2013 Z1 with convex vx

[Galaxy24]

Going to have this boat built and was wondering if any one has experience with the Z1 with convex vx. The boat will be primarily used for a combination of wakeboarding and surfing. A couple of questions for those who have experience with this setup or who are familiar with weighting boats:

Is the convex vx worth the money?

Do you think that the 1600# surf option is enough or should I go for the 2000#?

Dealer says 1600#/convex vx is a great setup. I have no reason to not believe him but wanted to get some additional input.

I should be able to demo one in a couple of weeks with the convex vx but would like to get some knowledge before hand.

Thanks for any input.

[Surf406]

if it wer me id def go with as much ballast as possible, you may not fill it all the way up but at least u have the option to if needed and i would def get the convex as well that combo is going to be awesome, when i purchase my next tige im gonna load it up on weight and also have the vx as well.

[Galaxy24]

I understand what your talking about. i like the philosophy. The only thing is that the larger bags take up the storage space which I need. I am hoping that with the convex vx the extra weight isn't needed.

[chpthril]

Here are a couple things I do know. The difference between the surf and pro level is added bow weight. They run the same rear tanks and surf sacs.

Once the VX was added to the Wake9 Z3, they realized more weight was needed, not less. This stands to reason as it extends the hull's running surface.

The Z3 really seems to like extra bow weight. The original Z1 hull also liked bow weight, but I have no clue about the new Z1 hull as I do not recall seeing any action shots yet.

[boardman74]

Like Chp said, if anything you will need more weight with the VX. You surely aren't going to need any less. makes the running surface longer spreading the weight out more, making the boat ride higher in the water. Thats why it disengages at wakeboarding speeds or you would need so much weight for a good wake. As far as I know the front ballast takes up all the space whether its the standard400(900 or surf) or the 800 with the pro. Either way there is no storage up front. On my RZR you can't even lift the cushions up front and I think the Z1 is the same way. Go with the pro if you can afford it, there is no storage loss.

[luke]

go big you will not regret it

[Galaxy24]

Thanks guys for the input. I was told by the dealer that the 400# bow bags extend further down the side of the boat. For example under the driver and passenger dash. I haven't seen this with my own eyes but that is what I was told. I will meet with them again to get a better understanding on how the bags are laid out. I think I would like to go with the larger bags. It sounds like the boat will like the extra weight and it gives more flexibility with weight options. I'm curious on the cost of the upgrade though. Thanks again guys.

[skippabcool]

I am hoping that with the convex vx the extra weight isn't needed.

My understanding from what I have read is that the convex vx is more to shape the wave, meaning it is not like a wedge, switchblade, gate, etc... in what it does. Don't know if that does anything for your decision. As the others have said with it you will definitely want to go with as much weight as possible. The other option might be that you don't need the vx and to get a custom sac for the rear for surfing.

[bigskymudflaps]

I can't wait for more feedback on the vx. I was recently at a boat show and had an opportunity to kick the tires. For me it looks like it will flatten and smooth the wake, reduce prop wash, smooth the wake transition, and maybe even force the exhaust deeper into the water. As far as "shape" it, I'd say not much. Probably knock it down a bit and make the pocket longer. For me, a long pocket is king, a large wave is queen........ I have an rz2 which has a ton of bow rise when surfing. I surf pretty fast by most standards, about 12 or a tiny bit more. I like how speed lengthens the pocket and makes the wake more firm. It would be really cool to see wake improvement and less bow rise on my boat. A smoother wake would be an improvement, seems like the forward chines disrupt the wake more than the v's. Could be side spray, which will not be affected by a vx.

As far as whether a vx is worth the extra cash? The wake is surfable without ballast if the board is big enough. The wake is better with more ballast, and probably even "better" with a vx. If you want the best surf wake out of your boat, buy it. If you want the best surf wake out of a tige, buy a z3 with a vx (I know this is debatable, but I think at least a z3 would be better than a z1). As far as ballast goes, get the most you can, it's a good setup from tige -- conservative however. Factories expect people to fill all tanks. So, if you fill just one side for surfing on a factory boat, you end up with less ballast than you could safely run. More ballast, bigger wave, more fun -- at least that seems to be the reasoning. I think my setup all bags full is almost 4,000lbs, which is way over the coast guard rating. One side full for surfing(<2k), reasonable and safe...I think a lot of surfers would add more than the max factory. Rarely on here, or anywhere for that matter, do you hear about too much ballast. No matter your decision, I'm sure you will have fun.

[Galaxy24]

What you are saying about the convex vx is spot on and you bring up some other good points. After thinking more about this.I need the storage, yes. Do I want to surf, yes. I will only need the extra storage 2 - 3 times a season when we camp, however, every weekend we will be surfing. It makes more sense to go with the larger ballast capacity and sacrifice the storage. I can always find some place to put camping gear 2 - 3 times out of the season. Thanks for the input.

[Bruizza]

Definitely go with the pro ballast set up. The amount of storage you "lose" is so minimal you won't even notice it.

[bigskymudflaps]

Keep in mind, you only need one side to surf. If you have one locker full with stuff and you want to surf on that side, move the stuff to the other side. Another thing, if you throw soft stuff (sharp stuff and bags don't like eachother)in your locker and fill the bags, the bags will fill around the stuff. I have left a water ski in a locker, life jackets, towels, soft sided bags, etc in the locker and then filled it to the brim. No problem with the bags, just less water.

[Galaxy24]

So I have talked to three different dealers and got different answers on if the pro package requires a loss of storage space to accomodate the larger bags. So to determine how it is truly laid out I called Tige and spoke with them directly. According to Tige the pro ballast fits in the same space as the surf ballast. They just install larger bags. No loss of storage is needed. How simple, right? It gets difficult to understand when you have different dealers all telling you different information. You were right boardman, no storage loss. I should have listened to you. Lol. My mind is made up, definately going pro.

Thanks again for the input.

[Bogdog]

So I have talked to three different dealers and got different answers on if the pro package requires a loss of storage space to accomodate the larger bags. So to determine how it is truly laid out I called Tige and spoke with them directly. According to Tige the pro ballast fits in the same space as the surf ballast. They just install larger bags. No loss of storage is needed. How simple, right? It gets difficult to understand when you have different dealers all telling you different information. You were right boardman, no storage loss. I should have listened to you. Lol. My mind is made up, definately going pro.

Thanks again for the input.

I also suspect that someone was covering their *** wrt the cost of the upgrade, hardly seems right if its just a bigger bag

[boardman74]

Surf to pro is nothing more than bigger bags in the front.