Weighting help

[houstonshark]

I've been shuffling some weight around in the RZR and have it pretty close to dialed in for wakeboarding @ 23mph, 70' and TAPS at 2 but I'm having a strange issue. Here's the setup:

Bow ~ 1000lbs
~ 420lbs from the 400lbs factory sac (sub enclosure doesn't let it fill fully on starboard side) and 1 Pop bag in the cut out below the forward most bow seat
~ 200lbs from sub and 3 Pop bags on starboard side under the dash
~ 460lbs 9 Pop bags, amps, anchor, etc

Port Rear ~ 150lbs
~ 150lbs in additional battery weight over factory, 0% ballast

Starboard Rear ~ 150lbs
~ 85lbs in additional battery weight over factory, add ballast until the starboard wake is clean < 25% ~ 65-100lbs

Once I get the starboard wake clean I hit Fill All, wait a few seconds then stop the bow and let the rear ballast fill until the wake gets scary big if I want (it is actually quite big prior to hitting Fill All!). The problem though is that while the starboard side looks great and is not peaky or has a lip at the top, the port side has a nasty lip with zero ballast in the rear and more than enough in the bow to keep it from being peaky.

The more ballast I add to the port side, the taller and peakier the wake gets. I feel like I have plenty of weight up front to keep this from happening but it still does.

I noticed that when a rider cuts out hard on the port side, the wake cleans up and doesn't have the lip but as they approach the wake, the lip comes back. I'm thinking that maybe I should move a couple of the Pop bags that are in the observers compartment below the windshield further back, closer to where the rope attaches to the tower.

Any thoughts or input? All of these obversations are with just me driving, my wife riding (or vice versa) and my 2 small kids spread out in the boat.

[Wickedcummins]

Try 24 25 26 thats where we ride at and its super clean on both sides

[houstonshark]

I don't think speeding it up is going to help the difference in wake shape from side to side.

[Wickedcummins]

does mine

[robert theisen]

When my RZ2 is weighted i run 24.5 to 25 mph,I did the same with my 2007 22VE.But i ride at 85' when weighted. I ride at 75' 23mph with only 3 people and no ballast in the boat and 22.5 at 70 ' no ballast with just Shirley driving.Always add mph when you add weight.

[houstonshark]

When my RZ2 is weighted i run 24.5 to 25 mph,I did the same with my 2007 22VE.But i ride at 85' when weighted. I ride at 75' 23mph with only 3 people and no ballast in the boat and 22.5 at 70 ' no ballast with just Shirley driving.Always add mph when you add weight.

That makes sense Robert, especially for larger boats and has also been my experience. The difference here is that the only weight I have added is from the helm forward. The reason I added the weight there is to be able to run more rear ballast, hoping to create a larger wake. The 400lbs of factory ballast in the front is just not enough.

The strange issue here is that the wake on the port side, while big with only front ballast, is peaky and further back than 75' has a nasty lip that actually curls over. I've always thought that the lack of front weight is what creates a peaky wake.

I'm not afraid of going faster, I just don't think it's necessary with this weight and at 70' on the RZR.

[robert theisen]

That makes sense Robert, especially for larger boats and has also been my experience. The difference here is that the only weight I have added is from the helm forward. The reason I added the weight there is to be able to run more rear ballast, hoping to create a larger wake. The 400lbs of factory ballast in the front is just not enough.

The strange issue here is that the wake on the port side, while big with only front ballast, is peaky and further back than 75' has a nasty lip that actually curls over. I've always thought that the lack of front weight is what creates a peaky wake.

I'm not afraid of going faster, I just don't think it's necessary with this weight and at 70' on the RZR.

Just set your Speed set at 25mph and see if that fixes the wake.My wife wake boards at 21 mph and TAPS on 1 the wake is taller and washed a little on the port side then i get in and go 22.5 mph and Taps on 6 and the wake is clean and symmetrical.It only takes 1 to 1.5 mph to make a big difference with no ballast.With ballast it takes 2 to 2.5 mph.It seems to work on every boat i've been on.Please show us pictures of this peaky wake your describing.

[houstonshark]

Just set your Speed set at 25mph and see if that fixes the wake.My wife wake boards at 21 mph and TAPS on 1 the wake is taller and washed a little on the port side then i get in and go 22.5 mph and Taps on 6 and the wake is clean and symmetrical.It only takes 1 to 1.5 mph to make a big difference with no ballast.With ballast it takes 2 to 2.5 mph.It seems to work on every boat i've been on.Please show us pictures of this peaky wake your describing.

Alright, I know these are terrible pics (my 4yr old was playing around filming mommy with the GoPro and I was able to grab a couple screen shots that weren't terribly shaky but it was at the end of the day and the lighting was terrible) but you can get the idea of the difference in wake shape with the port side being rampy while the starboard side is smoother and more rounded. Again, this is zero rear ballast so that's why the wake is not very large (although it actually is quite big in person).

[robert theisen]

Doesn't look like anything speed wouldn't clean up.

[rensink]

Doesn't look like anything speed wouldn't clean up.

Yep agreed, also what's the depth lucite riding in?

[Wickedcummins]

Ya depth Is a huge player

[houstonshark]

Would depth make an issue side to side? I really think its a matter of moving some weight around in the cabin area. I'm not worried about going faster but 23mph seems plenty fast enough for a 20' boat with such little additional weight/ballast. We'll see next time we get to go out in the boat. The weather doesn't look too promising for the next week or so. I'm happy for the rain though! I also need to take the boat in for the 75hr service. We already have 81 hours on it since mid March!

FYI, Daniel Watkins rides behind a RZR with full Surf ballast (1600lbs) plus another 1500ish lbs in the bow and walk through, 1235 prop, 72.5' rope, TAPS on 2 and 23mph.

[houstonshark]

I'm pretty sure Daniel's run for the Tige MyWake Global Challenge was behind his RZR. The wake doesn't look necessarily huge but it sure does look nice and clean, without a big vertical lip.

Damn, I want to get out on the water now!

[Bruizza]

I'd add more rear weight and see if that does anything. You are 700lbs heavier up front. Try to knock that done to like 400lbs. I've personally never ridden a boat that biased to front weight. If it doesn't help you can try moving pop bags and speeding up or changing taps etc...

[houstonshark]

I'd add more rear weight and see if that does anything. You are 700lbs heavier up front. Try to knock that done to like 400lbs. I've personally never ridden a boat that biased to front weight. If it doesn't help you can try moving pop bags and speeding up or changing taps etc...

Yeah, the 1000lbs up front is really just to try and be able to use as much rear ballast as possible. Until I get the port side wake clean, it only amplifies the issue by adding additional rear ballast.

Daniel said you really want to try and keep the weight in the RZR balanced or no more than 40/60 (bow to stern). If I run the ballast in the rear full that would put me at roughly that ratio until you start factoring in people weight.

We'll see...I'm sure it's just a matter of moving some weight around and playing with everything else. It just seemed strange to me that you typically get a lippy or peaky wake by not having enough bow weight as compared to the weight in the rear which was clearly not the case.

Here's another thought...Any chance it could be an alignment issue with the TAPS plate, or a bent TAPS plate? We've had issues with TAPS since the beginning and my dealer recently replaced the ram and the plate on the boat. I guess I should check how level the plate is relative to the boat. I could see this being an issue if the plate were lower on the port side.