JLoflin's 21i Surf/Wake Ballast Setup

[TRD]

I have a 320# that I put under the back seat and (2) 400# v sacs that I put on the port side for surfing. I can put 1 v-sac on each side of the engine as I get better for wakeboarding. This works great for those who can handle the wake when all 3 bags are full and one up front. I have a float 155# brick I think for up front.

so how do you fit that sac under your seat? or do you totally take the rear bench out? I would be interested in getting a sac under my 20i seat as long as people could still sit there comfortably....

Chp, I would like to get w/ you so I can start saving money (maybe a birthday present from the wife in a couple of months)

Picture #2, could it be plumbed to put the 2nd bag on the starboard side for wakeboarding plus all the lines you already have? and what would you do to add the 2nd bag ontop of the bottom v-sac for surfing? Just trying to think it through. This looks more awesome each time I look at this. Great job.
Thanks

[chpthril]

so how do you fit that sac under your seat? or do you totally take the rear bench out? I would be interested in getting a sac under my 20i seat as long as people could still sit there comfortably....

The seat bottom sac we used in J's boat above will actually lift the seat if no one is sitting in it. If you people using the seat, it will just purge once it reaches the bottom of the seat, then just kick the pump off. The only caution si to net let any one just plop down on the seat when the sac is full. This might brake the quick-conn elbow.

[chpthril]

I have a 320# that I put under the back seat and (2) 400# v sacs that I put on the port side for surfing. I can put 1 v-sac on each side of the engine as I get better for wakeboarding. This works great for those who can handle the wake when all 3 bags are full and one up front. I have a float 155# brick I think for up front.


Chp, I would like to get w/ you so I can start saving money (maybe a birthday present from the wife in a couple of months)

Picture #2, could it be plumbed to put the 2nd bag on the starboard side for wakeboarding plus all the lines you already have? and what would you do to add the 2nd bag ontop of the bottom v-sac for surfing? Just trying to think it through. This looks more awesome each time I look at this. Great job.
Thanks

I see no issue plumbing in the sac on the starboard side of the engine. If you wanted to do this in addition to the setup layed out above, I would suggest going with a 2nd pump. Although this adds to the cost, but it would reduce the complexity of the plumbing, speed up the fill/drain time, and add a little more flexibility. Deffinitely an idea to build on.

[TRD]

I see no issue plumbing in the sac on the starboard side of the engine. If you wanted to do this in addition to the setup layed out above, I would suggest going with a 2nd pump. Although this adds to the cost, but it would reduce the complexity of the plumbing, speed up the fill/drain time, and add a little more flexibility. Deffinitely an idea to build on.

PM me w/ a rough cost.
Interested and would like to see what is involved. Do you wire the pumps onto the switches on the dash?

[Jloflin420]

so how do you fit that sac under your seat? or do you totally take the rear bench out? I would be interested in getting a sac under my 20i seat as long as people could still sit there comfortably....

When the sac is completely full, its hard to ride on the back seat, I usually just pull the bench and move it to the walkway. I do this as its usually just me and a buddy when we go play. If there are more people, I just fill until it starts to raise the seat then shut off the pump and gain the weight of the persons.

[Tigebert]

Thanks Mike. There's some good potential there. A little fine tuning and some decent conditions should yield some good times. The rub rail is in the right spot.

What TAPS setting?

So for a good surf wake the rub rail should just above water level, is that right? I'm going to set my 02 21i for surfing this summer. Budget doesn't allow for built in ballast right now so I was thinking of a 750# in the rear storage locker (as far to port as poss) and then throw a couple of bodies over there as well. Do you think that would work?

[NICKYPOO]

Bert- That is basically what I've been doing for years although I just use two ski locker sacs. One in the trunk and one under the seat. I only fill the under seat one enough to fill the space and not push the seat up (too much). The only problem is that you end up weighting both sides. Counterproductive at best. However, it still works surprisingly well with a couple of people in the corner. I'm only gonna run this for one more season as chp and I are working out some details on my system. It should be pretty trick and should yield 400+ pounds on each side (selectable, port, starboard or both) and be completely below decks.

[chpthril]

Phase-2 is underway, look for deatils in the stereo section

[Jloflin420]

Hellz Yeah Im so excited!!! I cant wait to get her back, summer is about to get even better.

Phase-2 is underway, look for deatils in the stereo section

[mdelleman]

Sorry, to bring back an thread but I am looking doing a similar and have almost the same boat.

Where did you put your vents? Opposite side of the bag location? Above the rub rail? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[chpthril]

Pretty certain the vents are below the rub rail. Walkway sac is venting to the port side. Under seat sac if venting to the STBD side, but I could not find a pic showing its location, sorry. Extra floor sac along with the side gets manually vented.

Let me know if there are other questions, ill try to answer.

[mdelleman]

Do I need a check valve for the vent if under the rub rail and we are surfing on that side (and its under the water while under way?

If you had to do this install again on the same boat would you change anything?

I am thinking of putting a 370lb W704 in the locker and then the 650lb w705 under the rear seat? Leaning towards using the impeller style pump, 1 maybe 2. Any thoughts?

[chpthril]

We use check valves in most all of our kits because I like the more complete drain we get. we can also benefit from them in decreasing passive draining.

1 or 2 pumps? Speed. Are you in a hurry to fill/drain? Granted, those 2 sacs will not take long to fill or drain. inside of 10 minutes on a single pump? 4-5 mins with a pump for each. Will you ever fill one and not the other? If your plan is to fill both, together, each trip out, then you could do a piggy-back type configuration. However, if you plan to fill, or the other and not both, then you need a diverter when using a single pump.

On a shallow bilge boat like these, impeller pumps are the way to go. Too risky with aerators that you might end up with air lock on the fill pumps.

What would I change, design wise? Hummm. Cleaner means of running the walkway sac hoses through the seat base maybe. In this day an age, id bet we would be setting the boat up to surf weighted evenly in the aft, rather then listed this this boat was setup. This would likely change how we did the extra sac.

[chpthril]

We use check valves in most all of our kits because I like the more complete drain we get. we can also benefit from them in decreasing passive draining.

1 or 2 pumps? Speed. Are you in a hurry to fill/drain? Granted, those 2 sacs will not take long to fill or drain. inside of 10 minutes on a single pump? 4-5 mins with a pump for each. Will you ever fill one and not the other? If your plan is to fill both, together, each trip out, then you could do a piggy-back type configuration. However, if you plan to fill, or the other and not both, then you need a diverter when using a single pump.

On a shallow bilge boat like these, impeller pumps are the way to go. Too risky with aerators that you might end up with air lock on the fill pumps.

What would I change, design wise? Hummm. Cleaner means of running the walkway sac hoses through the seat base maybe. In this day an age, id bet we would be setting the boat up to surf weighted evenly in the aft, rather then listed this this boat was setup. This would likely change how we did the extra sac.

Let me know if I can assist with the sacs and plumbing.

[Ruger761]

Years back I added a second bilge pump added the outlet right under the rub rail, see pic (sorry not the best pic but only thing I had for now). There is a lot of room there to add the hole once you get the hose to it. My locker bag vent is T'd into that line with a check valve on the vent and one on the bilge pump.

IMG_3127 vent hole.jpg