The Revolutionary Convex VX

We brought Tigé Boats to our dealership because we knew they would bring new and different things to the table. And boy, they sure have! We know we’re not the first to write about the Convex VX, but we think you’ll enjoy it all the same. 


According to Tigé, the Convex VX is the only device ever created for surf wave ENHANCEMENT. But what is the Convex VX, you ask? It’s a fiberglass hull extension device “ designed to enhance the running surface of your Tigé at wakesurf speeds.” It connects to the swim platform and can be removed whenever you don’t want it on the boat.



How does it work? Well, this is what the Tigé website says: “The center tunnel of the Convex VX effectively channels water from the propulsion system downward under and into the wave. Utilizing the power generated by the prop to increase the size, volume, and density of the Convex VX surf wave.”

What we like about it is that it makes your 20 ft boat a 22 ft-er. So in this sense, less is more! That smaller boat that’s easier to trailer is now the perfect water sports boat.

When will you try out the Convex VX? Give us a call today!

The Plunge Was a Success!

Our 2013 Paupack Plunge was a huge success, raising over $6,000 for the Tafton Water Rescue Team and the Ledgedale Dive Team. Even more, we had over two times the number of plungers this year than last year - 152 people jumped into the icy waters of Lake Wallenpaupack for charity! Did you miss the event? Check out these videos to re-live the fun in the comfort of your warm home.

Watch the plunge from a “car’s eye” view:

Now, see the first group jump in:

Slow motion… BRRRRR

Did you participate in the plunge? What was your favorite part?

Choosing the Best Life Jacket

You might not like to wear them, but life jackets (also known as life vests or PFDs) are an essential part of staying safe on the water. Sure, you might be an excellent swimmer on a normal day, but what happens if you hit a wave wrong, get tossed off your boat and knocked unconscious on the way in the water? Now, we don’t want to be all doom and gloom. But we do think it’s important to know how to choose the best life jacket for you.

Requirements
In Pennsylvania, all recreational vessels must have at least one Type I, II, III, or V personal flotation device on board for each person. Additionally, vessels 16 feet in length or longer must have one Type IV (throwable) USCG-approved personal flotation device on board (and it needs to be easily accessible). Any person younger than 12-years-old, in a boat less than 20 feet long, must wear a PFD. All life jackets must be in good and serviceable condition and legibly marked showing the USCG approval number. This means the life jacket must be fully functional, free of tears or defects in the material. All buckles, straps, zippers and other closures must be operable.

Finally, remember: boaters are required, by law, to wear life jackets on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak during the cold weather months from November 1 through April 30.

Choosing

We like this graphic from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission that explains the different types of PFDs:

For adults, chest size will determine what size PFD is necessary. For children, this is determined by weight. Once you’ve selected the right size, follow these steps:

  • Loosen all the straps, put PFD on and zip up.
  • Starting at the waist, tighten all the straps. The PFD should feel snug but not uncomfortable.
  • Have someone pull up on the shoulders. If it moves up past your nose, tighten the straps. If you can’t and/or it still moves, you need a smaller size.
  • If possible, test your PFD in a pool or shallow water. It should not ride up or slip over your chin while floating.

To fit a child, follow basically the same steps. Pick them up by the shoulders of the life jacket, and make sure the vest is snug overall.

We recommend:Once you’ve adjusted your life jacket to the perfect fit, leave it that way! Keep extra jackets on board for your guests. That way, your favorite jacket is always the right size.

Do not alter a PFD to make it fit - choose one that works for you. There are many different styles, and many companies make separate men’s and women’s fits. Further, automatic inflatable vests have become increasingly popular, which allow you to wear a slimmer, more minimal vest that automatically inflates if you hit the water. Choose whatever vest you will be the most comfortable in.

What suggestions do you have for anyone looking to purchase a PFD? Any tips or tricks you’ve learned over the years?

How to Survive the Paupack Plunge


You’ve signed up for our 2nd annual Paupack Plunge. You’re ready to raise money for and awareness of two important local organizations: the Tafton Water Rescue Team and the Ledgedale Dive Team. But are you ready for the plunge itself?

