Perfect pass - what model do you have?

[cadunkle]

Speed over water is what you want. Speed over land is irrelevant. This is why paddlewheel is superior. If you ride in a lake with no current, then GPS simplifies this as there is no current when the water is flat. No need to calibrate GPS. A paddlewheel must be calibrated when there is no current with a stopwatch over a known distance (such as a slalom course) or with a GPS, then is accurate.

If you ride where there is a current, such as the river I ride which is anywhere from 0-7 MPH either direction throughout the day and constantly changing, then paddlewheel is the way to go. If you ride on an inland lake with no current, you may prefer GPS so you don't have to calibrate the paddlewheel from time to time.

[Ptownkid]

The price difference beween stargazer and cruise is pretty large...if the paddlewheel is more accurate anyway then i guess it's a no-brainer.

[cadunkle]

I would not get cruise, it has no digital display so does not tell you your speed, set point, or water temp. Also not sure how you would adjust the settings on it to get the pull dialed in in case you're running really heavy or it needs tweaking for your boat. I believe the difference in price between WakeBoard Pro (paddlewheel with 2 line display) and Stargazer was about $100-$200 more for the GPS using the same display, basically negligible for a $1k system. Get whichever you prefer, but I suspect you'd be disappointed with Cruise. It's better than nothing, but I'd sooner get RideSteady than PP Cruise if you wanted a paddlewheel system and to save a few bucks.

When I got my PP, RideSteady was not yet available so PP was the only game in town. I may have opted for RideStead if the savings was significant, as in over $200. I believe I paid around $990 shipped for PP Wakeboard Pro from onlyinboards. Had some minor issues and PP was great, swapped out display no charge no problem.

[Ptownkid]

Uggggh, hadn't thought of that. Now it's really a tough call. Not really a fan of going with an unknown company on this...but didn't really feel like paying 1200 either.

[trayson]

Uggggh, hadn't thought of that. Now it's really a tough call. Not really a fan of going with an unknown company on this...but didn't really feel like paying 1200 either.

This really isn't that hard.

1) Do you ride in a river with a current?
2) Do you want a really good system that gets you the most features without spending extra money?

If you answered yes to those two questions, find somewhere that will sell you the Perfect Pass Wakeboard Pro. It's not listed on the perfect pass website, but I'm sure that you have to be able to buy it somewhere. I mean, why be forced to buy a GPS when what you really want is the paddle wheel.

My Perfect pass wakeboard pro has the paddle wheel. It has a digital display where I can see my speed, water temp, and engine hours. It has either speed or RPM mode. Honestly, it has everything that I could want or need and the GPS version really doesn't interest me (especially since it costs more).

Find yourself the Wakeboard Pro and be done with it. I am completely happy with mine, and I was using mine on the Columbia River and we had a pretty good current going.

[Ptownkid]

I'm a little worried about hunting down a used wakeboard pro for two reasons...verifying that it works and knowing what pieces are needed. Going to read more about it.

[trayson]

I'm a little worried about hunting down a used wakeboard pro for two reasons...verifying that it works and knowing what pieces are needed. Going to read more about it.

I would put in a call to Perfect Pass. If they're as helpful as people on the forums claim them to be, maybe they would still be willing to sell you a new Wakeboard pro. I'm sure they have the pieces laying around somewhere...

Couldn't hurt to call them.

[cadunkle]

Buy new if you don't mind spending the cash. I got mine (Wakeboard Pro, paddlewheel) from onlyinboards.com for $990. Price has gone up a bit to $1040 but they still sell it. I may have got it during a group buy with a discount though, I forget.
http://onlyinboards.com/AccessorySho...fect-Pass.aspx

Stargazer (GPS) is $1195, but if you ride a river or other place with a current you'll find the paddlewheel gives better results.

Finding a used system is hit or miss, as watersports enthusiasts are generally few and far between, and once PP is added to a boat it is rarely removed unless the boat is totaled or parted out. Even then if an older system was upgraded you may find the box and gauge but you'll have to buy a new paddlewheel. Those generally stay with the boat and would probably be destroyed trying to remove.

For someone like me who doesn't ge tout nearly as often as I'd like, and when I can find a crew I sometimes get great experienced drivers and sometimes people who rarely drive a boat... Well let's just say Perfect Pass has been the single greatest thing I've ever bought for my boat and worth every penny.