Encouraging newcomers?

The following showed up at another site I frequent. I thought it raised an important point that we should deal with if we want our sport to grow. I'll set the stage by saying this came from a new boater who recently bought one of the new Aquacraft Miss Vegas hydros. It doesn't matter what club he's talking about, I suspect it could have happened anywhere. To the few of you who know where this post came from, or what club it might be, let's not go there. I'm not posting this to point fault at the club, but to raise awareness of a problem that many clubs may need to deal with.

i only mentioned the rooster tail because at a boat club meeting i went to (recently),all the boats were 1/8 scale gas boats and they were shooting some big rooster tails. they dont have any nitro power only gas,so i was told i could run with the out riggers."the what".i dont care what anybody says i was not putting the vegas out there to get a bath and it seemed unfair to race an rigger when i would get lapped before i hit the second turn.wheres the fun in that..plus i was told nobody runs nitro anymore,just gas...so back to the lake alone again!!!!!

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Quite an introduction to organized racing, eh? I wonder how many potential members are turned away, one by one, because a club doesn't want to take the time to find a good way to encourage an enthusiastic new (potential) member?

This is just plain BS :angry: :angry: :angry: ,This could start a war though :blink: h34r: h34r: h34r: shann

shann harrison said:

This is just plain BS :angry: :angry: :angry: ,This could start a war though :blink: h34r: h34r: h34r: shann

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I totally agree. I am a pretty new boater, within the last year, and woudl ahve forsure been driven away from nitro with a comment like that when i first started. One thing I have noticed is alot of gas guys are like that, if it isnt gas, it isnt anything to them. I dont agree with that, and not all are that way. A buddy that runs in our group has gas, but he also appreciates our nitro. Anyhow, totally wrong on there part forsure! Hopefully that fellow sticks with it and we dont loose another to something stupid!

Rodney,

The comment made by the insensitive and disrespective clown is almost beyond belief but has been seen before I hate to admit. And it does drive interested parties away. And the word of mouth that that person relays to others does even more damage. We struggle enough to draw interest to the hobby and a very stupid comment from a more stupid person makes us all climb mountains each day. That guy is a bad apple period.

Do not make a general comment like "a lot of gas guys are like that." It is also true of nitro guys too. I have run boats for 17 years and have seen it all. Each of us can have a preference and that is OK. What is WRONG with is that "Whatever you have is not OK with me unless it IS what I have." That is when we fail each other and our hobby because it judges others and what they have as being inferior to us and what we have. There are a lot of guys down here in the south that run both nitro and gas and many one or the other. And that is fine. And there are the Fast Electric guys too! Plenty of room for all of us on the water but we MUST accept each other for the continuation and survival of the hobby. We are all boaters with the same goals, hopes and want to have fun. Makes no difference what we put on the water.

John

I'm trying to get a few more details. I don't know if it was one individual or the collective that was at the pond that day. I do feel responsible since I'm the one who helped him find this club, via the IMPBA site. It seems hard to believe that they couldn't find some way to help this guy fit in other than telling him to put his boat in with the riggers and hope for the best.

I'm also new as Chuck knows, to have to start out with a gas boat seems to me would be pricey for someone who is trying really to figure boats out for one and also to see if this would be something they might be involved in long term . For a new boater seems that smaller nitro would be the way to start out.

On that note I would like to thank everyone at Peidmont triad Prop Twisters for helping a new Boater out as much as they have espically Chuck and Glad we have variety to choose from at PTPT its agreat place to Race and have fun.

Ed.R

Bottom line is boating is suppose to be a hobby, hence FUN!

However, it can get ugly because someone running nitro/gas can't agree to run together or share a pond. I had that problem trying to run a 3.5 w/some heavy duty gassers. They didn't want to share the lake so things got ugly. Turned out the little nitro tunnel won after they mysteriously lost control of their boat and crashed. Still a mystery to this day how that happened.

