# Can anyone teach me how to drive this boat?



## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

Going to try and head to Alum this weekend. I have only had my Triton on the water a few times but have made very little headway in learning how to handle this thing. It starts walking at 60-61 and gets nasty quick. It's a Tr-196. Someone here has to have a Triton or experience with one that can help me in some way.

Regardless I will be giving it another shot of I can this weekend. I haven't heard much or read much about anyone having any luck with bass. Are they all really deep?


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

I would say when it starts losing stability trim down just a hair. You may lose some speed but he'll 60/65 is plenty enough for alum


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## BigDub007 (Apr 1, 2010)

Don't go 60 or 61 someone will get hurt  just because you can go fast does not mean you have to this is a classic reason why I do not take my boat to Alum weekends.Not trying to be a jerk but my speedometer in my truck goes 140 but I never had the need to drive over 75


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## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

93stratosfishnski said:


> I would say when it starts losing stability trim down just a hair. You may lose some speed but he'll 60/65 is plenty enough for alum


Yeah, I always trim down and regain control and then start over again. I just can't seem to be able to compensate for the roll before it starts to happen. The original owner said he saw 73.2 mph. I don't need to go that fast on alum but I want to know how to drive it. When I bought the boat everyone always said that if I can learn to drive this boat that I'll be able to drive any boat on the market.


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## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

XChris1632X said:


> Yeah, I always trim down and regain control and then start over again. I just can't seem to be able to compensate for the roll before it starts to happen. The original owner said he saw 73.2 mph. I don't need to go that fast on alum but I want to know how to drive it. When I bought the boat everyone always said that if I can learn to drive this boat that I'll be able to drive any boat on the market.


At Alum I am usually cruising at a brisk 40 or 45 mph. Alum isn't big enough for me to have a desire to go fast most of the time. I do however want to be able to do 70 when I go to KY lake and Dale hollow. I always make long runs and need the speed


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## bucket butt (Jan 26, 2012)

Tritons are notorious for that should be able to lower jack plate a little play around with it their all a little different


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

Hey when you get into serious power like that, does the torque make the boat lean?

Over the years I've had fun cranking various canoes to the point where I can hear water gurgling under the bow. Paddle power.

Oh shoot I'll edit this to say, I'm always in the back of the canoe as my marine diesel application. I power and steer. Who is in the front of the boat? It might be a girlfriend on a Cleopatra ride doing nothing more than providing ballast, Or it might be a friend who can pull his half of the boat.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

I would go over to bassboatcentral.com and go to the triton forum and ask some people on there about how they have theirs set up. They will want to know things such as do u have a jack plate, what prop and motor you have and what height you have your motor set at. It may be as simple as being trimmed to high.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

Laugh at me now. Once I tried to set up a date to canoe at Delaware, and she blew me off. I still went up there and rented a canoe.

When I got in the boat its nose was in the air so I paddled over and gathered about 100 pounds of riprap just to hold it down.

Throwing rocks into a rented canoe and grumbling about lost love. Dodging the jerks in powerboats on the main body of the lake.

Whetstone Creek.

Then I had to go back and unload the canoe. It must have looked pretty funny to see me heaving those rocks back to where they came from.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

at that speed your going to be on top of the water. I had a 19' mako center console and at 62 mph it would get squirrely on me. so I would slow down a little until the boat settled down.
sherman


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## Paul Mac (Sep 20, 2014)

scioto_alex said:


> Laugh at me now. Once I tried to set up a date to canoe at Delaware, and she blew me off. I still went up there and rented a canoe.
> 
> When I got in the boat its nose was in the air so I paddled over and gathered about 100 pounds of riprap just to hold it down.
> 
> ...


Alex, once I pulled my boat through a McDonalds drive thru and had rocks in the back of my truck! And my boat is real stable on the trailer at freeway speeds! Oh, and yesterday I ate a taco. (Focus man, stay on topic).


Chris, any chance you can get with the old owner? Have you changed anything/settings after you purchased it?


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## Jman1000 (Sep 20, 2014)

scioto_alex said:


> Laugh at me now. Once I tried to set up a date to canoe at Delaware, and she blew me off. I still went up there and rented a canoe.
> 
> When I got in the boat its nose was in the air so I paddled over and gathered about 100 pounds of riprap just to hold it down.
> 
> ...