Here are a few tips on how to survive the Paupack Plunge:

1. Eat a hearty breakfast. It’s a great excuse to eat a calorie-laden meal! Breakfast meats, carbohydrates and sugars are all necessary to energize your body so that it can handle the shock of frigid water. Extra sugar may be beneficial. Drink water, juice or decaffinated tea - avoid caffeine until after the plunge.

2. Strip down to your plunge gear (you can make it in just a swimsuit!) about two minutes before you jump. This will give your body a chance to adjust to the cold so the shock of the water won’t be as significant. Just make sure you don’t start to shiver!

3. Jump! Don’t hesitate! In cold water, the rib cage contracts, which leads many swimmers to feeling like they can’t breath. Exhale as you jump in and the next breath will come more easily. Once you’re in, swim to shore calmly to avoid expending extra energy.

4. Have blankets/towels and warm (dry) shoes waiting for you when you get out. Wrap yourself up and top yourself off with a hat. Drinking a warm beverage will help kick start the re-heating process. 

Plunge veterans: how did you survive the plunge last year?

What to Know When Buying a Wakeboard


You’ve seen those awesomely colorful Tige Boats rolling into our marina. You’ve looked at our new website, OnlineWakeboards.com. You read our last post about those wacky terms wakeboarders use. So are you feeling the urge to become a wakeboarder?

Well, before you go back online to purchase one, here are some things you need to know:

1. Match your skill level. You can always upgrade later, so don’t go and buy a board that is way beyond you! Beginners should look for a board with squared edges, which allows for more control and stability. Most wakeboards are labeled with their skill level to help you out. 

2. Get the right size. If your board is too small, it will sink, which won’t do you any good! Most manufacturers have sizing charts for the proper weight-to-length and/or height-to-length ratios. If you’re not sure, choose the longer board, because the shorter the board, the less stability in starts and turns. Plus, you can grow into a longer board as you get better.

3. Check your bindings. Getting bindings that fit correctly is really important for increasing your learning success and deacreasing your chance of injury. You want the bindings to be snug, but not so tight you’re in pain. (Also, bindings that are too tight might not release your foot in the event of a fall - which you’ll have plenty of as you learn - and that’s never good.) So try several kinds out and pick the one that’s the most comfortable for you.

4. Find the best fin. Fins are on the bottom of a wakeboard and are used for steering and turning. In smooth water conditions smaller and thinner fins work well. In rougher water conditions a larger, wider fin helps steer the board when it bounces on the water. As a beginner, you probably want a deeper fin. You can try removeable fins to find the best, or just trust the built-in fin on your beginner board.

And last, but not least: try before you buy! You can do all of the research in the world, but at the end of the day, you’ve gotta try a board out to know if it’s comfortable for you. 

Are you a wakeboarder with tips for someone looking to purchase their first board?

Casing the Wake and Landing Blind?




With the opening of our online store, OnlineWakeboards.com, we are excited to become the place for wakeboarders on Lake Wallenpaupack and beyond! But as we constantly add inventory to our store, we’ve come to realize a few things that make wakeboarders unique from us “regular” boaters. And one of those things is they seem to speak a different language. So if you’re looking to learn more about the world of wakeboarding, we recommend you brush up on these terms first.

Bone it out: to straighten a limb
Butt check: to hit the water with your behind while completing a trick, recovering and continuing
Case the wake: landing directly on top of the wake
Eye-opener: falling so fast you don’t have time to close your eyes
Landing blind: landing with your back to the boat and the rope handle behind you
Load the line: build tension on the wakeboard rope to increase your “pop” when you jump
Stomp the landing: landing a trick cleanly
Wake to wake: jumping off the first wake, then landing on the downside of the other

Are there other wakeboarding terms you use or have heard used frequently? We are excited to learn more about the world of wakeboarding!

Announcing Tige Boats

As you have probably heard, we are now a Tige boats dealer! We are so excited to begin selling their lines of innovative water sport-focused boats. See Tige’s press release on adding us to their dealer network below!

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November 26, 2012                                                                          FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

TIGE BOATS ANNOUNCES NEW DEALER IN PENNSYLVANIA

 

ABILENE, TX —Tige Boats, Inc. is pleased to announce Lighthouse Harbor Marina has joined the worldwide network of authorized Tige dealerships.

