We have received a lot of requests to test the Z3 with just the stock system, not the competition wake. We have been quite crazed to make sure we had a competition ready wake in time for the West Coast Wakesurf Open that we kinda past that over. Well now that our comp wake testing is done, we did a test with just me and the kids and we left the extra sacs on the pontoon boat. No extra lead, water, nothing but us and the Pro Stock system. Not even a cooler or ice.
Before I get to the pics and video, it looks bigger than you would expect, that has a lot to do with the way this is weighted. When we do a comp wake, we may use lead but we try to build the wake with just water, and I personally want to see a boat build a comp wake with nothing but water, all hidden away, and all plumbed or easily plumbable. The RZ2 for instances was like that, everything was built around the L-Shaped custom sacs put in the corner. So each custom sac probably held about 1200 lbs or so (maybe less in reality) and then a 250lb hard tank under the corners and 2 400 lb tanks up front on either side. (the Pro System) The thing is, with the RZ2 you filled one corner with 1200 and the 250, nothing on the other side and then only a single front tank on surf side. So you end up with a comp/weekend warrior weighting of about 1850 lbs plus people. The rub rail is on the water at this weight, but it felt reasonably safe and it put out a great wake. Of course sometimes we weighted it more or had more people or whatever, but that was basically our daily weight. You couldn't add weight to the other side or more to the front for the best wake.
The same went for the RZ2 Pro Stock weighting. You filled up the rear corner and then that was it, very little if any up front to have decent push with the smaller weight, but it still was a great stock wake.
So ballast weight of RZ2 comp weight: 1850
ballast weight of RZ2 pro stock weight: 650
Now the Z3 you start with the SAME L-Shaped custom sac. Even though we don't have ours yet, that is why we used a Jumbo and a 440 on the corner and side to simulate the L-Shaped sac. About 1100 in the surf corner plus the 250 hard tank. But the Z3 wants weight all over so you have to add weight to match the corner weight, so you end up with 1000 lbs up front and then 600 or so on the opposite side plus people. That is how you end up close to 3k on the Z3 for comp weight plus people, yet the rub rail is still 4 inches off of the water and you are only listed 8 degrees. It doesn't feel that heavily loaded at all and the motor is working about 3k RPM like it does on all our other Tiges.
Same goes for the stock system on the Z3. Because of the way the boat likes to be weighted for the optimum wake, you end up using 650 in the surf corner, ~325 in the opposite corner, 500 front surf corner, and then ~250 opposite surf corner. So the Pro Stock system on the Z3 for best wake you are using 1725 lbs!
So ballast weight of Z3 comp weight: ~2900
ballast weight of Z3 pro stock weight: ~1725
I say all of that first, because when you see the pictures and video of the stock weighting, it doesn't look like what you would get from a stock wakesurf boat with 650 total in the corner. In the RZ2 you are using 33% of the total ballast to make the wakesurf wake, and then in the Z3 you are using 75% of the total ballast. And from the beginning, Rick and Danny from Tige told me this is what they were going for.
So here is the setup. It was quick because after playing and learning the boat with more weight, I was able to quickly figure what it should be stock, and we nailed it quick. This thing/likes needs that weight up front. I filled up surf side 100% front and back, then I did front 50% on opposite. Then I setup my clinometer and with people situated filled opposite rear corner until I got about 8 degrees. That was rear about 50% also.
Jesse was first.
Thomas was cold, but having fun. The wake was about as long, especially cuz the curl was smaller.
Trying to get air.
Maddie can't pump, and can't recover well, but she seemed to do just as well with the stock wake.
RJ was very shocked, he did ride it stock in Texas, along with Dennis, and they both said it had tremendous push. But conditions were bad, now they were cold, but great conditions. He said it had great length, and tons of push, about as much as before, he said he couldn't really tell the difference. The wake was not as tall, and he said the lip is better on the comp wake, but other than that, if this is all he had to surf on he would be more than content.
He liked the lip good enough.
So he rode backside, and he can't pump almost at all, Dennis rides much better backside than he does, but he got way back and rode back in several times.
So now for some raw video. I filmed in 1080P this time for the highest resolution, so feel free to hit full screen on this one. I also thought about it ahead of time and took the time to try to take identical on the water shots from both sides and compare at the end of the video. People argue with me all the time that EVERY boat will make a better wake on one side due to prop rotation. Watch the video all the way through, and tell me again. ;-) The wakes are not only the same on both sides but each side reacts the same to speed and taps. Both sides are setup in the video EXACTLY the same, except for maybe a bit off when compensating for driver, but Maddie is driving. TAPS is at 5 in all of this. My only complaint is that when comp weighted, you can go taps from 3-6, taps at 1 and 2 are dirty. At stock its dirty all the way to 3 or so, and 5 really cleans it up. Anyway, here is the video.
