on the base. make sure to use STAINLESS rivits to help secure it.
good luck:biggthumpup: you will love it
 
accbr

accbr

addicted
Location
Lexington, KY
You can try -3 on your stock plate by drilling some holes, and putting some straight bars on. Do a search that mouthfulloflake started with 'snowed in' in the title. I moved my bars 3 inches forward, and cut 4 inches of my pole. I have a round pole on a square nose, and the stock chinpad hit the hood when I cut the pole down. Just had to take some foam off of it. Not sure if that would affect a roundnose hood or not.
 
Frosty

Frosty

New York Crew
Location
Western New York
just make sure to epoxy the pole back into the bracket and use SS rivets or you'll rip it right out... as i did once... LOL... i made the mistake of using aluminum ones, and skimped a bit on the epoxy... came apart during a 180 NS... was not pretty... :banghead:

currently i'm running a -3" AC pole, 0 degree bars, and shortened turn plate... prbly -5" total... at 6' tall, it's good, but long rides do strain my lower back a bit. Keep your abs strong and tight... it's helps keep your lower back from getting sore.
 
Mouthfulloflake

Mouthfulloflake

ISJWTA member #2
Location
NW Arkansas
yeah that too.

I ran that with my short pole, ONCE.

too damn short for me, that was a bit more than -5 inches.

im 6 feet tall, and that hurt my back like HELL.



accbr said:
You can try -3 on your stock plate by drilling some holes, and putting some straight bars on. Do a search that mouthfulloflake started with 'snowed in' in the title. I moved my bars 3 inches forward, and cut 4 inches of my pole. I have a round pole on a square nose, and the stock chinpad hit the hood when I cut the pole down. Just had to take some foam off of it. Not sure if that would affect a roundnose hood or not.
Click to expand...
 
aqua

aqua

the taco
Location
Jefferson City, MO
If I were to get a shorter turnplate would the covers still work......the stock turnplate has covers to cover up the bolt and turnplate. My buddy has an aftermarket and sliced up his leg on the underside last year. From seeing that I told myself that I would only have an aftermarket turnplate if I could cover up the sharp edges. So do the aftermarket ones have covers for them. thanks
 
F

FL-cracker

X-H2O
Location
old exit 72 Melbourne
-3 or 4 on the pole...... and -2.5 X-metal steering <-- ( straight bars/ -1" plate)

That is what most people are running...... and it is for good reason!..... after doing it you will never go back...... makes poling yourself back up to your ski, and back on a plane so much fuggin better when coming off a tail stand..... puts your weight were it needs to be...... makes roles, stabs, everything much easier.
 
thegoldenboy

thegoldenboy

RN Surgery... soon
Location
Toronto
Mouthfulloflake said:
shorter poles are cool.

I removed 3 inches ( 3 or 4 I cant remember) from mine last year.

a few things I noticed:

I did some accidental submarines the first few rides.

My 10 year old son can no longer ride that boat.
he is so light that the nose digs in if he leans forward enough to grab the pole.

these things lead me to beleive that is has a PROFOUND effect on the over-all weight placement of the boat.

It DOES make my lower back get tired quicker it seems, but that could be because that pole was heavier than the boat with stock pole I was comparing too.
Click to expand...

Thats good to hear. I'm only 155lbs and 5'8". I have a problem putting enough weight on the front of my boat when trying new things. I want to be able to stuff the nose a bit easier. Maybe the problem is also the squrenose stock pole. The position is brutal with 4degree bars. HATE IT

Also getting closer up in the tray would be best for me on the runs I make across the lakes. (usually have to travel a few minutes to meet up with my buddy and his SJ).
 
accbr

accbr

addicted
Location
Lexington, KY
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