 

           

 

            Located on Lake Wallenpaupack in the Pocono Mountains, Lighthouse Harbor Marina will display the full range of Tige models in their showroom also housing a pro-shop for all your boating needs. Lighthouse will also provide full service facilities for Tige owners. Through their enjoyment of watersports, the team at Lighthouse Harbor Marina is able to provide customers with a knowledgeable and resourceful dealership experience.  

           

            “A visit to the Tige Boats manufacturing facility in Abilene proved to me that Tige is the premier watersports line we want to represent for Eastern PA, Eastern NY, and NJ,” said Erik Sonsteby owner of Lighthouse Harbor Marina. “We are very excited to serve all boaters, and especially existing Tige owners in our area.”

 

            “Lighthouse Harbor Marina’s strong dedication to their customer’s needs and a passion for the Tige lifestyle, make them a perfect fit to the Tige family,” said Rick Correll, Tige President.

 

            Tige Boats is represented by a world-wide dealer network. Dealership opportunities continue to be available both in the US and internationally to those dedicated to carrying on the Tige legacy and commitment to customer service to Tige customers.

 

            Tige Boats, the only inboard manufacturer to be awarded eight consecutive Excellence in Customer Service awards, is an independent, design-driven company, celebrating 21-years of uncompromising boat design. Tige produces the most innovative product line in the industry, ranging from 20 to 24 feet in length. Tige was named WSIA Leadership Buzz Brand of the Year for 2012 – check out what everyone’s been talking about at tige.com.

Winterizing: What You Need To Know


Like it or not, it’s that time of year where us boaters tuck away our watercraft and dream of warmer days. So when you’re ready to winterize, here are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind.

1. Pander to your battery.
Batteries are what get you going each time you crank that engine on Lake Wallenpaupack, so make sure you give them a little TLC before tucking them away. Charge the battery, and then remove the negative cable. Let it rest for several hours before checking on it. A fully charged battery should read 12.5 volts. While you wait for that wonderful time where you bring the boat back out, check the battery charge monthly. Also, if anyone tells you that storing batteries on a concrete floor shortens their lives, tell them they are wrong!

2. Keep that tarp covering your boat.
Sharp edges and things that stick out wear holes through your tarp. Don’t let this happen by covering sharp places with rags or strips of carpet, and use duct tape to secure them. When tying down the tarp, crossing lines under your boat works, but that can just make it hard to get inside the boat throughout the winter for any other projects. An alternative is to fill one-gallon jugs with sand and hang them from the tarp’s grommets. When you need to get into your boat, just lift a jug or two to relieve the tension. To prevent those sags that hold water and rip your tarp, use a stepladder, placing it on the deck to support the low spot.

3.  Use a checklist.
Make handy checklist like this one from iBoats your best friend. Let it keep you on track to make sure you follow all of the necessary steps while winterizing your boat. You don’t want to get distracted and miss a key step, only to regret it in the spring!

And here’s one last little tip: hate the residents that move into your boat over the winter? A battery-powered AM radio left tuned to a talk station will deter critters from shacking up.

When are you winterizing your boat? What are some winterizing tricks you like to make use of every winter?

A Few Tips For the Fall Fisherman

With all of the natural beauty of the Pocono Mountains in the Fall, it seems only logical to be outside as much as possible. On the list of outside activities, fishing should be right up there with leaf-peeping. Imagine what views the lake has to offer when the leaves have all turned. In addition to all of the fantastic photo ops, the fish are surprisingly active and hungry.  

It seems that the avid angler prefers to center their Fall fishing adventures around the mighty bass.  This sought-after game fish is either elusive in its ways or as easy to catch as (pardon the pun) shooting fish in a barrel.  Their popularity has a lot to do with numbers.  They live in lakes, rivers, and the ocean in all of the lower 48 states.

Fall is actually a great time of year for bass fishing, for both the fisherman and well….  Unless you’re “catching and releasing”, I guess it’s not so great for the fish.  

I’ll start with the obvious.  For most of the country, Fall is a reprieve from the Summer heat.  Also, less bugs.  Anyone is more likely to enjoy sitting on the water for a few hours when they’re not constantly sweating and swatting at stinging pests.  Fall is also when the trees frame the lake with oranges, reds, and yellows.  Sounds like an amazing time whether you’re casting a reel or not, huh?