NOTE: This video is different than what I posted on WW, more fun. Its shot in 1080P, so to get the full effect, hit full screen mode. Show this video to people when they argue that all boats make a better wake on one side.
Before I get to the pics and video, it looks bigger than you would expect, that has a lot to do with the way this is weighted. When we do a comp wake, we may use lead but we try to build the wake with just water, and I personally want to see a boat build a comp wake with nothing but water, all hidden away, and all plumbed or easily plumbable. The RZ2 for instances was like that, everything was built around the L-Shaped custom sacs put in the corner. So each custom sac probably held about 1200 lbs or so (maybe less in reality) and then a 250lb hard tank under the corners and 2 400 lb tanks up front on either side. (the Pro System) The thing is, with the RZ2 you filled one corner with 1200 and the 250, nothing on the other side and then only a single front tank on surf side. So you end up with a comp/weekend warrior weighting of about 1850 lbs plus people. The rub rail is on the water at this weight, but it felt reasonably safe and it put out a great wake. Of course sometimes we weighted it more or had more people or whatever, but that was basically our daily weight. You couldn't add weight to the other side or more to the front for the best wake.
The same went for the RZ2 Pro Stock weighting. You filled up the rear corner and then that was it, very little if any up front to have decent push with the smaller weight, but it still was a great stock wake.
So ballast weight of RZ2 comp weight: 1850
ballast weight of RZ2 pro stock weight: 650
Now the Z3 you start with the SAME L-Shaped custom sac. Even though we don't have ours yet, that is why we used a Jumbo and a 440 on the corner and side to simulate the L-Shaped sac. About 1100 in the surf corner plus the 250 hard tank. But the Z3 wants weight all over so you have to add weight to match the corner weight, so you end up with 1000 lbs up front and then 600 or so on the opposite side plus people. That is how you end up close to 3k on the Z3 for comp weight plus people, yet the rub rail is still 4 inches off of the water and you are only listed 8 degrees. It doesn't feel that heavily loaded at all and the motor is working about 3k RPM like it does on all our other Tiges.
Same goes for the stock system on the Z3. Because of the way the boat likes to be weighted for the optimum wake, you end up using 650 in the surf corner, ~325 in the opposite corner, 500 front surf corner, and then ~250 opposite surf corner. So the Pro Stock system on the Z3 for best wake you are using 1725 lbs!
So ballast weight of Z3 comp weight: ~2900
ballast weight of Z3 pro stock weight: ~1725
I say all of that first, because when you see the pictures and video of the stock weighting, it doesn't look like what you would get from a stock wakesurf boat with 650 total in the corner. In the RZ2 you are using 33% of the total ballast to make the wakesurf wake, and then in the Z3 you are using 75% of the total ballast. And from the beginning, Rick and Danny from Tige told me this is what they were going for.
So here is the setup. It was quick because after playing and learning the boat with more weight, I was able to quickly figure what it should be stock, and we nailed it quick. This thing/likes needs that weight up front. I filled up surf side 100% front and back, then I did front 50% on opposite. Then I setup my clinometer and with people situated filled opposite rear corner until I got about 8 degrees. That was rear about 50% also.
Jesse was first.
Thomas was cold, but having fun. The wake was about as long, especially cuz the curl was smaller.
Trying to get air.
Maddie can't pump, and can't recover well, but she seemed to do just as well with the stock wake.
RJ was very shocked, he did ride it stock in Texas, along with Dennis, and they both said it had tremendous push. But conditions were bad, now they were cold, but great conditions. He said it had great length, and tons of push, about as much as before, he said he couldn't really tell the difference. The wake was not as tall, and he said the lip is better on the comp wake, but other than that, if this is all he had to surf on he would be more than content.
He liked the lip good enough.
So he rode backside, and he can't pump almost at all, Dennis rides much better backside than he does, but he got way back and rode back in several times.
So now for some raw video. I filmed in 1080P this time for the highest resolution, so feel free to hit full screen on this one. I also thought about it ahead of time and took the time to try to take identical on the water shots from both sides and compare at the end of the video. People argue with me all the time that EVERY boat will make a better wake on one side due to prop rotation. Watch the video all the way through, and tell me again. ;-) The wakes are not only the same on both sides but each side reacts the same to speed and taps. Both sides are setup in the video EXACTLY the same, except for maybe a bit off when compensating for driver, but Maddie is driving. TAPS is at 5 in all of this. My only complaint is that when comp weighted, you can go taps from 3-6, taps at 1 and 2 are dirty. At stock its dirty all the way to 3 or so, and 5 really cleans it up. Anyway, here is the video.
NOTE: This video is different than what I posted on WW, more fun. Its shot in 1080P, so to get the full effect, hit full screen mode. Show this video to people when they argue that all boats make a better wake on one side.
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