Tres Martin course Epilog
05-10-2010, 03:08 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Tres Martin course Epilog
Recently, I participated in the Tres Martin Performance boat school/class here at LOTO. I have had numerous people ask me did I really learn anything, and was it worth the money and time? Let me break down the questions individually but first some background;
I have been boating for 20+ years, I have had numerous boats, including: jet boats, ski boat’s and numerous “off shore” hulls, I even once owned a small racing Hydro, but that is when I truly found out why certain people race, others watch and enjoy! As a family, our current emphasis is on pleasure boating and Poker Runs. In the last few years we have been participating more and more in the Poker Runs, which is a tremendous amount of fun, but even though they are not a race, the adrenaline has been known to take over. For this reason (and others) I wanted to “fine tune” my driving abilities, for both my own piece of mind and that of my crew.
About the course: It is broke down into 2 days, first day is classroom, second day is driving, one on one with the instructor.
The class room portion I found to be a little overwhelming at first, it has been MANY years since I took any real math/physics/engineering classes, so when he (Tres) began explaining about why different angles and speeds do specific things to the bottom of the boat, well… Just let me say, it took a bit for me to fully understand. But as we got further into the day, it started making more and more sense, and the attitude of no one being left behind was adhered to, so by the end of the day, I was feeling very comfortable about the how’s and why’s. The way he taught it was both by showing drawings, then videos of actual race footage explaining what the driver’s did wrong to cause a problem or how to fix it.
Also part of the classroom is going over safety, this sounds repetitive, but trust me, it is not the standard knowledge, he talked about specific PFD’s, whys and what to look for, and god forbid something bad happens the importance of the tether, PFD (the correct ones for high speed driving) and just as important how to get out of the boat. (Exiting was personally something I had never really thought about, and is one of the most important parts of surviving an accident, that is if you are still in the boat!)
As stated, the second day is driving we had 2 people in our class so I took the second shift. This part of the class is one on one, no one else with you except the instructor in the boat. It started out by Tres driving my boat to get a feel of how it will react to his maneuvers, then, the class began… All I can say is it is not as easy as it looked and did I mention leave your ego’s at home and realize you are there to learn, because as a student, there is a lot to learn!
You participate in takeoff’s and shut downs, rough water and smooth water maneuvers, then the re-learning of how to turn your boat begins. You learn why your boat is designed like it is and why trim and tabs are so important and again, how they affect your handling of the boat. He spent as much time as I needed to learn, sometimes it was an easy learning curve, other times it takes a little more practice, but by the end… You are a MUCH better driver and will be safer for you and your passengers as well.
Cost? Well, it is expensive… Is it worth it? Absolutely! Would I recommend it? YES! The hidden amount of the cost savings is in a couple of different ways, by learning to be a more efficient pilot, your wear/breakage of parts will decrease and fuel savings, over time will surely pay for the cost of the course. Plus by taking the course and becoming certified, you will also save on insurance.
As you can tell, I feel it was a great experience, what I learned will make me a better boater, All I have to do now is to continue to use what I learned and practicing, until it becomes second nature.
I have been boating for 20+ years, I have had numerous boats, including: jet boats, ski boat’s and numerous “off shore” hulls, I even once owned a small racing Hydro, but that is when I truly found out why certain people race, others watch and enjoy! As a family, our current emphasis is on pleasure boating and Poker Runs. In the last few years we have been participating more and more in the Poker Runs, which is a tremendous amount of fun, but even though they are not a race, the adrenaline has been known to take over. For this reason (and others) I wanted to “fine tune” my driving abilities, for both my own piece of mind and that of my crew.
About the course: It is broke down into 2 days, first day is classroom, second day is driving, one on one with the instructor.
The class room portion I found to be a little overwhelming at first, it has been MANY years since I took any real math/physics/engineering classes, so when he (Tres) began explaining about why different angles and speeds do specific things to the bottom of the boat, well… Just let me say, it took a bit for me to fully understand. But as we got further into the day, it started making more and more sense, and the attitude of no one being left behind was adhered to, so by the end of the day, I was feeling very comfortable about the how’s and why’s. The way he taught it was both by showing drawings, then videos of actual race footage explaining what the driver’s did wrong to cause a problem or how to fix it.
Also part of the classroom is going over safety, this sounds repetitive, but trust me, it is not the standard knowledge, he talked about specific PFD’s, whys and what to look for, and god forbid something bad happens the importance of the tether, PFD (the correct ones for high speed driving) and just as important how to get out of the boat. (Exiting was personally something I had never really thought about, and is one of the most important parts of surviving an accident, that is if you are still in the boat!)
As stated, the second day is driving we had 2 people in our class so I took the second shift. This part of the class is one on one, no one else with you except the instructor in the boat. It started out by Tres driving my boat to get a feel of how it will react to his maneuvers, then, the class began… All I can say is it is not as easy as it looked and did I mention leave your ego’s at home and realize you are there to learn, because as a student, there is a lot to learn!
You participate in takeoff’s and shut downs, rough water and smooth water maneuvers, then the re-learning of how to turn your boat begins. You learn why your boat is designed like it is and why trim and tabs are so important and again, how they affect your handling of the boat. He spent as much time as I needed to learn, sometimes it was an easy learning curve, other times it takes a little more practice, but by the end… You are a MUCH better driver and will be safer for you and your passengers as well.
Cost? Well, it is expensive… Is it worth it? Absolutely! Would I recommend it? YES! The hidden amount of the cost savings is in a couple of different ways, by learning to be a more efficient pilot, your wear/breakage of parts will decrease and fuel savings, over time will surely pay for the cost of the course. Plus by taking the course and becoming certified, you will also save on insurance.
As you can tell, I feel it was a great experience, what I learned will make me a better boater, All I have to do now is to continue to use what I learned and practicing, until it becomes second nature.
05-10-2010, 09:38 PM
#3
Registered
Platinum Member
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Lake Lanier - N. Georgia
Posts: 6,307
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Tres is an icon in offshore powerboat racing. He was one of the best throttleman in the world at an early age also. You definitely learned from the best.
05-10-2010, 10:40 PM
#4
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
My wife Shannon and I also took the class when we had the boat in Miami....
couldn't have said it better either.....Great class and well worth it!
couldn't have said it better either.....Great class and well worth it!