Too many people forget where they came from, not one of us was born with a transmitter in our hands (I'd feel sorry for the mothers!). I've seen boaters with more money than brains that couldn't navigate a simple oval course without thinking that it was a slalom course instead. I'm for sure not a Joe Pro hot-shot boater but will take the time to help out any new boater the best that I can no matter what they power their boat with.

They may be running a RTR boat but it's a place to start and learn the basics before moving up.

Be a jerk to a potential boater and they'll give up thinking that all boaters are that way.

I've been blessed to meet some very fine people in our hobby/sport and very few that would complain if their boat got wet without having a fit. You're going to find a few bad apples in any bunch no matter what you get into.

Maybe every club should consider having somebody designated within the club who is really good with people, to be a New Boater Guidance Counselor so to speak. Not to be the sole person to talk to a new boater but to answer any initial questions and direct them, and introduce them to the best people within the club to help them get going. I know that on a race weekend when I'm entered in 5 classes and in the heat of battle, I can sometimes be short with people.

Scott Norris said:

I know that on a race weekend when I'm entered in 5 classes and in the heat of battle, I can sometimes be short with people.

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Darn, I hadn't realized this. I was going to nominate you for Mr Congeniality at our annual meeting! :lol:

The same holds true for the local hobby shops. I am personally involved with a new boater that was talked into buying a used scale with 1990's hardware and K&B 67 motor, a very old Prather B mono hull, and an old Prather E/F tunnel with K&B 67 outboard( none of the boats came with any props). Then he was left high and dry when it came time to find a place to run and learn. :angry: I talked him into comming out to one of our races and watching first. We (myself and other club members) then told him we will be glade to help him get started during a weekend test and tune session.

Our pond has a standing rule that allows new boaters open water to run alone for they're sanity and everyones safety.

piper_chuck said:

Scott Norris said:

I know that on a race weekend when I'm entered in 5 classes and in the heat of battle, I can sometimes be short with people.

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Darn, I hadn't realized this. I was going to nominate you for Mr Congeniality at our annual meeting! :lol:

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:blink:

sport hydro said:

The same holds true for the local hobby shops. I am personally involved with a new boater that was talked into buying a used scale with 1990's hardware and K&B 67 motor, a very old Prather B mono hull, and an old Prather E/F tunnel with K&B 67 outboard( none of the boats came with any props). Then he was left high and dry when it came time to find a place to run and learn. :angry: I talked him into comming out to one of our races and watching first. We (myself and other club members) then told him we will be glade to help him get started during a weekend test and tune session.

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A much better approach than "go buy a gas boat"!

Our pond has a standing rule that allows new boaters open water to run alone for they're sanity and everyones safety.

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Probably a good policy.

Its not only at the pond

Have you ever sat back and read some of these posts, not only on this site.

I read some of these post and think "glad I am not in there world"

Look at this noise issue if the experanced can get it right how is a newbe.

Mike

sport hydro said:

I am personally involved with a new boater that was talked into buying a used scale with 1990's hardware and K&B 67 motor, a very old Prather B mono hull, and an old Prather E/F tunnel with K&B 67 outboard( none of the boats came with any props).

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That's a hell of a first purchase though for someone w/no experience and no concept of how or where to go run them! SHAME ON THAT HOBBY SHOP :angry:

Fortunately, there are people like you and your club to help him out

Well, the word through the grape vine is that this occured at the ODMBA site. Firstly, anybody that has been there knows that people will give you the shirt off their back.

Now to straighten out a few more guys jumping to conclusions.

let's not go there

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Sorry, but I can't stand it.

a club doesn't want to take the time to find a good way to encourage an enthusiastic new (potential) member

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Be real. The dude had a boat where their is not a class for it in the whole district. He should have looked at what to buy before he bought.

This is just plain BS

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Ok, I show up with an electric and your club is going to reorganize the classes.

One thing I have noticed is alot of gas guys are like that, if it isnt gas, it isnt anything to them. I dont agree with that, and not all are that way. A buddy that runs in our group has gas, but he also appreciates our nitro. Anyhow, totally wrong on there part forsure! Hopefully that fellow sticks with it and we dont loose another to something stupid!

