Discover how Yamaha’s Helm Master EX redefines tow sports for outboard-powered boats through game-changing precision features.
Think precise, consistent tows are only the realm of specialized inboard ski and wake boats? Think again. Yamaha’s Helm Master EX is poised to revolutionize tow sports for outboard-powered family boats and fishing boats.
The Yamaha Helm Master EX is packed with features that enhance navigation, fishing, and maneuverability in tight spaces—especially around docks. It is available for Yamaha outboards from 150 to 450 horsepower with Digital Electronic Control (DEC). However, the Helm Master EX does far more than simplify navigating and docking. Its high-tech functions also transform the world of tow sports.
At water-ski and wakeboard competitions, athletes often talk about how the “pull” from the driver felt—because the quality of driving directly affects performance. Precision driving matters at every skill level—not just for pros. For beginners especially, the driver can mean the difference between a successful ride and a fall.
At the heart of Helm Master EX is its ability to control both boat speed and course with pinpoint precision—benefiting wakeboarding, water skiing, wakeskating, kneeboarding, and barefoot water skiing. Helm Master EX also enhances towing tube riders. While a straight path isn’t critical for towing tubes, exact speed still delivers a smoother, safer ride.
Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, two key elements define a high-quality tow:
• Establishing and maintaining an exact boat speed
• Keeping the boat path perfectly straight—except when intentionally turning
Why are accurate speed and a straight path so important in tow sports?
Maintaining an exact speed is critical for two reasons. First, every skier or rider has a specific speed that suits them best. If it’s too fast, the skier or rider can feel out of control. If it’s too slow, they may feel like they’re dragging or sinking in the water. This puts added strain on the arms and shoulders of the person in tow, making the experience more tiring and difficult.
Second, boat speed directly affects the shape and quality of the wake. This factor is especially important for wakeboarding, wakeskating, and kneeboarding because riders use the wake on both the port and starboard sides as a launch pad for high-flying jumps to perform numerous
midair tricks.
Keeping the boat’s path straight—except when a turn is needed—is just as critical. A consistent, straight boat path results in a consistent wake. Even slight, unintentional turns can compromise the wake’s shape, making it harder for the person in tow
to perform.
For wake sports, an inconsistent wake means reduced airtime and trick execution. For water skiers, an inconsistent wake makes it harder to cross back and forth, whether skiing on two skis or a slalom ski.
Finding and maintaining an ideal speed, combined with a straight path, delivers the most consistent and defined wake possible—maximizing performance and minimizing wasted effort.
But for a driver, keeping a straight path and exact speed within a few tenths of a mile per hour is not that easy, especially when a skier or rider is cutting back and forth across the boat’s wake, leveraging against the boat.
Exact Speed
The speed control switch is located on the throttle. Accelerate to your desired speed and press the switch to hold the speed precisely. The speed can be adjusted on the fly by pressing the switch each time, either up or down, to adjust speed by 50 rpm. This small amount of speed adjustment allows the driver to provide the skier or rider with an exact and optimal speed for best performance.
Boat speed also affects the shape and quality of the boat’s wake. These small speed adjustments also allow the driver to customize the wake for each individual. To disengage the speed control, the driver simply needs to move the throttle.
Autopilot for a Straight Boat Path
The autopilot system provides four separate modes for navigation and trolling.
The Course Hold mode keeps the boat on a straight path—even compensating for wind and current to maintain a precise heading. The driver simply points the boat in the desired direction and presses Course Hold. Helm Master EX takes over to keep the boat on a straight path even when a wakeboard rider or slalom
skier crosses back and forth across the boat’s wake.
Like speed control, the autopilot allows for extremely small course adjustments. The autopilot features a switch for adjustments by one-degree increments and a switch to adjust course by five-degree increments, either to port or starboard. Each time the driver presses the one-degree or five-degree course adjustment, the boat will immediately adjust its path. To disengage the autopilot, the driver simply needs to move the steering wheel.
Joystick Control
The Helm Master EX also features joystick control. Besides being used for docking, this feature is also quite helpful for the driver when returning to a fallen rider or skier. The joystick allows the driver to maneuver the boat exactly where needed, which is quite helpful for many boats, especially twin outboard setups.
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Enhanced Safety
The Helm Master EX also revolutionizes tow sports safety. Instead of constantly monitoring the dash for speed and adjusting the throttle and steering, the driver can now focus on the waterway and other boating traffic to provide the person in tow with a safer experience.
A Legacy of Outboard Tow Excellence
From the 1960s through the mid-1990s, outboard-powered boats were predominant for towing water skiers, especially as horsepower increased. Outboards offered a smooth, flat wake—something water skiers highly valued. Yamaha outboards were used in the Water Ski Pro Tour, and Yamaha outboard-powered boats towed world records in the jump event, both in water ski and barefoot water ski competitions. The flat wake and consistent power greatly benefited on-water performance.
Today, the Yamaha Helm Master EX is changing the game once again. Though speed control has been featured on specialized inboard ski and wake boats since the late 1990s, tow boats lack the autopilot functionality needed to maintain a straight path.
Helm Master EX allows families to enjoy a high-quality tow behind boats that were once not considered ideal for tow sports. Thanks to the Helm Master EX, single- and multi-engine Yamaha outboard-powered family boats, fishing boats (such as center consoles and dual consoles), as well as runabouts, deck boats, and pontoons, can now deliver an excellent tow experience to everyone. With the Helm Master EX, now every driver can be a pro driver.
At water ski and wake sports competitions, conversations often center on the quality of the driver. And now, thanks to the Yamaha Helm Master EX, more drivers than ever can deliver the kind of precision that makes all the difference—at any level of tow sports.
