Ballast Install 24V - Thanks Mike (Chpthril)

[topaz surfer]

Nice write up and Im also looking forward to some wake pics.

[Stingreye]

First the good news! I was worried my fuel pump was going out but it turned out to just be a combination of a dirty/clogged fuel filter or just water in the gas. I struggled opening the Fuel Control Cell that the filter is in with my extra large channel locks in vice (channel locks did not slip but wouldn't turn it). Andrew (SBFAN) who I bought the filter,board racks, and cover) told me that I needed to use a pipe wrench. Sure enough my pipe wrench that would barely fit on it with a shorter handle than the channel locks broke the seal quickly.

We were rushing to get the boat on the water before dark so only got to quickly try to ballast system this trip. There were two adults on the boat.

First pic. Jumbo almost full. It fills a little bit more than this pic. Question for anyone using Jumbos, do you find the back port seems to be higher when full than the front port? Should I switch the fill and the vent and put the vent closer the transom and the fill closer to bow? Seems backwards from what I would expect.

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You can see the Jumbo doesn't fill the rear compartment completely.

With surfside Jumbo, underseat sac, and both bow sacs full, here is where the rub rail is. The 24V is a deep boat with likely 1700-1800 lbs of water ( 800-900 in the Jumbo and maybe 500 in the underseat sac, and maybe 500 in bow). The capacity of the sacs are 1100, 650, and 400 each for bow sacs but the Jumbo and bow sacks definitely do not get full. I like how much room I have to the rub rail especially since I am new to driving an inboard let alone a weighted surf boat. Feels very safe.

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I added a flap out of the horse stall mat. Sorry, pics are a little blurry. It helped calm the spray big time after adding an FAE. I LOVE my FAE and wouldn't take it off for anything. Quiet and no exhaust fumes. Definitely pick up the mat locally. I a 4 ft by 6 ft one for about $50.

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Low light and a cell phone camera don't mix but here are the only two shots of the wake. These pics do not do it justice. The 24V seems to generate a good wakesurf wave pretty easily because I really have no experience dialing in wake and I have been able to get out there surf without much tinkering.

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Those pics were around 10-11 Mph and taps at 1 or 2 I think. We only had a brief time out there so we filled up and tested it out. Mike is sending me out some check valves for passive draining I am having on my fill pumps. Although not necessary, I am also adding check valves on vents for bags that share a vent/drain as some of the water re-enters bag. Other than that, the system is working great and we LOVE our Tige!

Looking forward to getting back on the water and tinker with TAPS, speed, 250 lbs in lead wake, and two fat bricks. Any tips on where you would start with it? Last time (pre-flap), I had 100lbs of lead under each rear sac and 50 lbs behind driver for goofy wake and it seemed good. Regular side put lead in walkway.

[Stingreye]

Here some more pics. My 4 year old and 2 year old daughters LOVE tandem surfing. We use the bigger Broadcast 5'4" (same board we teach beginners on) for riding tandem.

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We are running 11mph (run 11.5-12 usually when not tandem with girls), TAPS at 4-5, Jumbo rear filled (800lbs?), under seat rear (500lbs?), both bow sacs(4-500lbs?), swim platform fat brick sac (155lb) (this sac makes the biggest difference on my boat, thanks Duffy for the tip), another fat brick on the ballast boy seat (155 lb), 100 lbs of lead wake under Jumbo sac, 50 lbs of lead wake in ballast boy seat under fat brick, and 100 lbs lead wake in opposite rear locker under jumbo, my wife, and driver.

The part that really cleaned up my wave was the mud flap.

I had 4-5 big guys in the corner one trip out and the 24V wave just gets better with more weight.

So after that trip and drooling over Duffy and MooseX's custom sacs..... I ordered some custom sacs from MLA to maximize the rear lockers and under seat ballast seats (around the 1800 that Duffy and MooseX are getting).

Can't wait to see what the wave is like.

I also have been enjoying my 4'8" quad fin Triple X Slayer Board more than my TWP Bomb Pop (twinzer and 4'10"). I like the speed rail to rail of the quad fin vs the twinzer setup. I can feel the drive from the fins as I pump. I always rode Thruster style boards in the ocean so it may just be a comfort thing. The Bomb is VERY fast straight down the line speed though. The Bomb Pop is also a MUCH lighter board.

So I may put the Bomb Pop up for sale soon. Its pretty much in pristine condition but its expensive to keep if I am not using/enjoying it as much as the Slayer and too fragile to keep as a board for others to use. Anyone have a clue what a good price would be for a used Bomb Pop?