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Too funny. To start, the nitro guys are the ones than ran the once slower gas out of their classes. The guy was told there was no nitro is because there isn't. It dried up and went away on it's own. Gas became faster, less hassle and more fun. And no, he was not told to run in a rigger class. He was told to run in a hydro class. Which, by-the-way, was over run by faster riggers years ago. I do not see anybody bad mouthing rigger owners for blowing away cats, sports, canards, etc.

The comment made by the insensitive and disrespective clown is almost beyond belief but has been seen before I hate to admit.

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That guy is a bad apple period.

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Well John, I guess I'll join the circus. Again, gas has just naturally taken over the ODMBA club. But big deal. Up til this year I have not seen a tunnel boat there.

I'm trying to get a few more details. I don't know if it was one individual or the collective that was at the pond that day. I do feel responsible since I'm the one who helped him find this club, via the IMPBA site. It seems hard to believe that they couldn't find some way to help this guy fit in other than telling him to put his boat in with the riggers and hope for the best.

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Chuck, don't feel bad, you did the right thing. I think the guy was just disappointed in his purchase after seeing that he would be running in a hydro class that has naturally been taken over buy riggers. You tell me, what class should he be in?

However, it can get ugly because someone running nitro/gas can't agree to run together or share a pond.

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Totally off base. Jumping to conclusions again.

They may be running a RTR boat but it's a place to start and learn the basics before moving up.Be a jerk to a potential boater and they'll give up thinking that all boaters are that way.

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Nobody said he could not run. They only told him what class was available for him. That is the same as everybody here races. What, should there have been a new .18 hydro class where he would be the only boat running?

A much better approach than "go buy a gas boat"!

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OK, so if I go out west where scale seems popular and I show up with a rigger to smoke them all..............well that's not fair is it. The same goes here. Go buy gas if you want to race because there is very little nitro. What if a club was 98% nitro. Are you going to shun him from buying a gas boat? Of course you are. Why? So he can have more fun.

You dudes need to let go of the gas-nitro rap. It's getting a little old.

I hope some get off the band wagon and wake up now. It is that kind of B.S. that stirs people up.

The guy should have looked at what was racing before he made a purchase. If the hobby shop told him a load of crap to make a sale then shame on them and not the club. He is disappointed and bitter about his purchase. Now. tell him to bring another boat of similar nature to run with him and we will make a class.

ODMBA offers a class to ANY two boats of similar nature. Who else runs a two boat race in the IMBPA? We think that if two people bring out their boats then they should be able to race. Now if only one shows up then no race. Figure that out for yourself, one boat is not a race. To accomodate new comers we started a stock gas class. Any hull and preferably a Zenoah but others are accepted. This way many inexpensive combinations are available and through actual racing it has been shown that no one combination has the advantage over the other. Why gas stock? Because there is no tuning need. All that considered, there is a huge "fun factor". Due to this "fun factor" a lot of very hard core nitro guys have bought gas. It isn't discrimination, it's common sense.

Preston, I don't think he's at all bitter about his purchase. He's bitter about the way he was treated. I think there is a fairly common trend to tell people with RTR boats, especially the smaller nitro ones, that they can't play because they don't fit in. The way we respond to people who show up with these boats can make all the difference.

This thread shows the results of one approach to beginners. The sorry, you bought the wrong kind of boat, go away attitude does nothing to encourage a newcomer. The person was left with the feeling that organized racing is a bunch of elitists who aren't interested in helping a beginner.

Why do you suggest that the newcomer, who is out there on his own, should be the one "to bring another boat of similar nature to run with him" to make a class? He's new to the hobby. He doesn't have another boat, and doesn't know anyone else to run with. That's why he approached the club, he was looking for people to run with. The response he got from this attempt was essentially sorry, take your toy boat elsewhere.