Back to Blue Life
Think precise, consistent tows are only the realm of specialized inboard ski and wake boats? Think again. Yamaha’s Helm Master EX is poised to revolutionize tow sports for outboard-powered family boats and fishing boats.
The Yamaha Helm Master EX is packed with features that enhance navigation, fishing, and maneuverability in tight spaces—especially around docks. It is available for Yamaha outboards from 150 to 450 horsepower with Digital Electronic Control (DEC). However, the Helm Master EX does far more than simplify navigating and docking. Its high-tech functions also transform the world of tow sports.
At water-ski and wakeboard competitions, athletes often talk about how the “pull” from the driver felt—because the quality of driving directly affects performance. Precision driving matters at every skill level—not just for pros. For beginners especially, the driver can mean the difference between a successful ride and a fall.
At the heart of Helm Master EX is its ability to control both boat speed and course with pinpoint precision—benefiting wakeboarding, water skiing, wakeskating, kneeboarding, and barefoot water skiing. Helm Master EX also enhances towing tube riders. While a straight path isn’t critical for towing tubes, exact speed still delivers a smoother, safer ride.
Whether you’re a pro or a beginner, two key elements define a high-quality tow:
• Establishing and maintaining an exact boat speed
• Keeping the boat path perfectly straight—except when intentionally turning
Why are accurate speed and a straight path so important in tow sports?
Maintaining an exact speed is critical for two reasons. First, every skier or rider has a specific speed that suits them best. If it’s too fast, the skier or rider can feel out of control. If it’s too slow, they may feel like they’re dragging or sinking in the water. This puts added strain on the arms and shoulders of the person in tow, making the experience more tiring and difficult.
Second, boat speed directly affects the shape and quality of the wake. This factor is especially important for wakeboarding, wakeskating, and kneeboarding because riders use the wake on both the port and starboard sides as a launch pad for high-flying jumps to perform numerous
midair tricks.
Keeping the boat’s path straight—except when a turn is needed—is just as critical. A consistent, straight boat path results in a consistent wake. Even slight, unintentional turns can compromise the wake’s shape, making it harder for the person in tow
to perform.
For wake sports, an inconsistent wake means reduced airtime and trick execution. For water skiers, an inconsistent wake makes it harder to cross back and forth, whether skiing on two skis or a slalom ski.
Finding and maintaining an ideal speed, combined with a straight path, delivers the most consistent and defined wake possible—maximizing performance and minimizing wasted effort.
But for a driver, keeping a straight path and exact speed within a few tenths of a mile per hour is not that easy, especially when a skier or rider is cutting back and forth across the boat’s wake, leveraging against the boat.
Exact Speed
The speed control switch is located on the throttle. Accelerate to your desired speed and press the switch to hold the speed precisely. The speed can be adjusted on the fly by pressing the switch each time, either up or down, to adjust speed by 50 rpm. This small amount of speed adjustment allows the driver to provide the skier or rider with an exact and optimal speed for best performance.
Boat speed also affects the shape and quality of the boat’s wake. These small speed adjustments also allow the driver to customize the wake for each individual. To disengage the speed control, the driver simply needs to move the throttle.
Autopilot for a Straight Boat Path
The autopilot system provides four separate modes for navigation and trolling.
The Course Hold mode keeps the boat on a straight path—even compensating for wind and current to maintain a precise heading. The driver simply points the boat in the desired direction and presses Course Hold. Helm Master EX takes over to keep the boat on a straight path even when a wakeboard rider or slalom
skier crosses back and forth across the boat’s wake.
Like speed control, the autopilot allows for extremely small course adjustments. The autopilot features a switch for adjustments by one-degree increments and a switch to adjust course by five-degree increments, either to port or starboard. Each time the driver presses the one-degree or five-degree course adjustment, the boat will immediately adjust its path. To disengage the autopilot, the driver simply needs to move the steering wheel.
Joystick Control
The Helm Master EX also features joystick control. Besides being used for docking, this feature is also quite helpful for the driver when returning to a fallen rider or skier. The joystick allows the driver to maneuver the boat exactly where needed, which is quite helpful for many boats, especially twin outboard setups.
Enhanced Safety
The Helm Master EX also revolutionizes tow sports safety. Instead of constantly monitoring the dash for speed and adjusting the throttle and steering, the driver can now focus on the waterway and other boating traffic to provide the person in tow with a safer experience.
A Legacy of Outboard Tow Excellence
From the 1960s through the mid-1990s, outboard-powered boats were predominant for towing water skiers, especially as horsepower increased. Outboards offered a smooth, flat wake—something water skiers highly valued. Yamaha outboards were used in the Water Ski Pro Tour, and Yamaha outboard-powered boats towed world records in the jump event, both in water ski and barefoot water ski competitions. The flat wake and consistent power greatly benefited on-water performance.
Today, the Yamaha Helm Master EX is changing the game once again. Though speed control has been featured on specialized inboard ski and wake boats since the late 1990s, tow boats lack the autopilot functionality needed to maintain a straight path.
Helm Master EX allows families to enjoy a high-quality tow behind boats that were once not considered ideal for tow sports. Thanks to the Helm Master EX, single- and multi-engine Yamaha outboard-powered family boats, fishing boats (such as center consoles and dual consoles), as well as runabouts, deck boats, and pontoons, can now deliver an excellent tow experience to everyone. With the Helm Master EX, now every driver can be a pro driver.
At water ski and wake sports competitions, conversations often center on the quality of the driver. And now, thanks to the Yamaha Helm Master EX, more drivers than ever can deliver the kind of precision that makes all the difference—at any level of tow sports.
Back to Blue Life