Onto the bass fishing…  

The temperature of the water becomes cooler, which makes the fish more active.  Just like humans, when we’re more active, we burn more calories.  As a result, we get hungry and eat.  The same goes with fish.  In a somewhat frenzied state of hunger, they’ll bite just about anything!

There were a few different suggestions as to how to find the bass.  Just get to know the lake.  The spots you frequent in the Spring are the same spots you should revisit in the Fall.    

Naturally, you should go where their food is hanging around.  Bass will eat just about anything.  If they can fit it in their mouth, they will eat it.  They have been known to eat anything from tiny minnows to lizards to small mammals.  If motivated properly, they will even eat another bass!  More than likely though, schools of small fish are a good indicator that bass may be lurking.  

Natural foliage is another food group for our fine, finned friends.  There is another advantage for Autumnal angling!  Fallen leaves, especially under the cover or shade of the tree, will attract your target.  

Bass are also known to congregate around “cover”.  Cover is an object that sticks up from the bottom of a lake or river.  It can be a tree stump, piling, a dock, or a log.  

There are conflicting points regarding water temperature which makes my last point a good rule of thumb.  Go to an area of shallow water that is near a deep area.  The bass will hang around the shallow area foraging for food but will head to the deeper water when the temperature changes too rapidly.  The temperature in deep water usually stays consistent while the shallow water increases and decreases quickly.  

Now that you’re in the fishing frame of mind, why not take a look at some new fishing boats? Gift-giving season isn’t too far away! (hint hint)

Don’t just take my word for it. Heck, I’m still learning myself! Click below for a couple of helpful and informative websites.  

Discover Boating
Take Me Fishing

Apparently, Fall isn’t your last chance of the year until Spring to chase bass.  If you’re game enough to brave the tundra, you should give ice-fishing a try!  

Bringing the family? Read Fishing Is Fun For the Whole Family for some tips.

Source: lighthouseharbor.com

The Difference Between Sterndrive and Inboard

For years there have been debates about whether sterndrives or inboards are better on Lake Wallenpaupack. In this post, we’ll present the facts and let you decide on the rest. Both have pros and cons and are two completely different machines.

First of all, let’s start by explaining what exactly sterndrives and inboards are. 

A sterndrive is a marine propulsion system that is attached to a sterndrive, also known as an outdrive. The drive unit is both the transmission and propulsion. When the captain turns the steering wheel, the entire drive turns. No rudder is needed.

An inboard is a marine propulsion system that is enclosed within the hull of the boat — it is usually connected to a propulsion screw by a driveshaft. The driveshaft goes from the transmission to a propeller outside of the boat. The boat is steered with a rudder when the steering wheel is turned by the captain. The propeller then pushes the water past the turned rudder and turns the boat.

Now let’s look at the pros and cons of both.

  • Sterndrive’s provide the boater with a versatile range of trim. This allows you to raise the sterndrive up when loading/unloading or when in shallow water. It also allows smoother rides when trimmed up. Trimming down allows quicker acceleration.  However, inboards draw less than a sterndrive does if the sterndrive is all the way down (inboards need less water to float). Sterndrives draw less when slightly tilted up.
  • Sterndrives will go faster than an inboard with the same horsepower and even use less fuel. On the other hand, inboards will hold a speed more easily than a sterndrive.
  • Sterndrive’s put out great wakes for wakeboarding; inboards create flat wakes for waterskiing.
  • Inboard boats go in one direction in reverse no matter what the position of the wheel. With a sterndrive boat, reverse thrust is directional.
  • Sterndrive’s can, at times, have higher maintenance requirements than inboards. However sterndrive motors are easier to get to.
  • Inboard propellers are tucked up underneath the boat, which can be much safer than a sterndrive tiled up; but without a tilt up mechanism, an inboard engine has a larger draft.
  • Since a sterndrive boat has the equipment on the back of the boat, it allows more room onboard than an inboard boat.
  • While sterndrive boats allow a smooth ride when trimmed up, larger boats with inboard engines can have a smooth and stable ride as well. Since the motor is deep in the hull of the boat, it improves stability because it lowers the boat’s center of gravity.

These are just a few examples, and as you can tell, there are plenty of pros and cons to each propulsion system. Depending on your budget and how you’re going to use your boat, either of these will get the job done and give you an enjoyable time on the water. Still have questions? Contact our sales team and we’ll get you going in the right direction.

Source: lighthouseharbor.com