To balance my canoe instead of rocks I bring along three empty 5 gallon buckets. Fill em up with water right there at the edge. Better mulling about for rocks.


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

I would not recommend eating tacos at freeway speeds while hauling rocks and a boat. First thing that's gonna happen when you unwrap that thing is tomatoes and lettuce are gonna start falling every were. It may be your very first instinct to look down and try to pick them all up. Then KER .. SMASH! You just hit a elephant trying to cross the road! Now your taco is all over the windshield, the rocks have relocated them selves from the back of your truck to the front, the boat goes flying off the trailer rolling end for end down the road and worst of all you made the elephant real real mad, and they don't forget! I don't know, putting rocks into a rented boat doesn't seem so bad by comparison.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Lol this thread. Hope you figure out your problem. If i had a boat that would go 65 id want itto go 65 lol.


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## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

Marshall said:


> I would go over to bassboatcentral.com and go to the triton forum and ask some people on there about how they have theirs set up. They will want to know things such as do u have a jack plate, what prop and motor you have and what height you have your motor set at. It may be as simple as being trimmed to high.


Yeah I have been all over BBC. That is where I have learned everything so far. I understand what it is doing and why but I haven't been able to stop it before it happens. The setup is very close. I haven't changed it because the old owner was obviously able to get it to perform. 

Everyone on BBC says to find someone local to help you get a feel for it much quicker. The old owner is from Georgia so no help from him. I met a guy in KY that said he started with the same boat and it took 5 tanks of gas before he learned what he was feeling for. Contrary to many opinions here, I don't like flying up and down alum non stop to get enough seat time for 5 tanks of fuel to learn how to drive it. I have been told that if I get around the walking at low 60s that it will smooth right out and ride easily up to 70s. I am not a top speed demon but I want to know how to drive the boat correctly and use the speed of the situation presents itself.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

I once visited people on Coctaw Lake and they had a boat with a Ford 351 and it could only hit about 45. I was really surprised that so much power could only produce that much speed. That boat was set up with a side bar where someone could hang on and barefoot water ski.


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## Ranger6 (Dec 27, 2015)

It's called chine walking. Lots of articles on the web about it. It can be counter acted by driving but the only lessons are time in the seat. It's a "feel" thing, when the boat wants to zig you counter act with a zag. VERY small inputs to the wheel can stop it. Motor Set up can also play a major role. Now for my disclaimer , while I do not advocate those speeds by any means, I was young once and did fish a few tournaments. The less time it takes you to get to your spot in a tournament the better, so speed was unfortunately a necessary evil. When chine waking starts it can get squirrelly quick and going faster only makes it worse. When on plane at that speed it it possible that the boat is only contacting the water on a 4"x4" area, the pad, so it's easy to see where things could a little wobbly.


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## scioto_alex (Dec 30, 2015)

There's "sponson walking" when you get a rocking side to side. Then some of the hydroplanes will take flight like a stock car.


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## 93stratosfishnski (Aug 25, 2011)

I don't blame you trying to figure it out.. I pleasure fish. my boat goes 45mph.. I go 45 mph spot to spot..lol


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## greatmiami (Feb 4, 2014)

So do most all fishing speed boats require fine tuning to achieve suchlike speeds? Because man that's REALLY fast on the water, it just seems to me I would only ever run a boat that fast if it had a proven great design that tracked true. I mean, couldn't any little thing like gusting wind or waves mess things up if its only working rite because you fine tuned it? Lol scares me


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## Lazy 8 (May 21, 2010)

Put some stout bungee straps from the lower unit to the side ski hooks. Change them often.


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## buckeyebowman (Feb 24, 2012)

sherman51 said:


> at that speed your going to be on top of the water. I had a 19' mako center console and at 62 mph it would get squirrely on me. so I would slow down a little until the boat settled down.
> sherman


I have to agree. At that speed you might have 4 or 5 feet of the aft hull actually in contact with the water. The rest of the hull has air hitting it trying to lift it off the water. My main question would be, what's the rush?

