ballust

[Original Wing Nut]

I know Tige' do not need ballust. Those of you who have got ballust, are you using it boarding and surfing? What are pros and cons? I'm thinking hard about the rival system. Help convince me. Maybe Talltige guy can shed light on his new system, can you live without it now that you've had it?

[Gschmidt1]

Tige's not needing "ballast" is baloney. Not sure about ballust.

Just kidding. Ballast DEFINITLY helps the wake on tiges. I have hear a LOT of good things about rival, so I would say that wouldnt be a bad choice. What boat do ou have?

[CP3]

Hey
I have the fly high v-drive sacs and the tube sac.
I use them for wakeboarding and surfing. I could not wakeboard without them now. It makes the wake soo much better. Its probably about 1000 lbs..
For surfing I load the two v-drive sacs on top of each other. It has such a long an big pocket it is crazy.
My only down side is I just use one tsunami pump so it takes a while to fill up and drain. I still dont know how I ever boarded with out them.
never leave them full and cruse with them though. and definately dont trailer with them full.

PS I am looking to install and automatic system like tigeguy. just dont have the money right now.

[talltigeguy]

Wing nut -

I used to board primarily without ballast, just due to being in a hurry to get started and having to mess with plugging in pumps and setting out bags. Now I wakeboard every time with some ballast. I personally find my 24V wake is awesome with just a few extra hundred pounds in the nose. It allows me to get better air with poorer technique. Since now it just involves flipping a switch, I do it every time.

I have started surfing a lot more and my wife loves it too, so the ballast is a must. I have been stoked with the system.

The only cons to the system are the money spent on it (and time if you install it yourself). I can't think of any downside except maybe things like:
1. Boarding injuries because you have been getting more air
2. I use up more gas than before
3. My rollers are a lawsuit waiting to happen when I tip over some old geezer in a fishing boat
4. I am even more addicted to the water sports thing than before
5. Now my wife wants to take a turn all the time, and she doesn't know when to quit!
6. If I have guys driving the boat that are not experienced with the boat, they manage to catch the rollers into the front of the boat when surfing.
7. Now I felt I had to buy another surfboard
8. It might kill my plans to ever sell this boat and upgrade because I have put so much into it. I love this boat.
9. I bought quick release connectors, but it is still a pain to take out the sacks so the carpet underneath can dry out. It takes me an extra 5 minutes to take them out and 5 more to get them back in. Fortunately, unless number 6 occurs, I don't need to do that.
10. Somewhere in the back of my mind is still a fear that somehow that 1 and 7/8 inch hole in the bottom of my boat is going to break open and sink me.
11. I still keep a tsunami pump with me so I can fill the sacs manually if I have a failure.

[Paublo]

I've had my Rival system in since the boat was new (2-1/2 yrs) and feel that it is probably the best option I got on the boat. I spent 4 days last week with a bunch of scouts on Powell and didn't need the ballast at all for wakeboarding with 8 people on the boat. But once a day we would fill just the back corner for surfing. If I'm at the lake with just 3-4 people, we fill everything unless someone us just learning. Like its been said, once you get used to it, you will always want the bigger wake. And I can't really think of a down side. You will even get some of the initial cost back on resale.

[rollo]

the only way to ride in my boat is with 900lbs on each side of the motor and a 500lbs up front, not full all the way but to me the wake with my boat sucks and the taps does not help that much.Sorry just came back from the lake today.