While it's obvious that he couldn't fit in well with the boats that were there on that particular day, did the club do ANYTHING to try to help him fit in? Did anyone get his name and number? Did they say they would help him find some other people with similar boats? Did people try to think about some other boats they might have collecting dust that might be a good choice to run with him? Did they offer to take a few minutes out of the race schedule to give him a chance to try running on a real course?

Do other clubs offer two boat races? Sure, we do the same at our club races. We've even allowed boats from outside a class to join a heat so they could have more running time. When I decided to get back into racing and first approached the club, Mike told me nobody was currently running the classes I had, but he then contacted some of the members he knew who still had them so I would have someone to run against.

As for your comments about nitro drying up, I don't see that. What I do see is burnout from people who insist on spending megabucks on high priced engines. In the pursuit of a bit more power, people made their boats so fussy and trouble prone that they took all the fun out of it. The funny thing is the same thing is happening on the gas side of racing.

Want to talk fun and reliability? One of my nitro boats has been entered in a total of 8 races this year (3 club and multiple classes at district level races). Out of all those races, it's only failed to finish 2 heats. These were both because it submarined after hitting a wake. This boat is the lowest maintenance, least fussy boat I've got. Why is it this way? Because it's stock. I've beat bunches of boats with modified engines this year. Why? Because they couldn't complete the required number of laps.

There's actually a large amount of activity in the smaller nitro segments. Look at the activity in 20 tunnels and the huge interest in the boat that's the subject of this thread. Are clubs going to turn these people away one by one, or are they going to find a way to help them fit in? This is a huge potential growth opportunity for clubs who recognize and foster these newcomers. Some clubs have figured this out and are encouraging it. Others haven't...

With all of the RTR boats out Clubs should encourage those people to join and run. If they provide a positive experience to a new boater running a RTR nitro, gas, or electric that new boater will stick around, and may move up to bigger and better things.

That one new boater who has a positive experience at your club/ lake will come back, and may get a friend of theirs involved making two new boaters.

If that one new boater has a negative experience at your club/ lake you can be sure they will not be back and will discourage friends from getting into the hobby.

I understand to some of the guys who run hand built boats that RTR boats are “toys” and my be a nuisance, but think of them as a entry level point into a world that can seem daunting and costly to someone new.

I’m just now coming back to RC boating after a 15 year break ( I was a young boy the first go around and had no help then) I was encouraged to get back into boats because of a ProBoats RTR boat. Since running that I gave me the bug again and I have started building several new boats. But when I met up with the Cincinnati Model Boat Club they welcomed me and assisted me and one of my friends, and have even gotten me to the point that this winter I will be building a 3rd boat.

Chuck,

I don't think you read carefully. The guy is more than welcome to run in a hydro class. I even say he can pick his own. Are we to slow down and make him feel better when he jumps in? Since you seem to have the answers, then why don't you tell me what class he should run in. Make sure it is a class we currently run because we don't run one boat races.

And suggesting we keep a record of what everybody buys from the hobby shop so that we can hook them up is rediculous. That sounds like a good job for the hobby shop.

Come to one of our club races and then tell me nitro is not a whisper away from a ghost town. It's gone gas in Chesapeake because of the "fun factor". That's a fact, and it happened naturally. You think somebody pressured myself, John Finch, John Bonanno, or Steve Speas into buying gas. That would be funny. "We" as most others have more fun with it.

I guess that since the other guy blew a few bucks on RTR then a group of us should do the same to make him fit into a long well established club with long well established IMPBA classes.

Absurd.

Like said, ODMBA welcomes everybody. If you want to run a 20 outboard with 20 riggers because there are no other outboards then fine. The same goes for a RTR. But if somebody asks how competitve he will be I guess you expect me to lie to him. I think not.

If it's a RTR 20 Tunnel I'd consider letting it run in the 20 mono class because the speeds are comparable. If others start showing up they can run on their own. It wouldn't be the first time it was done at ODMBA. In the mid early 90s it was common.