Reminds me of some folks I saw when my buddy and I went up to Kinzua Reservoir in northern PA. This older guy and a woman put this boat in that was outfitted with an engine worthy of a top fuel dragster! He chugged out to the middle of the bay, got 'er lined up, and hit the throttle. BUUUUHHHHH-WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! The boat was pointing almost straight up in the air! Made a hell of a lot of noise, but wasn't going anywhere! A horribly trimmed boat and a disaster waiting to happen. The guy couldn't have been looking at anything but sky!


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## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

buckeyebowman said:


> I have to agree. At that speed you might have 4 or 5 feet of the aft hull actually in contact with the water. The rest of the hull has air hitting it trying to lift it off the water. My main question would be, what's the rush?
> 
> Reminds me of some folks I saw when my buddy and I went up to Kinzua Reservoir in northern PA. This older guy and a woman put this boat in that was outfitted with an engine worthy of a top fuel dragster! He chugged out to the middle of the bay, got 'er lined up, and hit the throttle. BUUUUHHHHH-WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! The boat was pointing almost straight up in the air! Made a hell of a lot of noise, but wasn't going anywhere! A horribly trimmed boat and a disaster waiting to happen. The guy couldn't have been looking at anything but sky!


I know what it is doing and why it is doing it. I fully understand the science behind chine walking, the force of the engine/prop causing the boat to want to rotate off of the pad, and the need to balance the boat on the very narrow pad. What I don't understand is the feel for when the boat is falling off and how to correct it. 

The rush is that I want to learn how to drive the boat correctly. Today in the cold water at alum the 72mph boat couldn't go over 55mph without wanting to jump chine. I enjoy driving the boat and cruising at 40-45. I still want to know how to operate the boat correctly and drive it to its potential if I decide to regardless of anyone else's opinion how fast I should be driving my bass boat and where I am permitted to do it.

On a fishing note, I made it out to Alum tonight for just a couple hours. It never fails at the beginning of the year there are always things that don't work properly or just don't go right. The south pool was cloudier than I have seen it in a long time. Only fished for a few minutes. I spent most of the time running the boat, trying to get my power poles to work, and a little time on the graph. The water was 43* and any fish I marked were 30+ feet deep and many suspended. I am going to try to get out again Sunday.


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## Marshall (Apr 11, 2004)

For those who say why the rush. Its like driving on the freeway at 70 mph and then you come to a section that is 40 mph. In your car it feels like you are barely moving. Same in a boat that will go 70 mph. With that said i rarely drive mine that fast. 45 to 55 is where i drive the most. Keep in mind these bass boats are very tough to drive on a summer day at a lake with lots of boat traffic because of the boat wakes. On a busy day anything over 45 mph will beat the heck out of ya. Some people dont seem to mind busting their backs in rough water but its not for me. Also a 21 foot bassboat will bust through the boat wakes better than an 18 or 19 foot boat. So those boats can run a little faster without beating ya up so bad. Now first thing in the morning when the lake is flat and all the pleasure boats are not out it is easier and safer to open it up and let it fly. 
Sorry i cant help much because i have a ranger and its a pretty easy boat to drive. It will walk at about 68 with just me in it. With a passenger it will not walk as bad and is easier to correct. It is a scary thing when a bass boat gets wobbly at high speeds. For me as i have become older and wise i stay away from trying to get that last 2 mph out of my boat. Back when i did learn to correct the chine walking i would do small quick jerks of the wheel to the right and it would correct the problem. But i have no experience in a triton. The hull is completely different. One thing for sure. Be careful trying to drive through a chine walk, bad things can happen. If u get in trouble trim down quickly. My best advice would be to find someone with a triton and see if they will show u what u are doing wrong. I still feel u may not have the engine prop to pad set up correctly. Maybe find a triton dealership and talk to them, maybe they would go out to a lake near the dealership and see what the problem is. Good luck i hope u figure it out.


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## angler69 (Sep 26, 2005)

Is the boat "empty" it will run a lot different with a "fishing/tournament" load. Just a though it might be too light, load it up with your gear and take it for a run.


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

Make sure your weight is evenly distributed, both right/left sides and front/rear. Don't put too much weight in the front but don't leave it with minimal weight. That can help quell some of the chine walking. Four blade prop can also help a tad.


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## ranger175a (Apr 20, 2011)

I had to put a couple gallons of worms in my front compartment to get mine to quit.


