[snowmobilefreak]

Last winter while riding in Wisconsin I saw about a 100 foot stretch of open water on the lake in front of the resort my family was staying at. There were quite a few guys that kept zoomin' across it. After a couple days I finally convinced my dad to let me take my old sled(1994 XLT, I now own a 1997 XLT Special) across it. I thought it was really fun. Does anybody else do this?

2001 XC SP 800 rules!!!

 

[Bman]

Never had the guts/ballz to try. I get nervous watching the ice in my drink melt, let alone the frozen ground from under a 500 lb sled. Yikes! Although I have a 94XLT. perhaps it could do it. Would a 2" track be good or bad for a watercross over a 1" track?

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I think.... therefore I sled
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Two '94 Indy XLT SKS

 

[snowmobilefreak]

2" would be awesome!!! although a paddle track is not a necessity like a lot of people think. you also don't have to hit the water at high speeds. i have the stock track on my sled and i had no problem. if you hit the water too fast there's a good chance that you'll fishtail out of control and i think you could possibly roll your sled...not a good situation...what i did was inch my way as close as I could get to the water and then goose it. another thing is keep your skis straight and don't get out of balance...i mean don't lean to one side or try to turn out of it...i think that could get to be a problem. back to your question though...two inch would definitely be better than a one inch but i don't feel that it would be worth the cost unless your track is worn out. i myself am very afraid to go skiing on the water in the summer because it just freaks me out and i also used to be scared when we came to a lake on snowmobile but i guess i just conquered my fear and tried it and i found out it's quite fun...the adrenaline really gets pumping. hope this helps you.

2001 XC SP 800 rules!!!

 

[Bman]

How do you turn around? Or did you only go across straight and then return? Both my XLTs have 2" tracks.

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I think.... therefore I sled
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Two '94 Indy XLT SKS

 

[snowmobilefreak]

straight across hell bound for ice on the other side!! the ironic thing is that we were on our way to eat supper and when we got to the bar they had watercross on tv and i saw a guy turn and roll it...ouch.

2001 XC SP 800 rules!!!

 

[Sled_Dog]

you can turn on it. They race on water. A snowmobile can hyrdoplane until it runs out of gas. In 2 Stroke Cold Smoke III there is a scene of a guy running till he ran out of gas. Its not really anything special just crack the throttle and go. I guess you have to have balls to do it but you just do it man. My sled may not be the best at it though. The track profile is low and it weighs like almost 60

Edited by - Sled_Dog on November 22 2001 7:17:51 PM

 

[wryjoker]

It is alot like a jet ski, just a little more mushy. First time I would recomend comming off the ice to a beach at a short distance, if no facility around to try it during the summer. I find hitting the water around 30mph is a good speed and throttle up a little to maintain speeds do not go too fast easy to loose control. I prefer to stand/kneel while leaning back a little to keep positive nose up, and a good view. Comming back on Ice is very important to keep nose up expect a good bump when the track contacts. If nothing elese never hit the water at a slope down position cause you will go under trust me. At least be slightly level.
I have not seen a sled yet that could not at least maintain a foreward momentum across water at 25 - 30mph. I have seen people sink because of stupidity. The most common I think is going too fast. One of two things seem to happen they slide sideways or endo from the sudden drop in speed. Panic is common too the track sinks a little and people throttle down or worse hit the brake.
There is a snowmobile club in upper eastern coneticut that has a facility that teaches how to cross water and become familiar with it. They built a 2' deep pond in a field. You remove the seat from you're sled (to make it easy to dry if it does sink) and a minimal amount of fuel in the tank. If you belong to S.A.M.S. I know it is free I am not sure but most likely there is no charge anyway.
I think it is a great experience and everyone should have an idear of what to expect incase a situation should arise by mistake.
I do not (NOT) go looking for water to cross in the winter on lakes. That is very dangerous. I avoid it at all cost even if means no ride that day. But it could happen.
Keep in mind
1) hyperthermia
2) not making it and going under the ice (being stuck)
3) hitting the ice edge with you're body at a good speed (when ice is thin it is sharp like a knife)
4) some other person may not be expeienced and follow you're tracks into the water and drown (especialy at night)
5) if you drop a sled in the water during the winter it costs lots of money to retrieve it, especialy if it is deep. (most states require within 24hr removal and a fine for polution).

We had several in our local 4 towns last year not includeing fourwheelers I know of only four for sure no one died. I was able to watch one sled rescue on Dority pond I do not know the price. I do know the fire department and police department were paid for man hours. The divers and towtruck I am sure were paid also, then the EPA had to release an ok that there was not more than 20 galons of fuel released or a complete cleanup must be issued. Then the poor bastard had to drain and repair the sled. The dammage was from being draged out by a cable across the bottom of the pond. The did not seem to care what it hit on its way out. I would think most other retrievals are going to be similar.

"Meaningless Ride"

 

[snowmobilefreak]

yeah, i guess that is kind of the risk you take when you do it though. i certainly would not like to pay to have my sled removed from the lake...that would definitely suck. all those bad things that can happen would really suck but i guess there's a risk you take with everything.

2001 XC SP 800 rules!!!

 

[MegaMan]

I've done it many times on my older Indy 500, but i don't want to risk dropping my newer sled with the fish. So i won't lose much if i didn't make it. By the way, i always go to the same lake in an area where the water isn't more than 4 feet deep. Stay shallow!

Let it snow!

 

[Alaskangold]

I live on an Air Force Base, and this summer there was a guy who decided to take his sled arcoss a lake at our Squadron Picnic. Anyway it was like a 150 yard crossing(give or take, it was huge) from what I heard he had forgot to turn on his gas and made it half way accross and killed it!!! Supposedly he got a pretty heavy fine and also had to pay to get it pulled out, I think he was on either a 01' or 02' RMK, don't know how much it costs to fix the sled but I think he had to put a new engine in it. NOT WORTH IT!!!!!!

 

[18scott]

That would be helarious to see a sled screaming across the water then all of a sudden start to hiccup and sputter then stall. All you would see is a few air bubble rising to the surface as the sled went under. Sorry for the guy but it would be a great laugh on my part. Stupidity is funny. I usually get a good laugh out of what I do most of the time hehe. Scott

Wanted!! Polaris 340 TXL any Polaris 340 or TXL. "[email protected]"

 

[paulxlt]

I promised myself that I would NEVER AGAIN go across water on a sled. When I was 11, my half-brother who was 18 at the time, took me across about 1.2 miles of 'frozen lake'. (note the parentheses). The INDY 600 screamed across the lake, I was having a blast. Until... the ice broke, he went head over handlebars and I went down with the sled. I was told I was under for about 30 seconds. I dont remember much more than when I woke up.... 2 weeks later. I was treated for Hypothermia and a broken rib. I will never cross a lake again, unless I dont know its there.......

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Ride Snowmobiles, baseball, bowling, and golf require only ONE ball!!
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Edited by - paulxlt on 11 Dec 2001 09:38:25

 

[intendedacceleration]

Is your brother ok too? Wow that is a bad story......sorry to hear that!!! Glad you are ok though!

2002 Arctic Cat ZR 800 EFI

founding member of the Arctic Cat Mind Control Team......you will believe!!

Edited by - intendedacceleration on 11 Dec 2001 08:34:51

 

[paulxlt]

He got a slight concussion, but not too bad cause he was the one who pulled me out. He was just wearing a winter hat, not helmet.

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Ride Snowmobiles, baseball, bowling, and golf require only ONE ball!!
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