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## MassillonBuckeye (May 3, 2010)

I'd be taking that 70mph claim with a grain of salt. When I bought my boat, ole dude said she'd push 45 but I've found out that even running tip top shape with light load it'll do 34 on its best day(with this prop). And the shape the motor was in while they had it I'm guessing they were pushing 25 max lol.

I'd be trying to talk to other owners of the same model and see what they are getting and with what setup.

Sounds like you need to talk to this guy:
"*I really love this boat now after learning how to drive it and how to set it up properly with some help of some wonderful BBC members. This boat has great holeshot and will top out around 72 GPS with my by myself. It has a good ride you just have to keep the nose up a bit. It has a great deck which I can fish 2 people from easily. The livewells are top notch except the plastic divider comes undone every once in awhile. My only complaint would have to be I just wish it was a bit wider and a little faster!
Flippinstic - IN 2007 Triton TR-196 w/200 Merc Optimax 8/15/09"

http://www.bassboatcentral.com/tritonlikes_dislikes.htm*

Then theres this guy. Sounds about where you're at.

"*Likes: Great ride, big livewells, looks great, excellent holeshot.
Dislikes: Chinewalk above 60. 60 if fast enough. Livewells are a little pain but my Champion had a cut off switch, had to replace 2 or 3 times, gets full of dirt, takes a pair of pliers to turn it.
That may be one of the reasons Triton opts for plugs.
Bigfish - TX 2006 Triton TR200 w/225 Merc Optimax 7/12/09"


Heres a guy whos claiming 78 with a 225 ProXS and 1 person. 70 I think is pushing it for your motor and anything more than minimal load. Assuming you are propped for top speed.

"This is the second Triton I have owned and I absolutely love them. It has an awesome holeshot. With the ProXS and a 25" prop and a full tank of gas and one person it GPS's at 78. This boat rides much smoother than any other I have driven including the TR20.
Dislikes: Am seeing some stress cracks on top of the transom gel coat next to the motor mounts. They are not large at the moment and don't feel it is a structural problem. I have heard that some oil bath hubs on the trailers have been going bad losing their seals so I will have to keep a check on the bearing eyes.
GRUFFY - NC 2006 TR20X w/Merc 225 ProXS. 2/24/07"*


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

MassillonBuckeye said:


> I'd be taking that 70mph claim with a grain of salt. When I bought my boat, ole dude said she'd push 45 but I've found out that even running tip top shape with light load it'll do 34 on its best day(with this prop). And the shape the motor was in while they had it I'm guessing they were pushing 25 max lol.
> 
> I'd be trying to talk to other owners of the same model and see what they are getting and with what setup.
> 
> ...





MassillonBuckeye said:


> I'd be taking that 70mph claim with a grain of salt. When I bought my boat, ole dude said she'd push 45 but I've found out that even running tip top shape with light load it'll do 34 on its best day(with this prop). And the shape the motor was in while they had it I'm guessing they were pushing 25 max lol.
> 
> I'd be trying to talk to other owners of the same model and see what they are getting and with what setup.
> 
> ...


Agree with ya MB. Many guys claim their top end on a boat is much faster then it actually is.

XChris1632,
What model Triton do you have?
What motor do you have?
Did the original owner that claimed 70+ mph do that speed with the current prop that is on the boat?
What weight was in the boat when this was done?
What was the weather/lake conditions?

There are so many variables that come into play when someone says " I once topped out at (name your speed) in this boat" to take into consideration and get the boat to repeat the same.
Just cause someone said they once did so and so mph in their boat doesn't necessarily mean that boat is capable of that speed everyday.


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

Yeah, now that I think about it, a Triton TR-196 with an Opti 200 is probably high 60's top speed under most normal loads. If you really lightened your load, maybe you could gain a few mph but that's not realistic of course for us bass fishermen! Too many plastics!!!


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## ranger175a (Apr 20, 2011)

Lol, I guy in my bass club said he's getting 84 out of his.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

ranger175a said:


> Lol, I guy in my bass club said he's getting 84 out of his.


Hehehe,

If he exaggerates that much about the speed of his 'rocket ship' imagine the fish catching tales he tells. Lol!


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## Debo (Jul 23, 2015)

As said before. I know you want to be able to go that fast, but being able to do so safely is the important thing. Adding weight is really about all you can do to stabilize it. Trimming down helps but there is no way to teach someone to drive through it and say here this is what you have to do. If anyone tells you they have it down to a science they are lying to you. Yeah, you can react and maneuver through it but you have to stay right on top of it or it can go bad fast. It's not even enjoyable at that point.


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## XChris1632X (Jun 12, 2013)

The boat has a tournament load and sometimes with a second person. I try to be very conscious of how I am loading the boat and that is constantly evolving. Back in July I paid a visit to a dealership in KY. I was visiting to look at their Phoenix boats. A Triton to-196 was being traded in for a new phoenix and I struck up a conversation about the the Triton as well as the phoenix. We talked about where he fished, things he has done to the Triton, and why he was upgrading. In the midst of the conversation his buddy mentioned they saw 72.3mph out of the Triton GPS. No idea how it was loaded but the owner confirmed. He may have been full of it but I didn't think he had a reason to lie about it. I mean, I was looking at the Phoenix. What he he may of lied about was the condition of the motor. At the beginning of August I returned and bought the boat only to return two weeks later to get a new powerhead. I got the boat back in September and have only had it out half a dozen times or so.

As far as top speed is concerned, if it doesn't do 70 I'm cool with that. I cannot confirm or deny it. High 60's is fine with me. There are more than a few guys on BBC claiming 70+ and a few only high 60's. Neither one have I been able to achieve. Regardless of how many tenths of a mph I can squeeze out of her, my goal is to learn how to drive it to the maximum of its capabilities shall I choose to do so. What I am hoping for is for someone to chime in and say they have plenty of experience with a boat that likes to dance and possibly meet me at the water one day to go for a little drive. I have spent hours on BBC learning about chine walking. I understand that I am not doing well at balancing g the boat and it is falling off of the narrow pad. What I don't understand is the feeling of when that is happening and the input needed to correct it before it happens. Most of the advice you see on BBC is to find someone local to help with the learning curve and assist me with learning safely.

I appreciate everyone's opinion as I am always willing to read new things and ideas regarding this boat or any others. I have been driving boats before I could drive and have owned many since 16. Including 80+ mph watercraft. This is unlike anything I have ever been in. I want to understand it and while I have lost the need for speed with age, I want to be able to drive it correctly and to its potential.


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## my vise (Jun 12, 2011)

Good insight and well written. Let me test for 6 months and I'll get back to ya.


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## Debo (Jul 23, 2015)

Yeah, this whole flat water thing is new to me. But the surfman who taught me always said if you are chine walking to trim back down some and that's the limit of the boat


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Did a_ little search typing in " average top speed of 06 Triton TR 196 with a 200 Optimax" and got some interesting results. Seems your problem is not uncommon for the Triton at high speeds from the mid 60's to low 70's
You may want to do a search and read some on the topic. There were some suggestions of fixes (including utilizing Jack plates)on some of the suggested fixes._


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## bman (Apr 20, 2009)

My triton is a little smaller in length but it starts to walk at around 60. Little steering wheel jabs to the left definitely help but I can't say I'm really great at it. On a long run, I might try to wring out the last few mph when conditions are good and fight te chine walk a little and then I grow tired of it and back the trim down so I can cruise without fighting it.


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## sixtyminutes (Jan 3, 2009)

Buy a good life jacket and make sure your kill switch is attached. Chine walking is your boat telling you that you are over trimmed. You might be able to go faster if you get closer to the edge. When the boat goes over the edge or when you hit those boat wakes that you will hit you can find out how good the life jacket is. I think it was it Robert Duvall that said " your writing checks son, that your body can't cash". It kinda sorta applies here. learning to drive it through the chine walking is a fantasy. No body can do it safely. Fisherman lie about the size of the fish and the top end on their boat. Especially, the boat they are about to sell.


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## brent k (Nov 10, 2013)

Chine walking spells disaster. You might be able to get away with it for awhile but at some point its gonna get nasty and quick. 
Seen a video not long ago of a guy getting ejected out of his boat. Slammed really hard and probably destroyed the boat.
As said above. Better invest in a good life vest so when it happens the coast guard or dnr can return your body to your family.
Just my $0.02


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## my vise (Jun 12, 2011)

Purpoising (bouncing) and chine walking look like two different things. Sounds like adjustment/balance issue. Think the earlier bass boat forum suggestion sounds like your best bet. Good luck


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