Official Z3 Taps 3 Setup Thread

[Germaine Marine]

Got back out this weekend for some more testing with the Z3. Brought the go pro with me this time.......

Setting were as follows: 2000 lbs rear (1000 each side) and 30% in each front bag (330 lbs total). Taps at 4, Taps 3 at 5. Speed 10.8

I got to the front ballast total for my setup by using a ratio of front to back weight from Tige's recommendation for Surf XL of 100% rear and 35% front. So Surf XL would be 2400 lbs rear (1200 each side) and 35% each bag up front (385 lbs total). Taps at 4, Taps 3 at 4. Speed 10.8

I set up all my timers to the closest 15 second increment. Used my phone to time fill and empty times on each bag and then changed the times in the TT.

Here is the wave with the above setup:

Port:



Starboard



As you guys know, I am 400 lbs short in the rear so I wanted to simulate an extra 400 lbs so I filled a floor bag I had. Weight wasn't all the way back like I wanted but I got more weight in the boat.

Bag:



Port with 450 Filled:



Shape and size changes but I could not get that lip running through the wake to go away.

Starboard:



I wanted to do all this testing with level weight in the back. I think it's pretty close to dialed. Really happy with the starboard wave. I can live with port but it can definitely get better. Might have to bleed off some starboard weight or play with the front ballast more. Maybe more surf side weight.

The port side definitely does not roll over as nice as the starboard side does. This could be function of my wife sitting port and my fat arse driving......

Undecided on upgrading rear bags still.

Now we are talking....

I think the lip you are talking about is most likely because of the bag position on the floor.... get the weight a little further back and my money is that you wont have it. My wave is similar maybe a smidge longer and with no lip and I am running the the updated factory bags with between 150-200 in each corner in lead under the bags..

I would be ecstatic with what you have above, huge improvement... would taps change that lip at all? Or how about the taps 3 adjustment? Did any change in those two affect that? If it didnt it would reaffirm that I think the bag placement on the floor is causing it, as I dont have that lip/line running through mine...

[Germaine Marine]

also, our speed tends to be a little higher around 11.2 and sometimes faster

[Germaine Marine]

Also, we play around lot with listing it around 4 degrees at rest..... Thats what I have settled on the most... Makes the front of the wave bigger in my opinion and reminds me most of that Avx wave..

[Z3CO23]

I think the proof is in the pudding.... I need that extra weight back there. I think the bag position could certainly be influencing the lip in the wake. Both of these testing sessions it has been just me and the wife. I will be interested to see if I have the listing to port dilemma when I have people to put over there, my guess it will be problem solved. I tried slower speeds and didn't like it.... I'll try speeding up a tad next time.

In the picture below were just floating along with the throttle barely engaged and were at 3's on the list in all directions. I bet 4 or 5 to the surf side would be the sweet spot. With me and my wife in the boat and me driving I'm certainly influencing the list in my direction......



The surf menu:

[Germaine Marine]

I think you are in the right direction and super close. Just passing along what has worked for us. Im not going to lie, I was pretty discouraged at first but after some patience and a few beers and just time moving and trying different settings its what has worked for us.

But I think the before and after pictures show exactly how crucial the weight is. I would even venture to say that the taps3 system might need even more weight like what Ragboy is experiencing with the RZX. I have 200 in lead in each corner and it made another leap forward.....

[Surf406]

looks decent but it also looks like your having to turn the boat to make it happen, well at least in the pics it looks that way. nice setup for sure

[Z3CO23]

looks decent but it also looks like your having to turn the boat to make it happen, well at least in the pics it looks that way. nice setup for sure

Yeah the camera angle makes it look funny for sure. Straight driving for all the setups pictured.

[Germaine Marine]

The boat does noticeably list more to starboard than it does to port. Both rear bags were filled all the way on both sides. The taps 3 does force the boat over. It was just me and the wife and I was driving.



The boat was originally ordered by the dealer without AVX or Taps 3..... to my knowledge. I don't know what the exact number is, not sure without the numbers sheet in front of me. Taps 3 system was factory priced though.



AVX is awesome for sure. I think it is smaller than the typical Surf XL taps 3 Z3. I am running with 400lbs total less weight in the rear right now than Stock XL. My W004 bags are only 750 full and the 250 hard tank gives me 1000 lbs per side with leaves me short 200 per side. The bow was totally full too...... on future testing I'm gonna test it at 75% 50% and 25%

I don't anticipate swapping out for bigger bags this year. I need more time to play with it than I had as well. I'll get it dialed in.

Not sure if the setup with my boat having the hard tanks still will be different than the later builds without.

Eventually I'll probably get the W005's since the plumbing will match my W004's. The W005' will get me to the stock Surf XL weight in the back.

Ill get some more video this weekend hopefully. I have a 450 free bag I can fill and put on the floor too...... I'll try this as well and report back. Thanks for the input fellas.

Looking forward to playing with it and dialing it in. Really like out new boat.

Actually you are only 100lbs less per side, as tige went down in overall ballast this year from 3500 to 3000 with 300 of the 500 coming from the front from what I have gathered.

[Germaine Marine]

So the ballast this year for the plug and play Surf Xl is 1100-1100 and 400-400

[Z3CO23]

So the ballast this year for the plug and play Surf Xl is 1100-1100 and 400-400

This is good to know and also makes sense. My boat was ordered with 250 hard tank and 350 overflow bag for 600 each side and dual 550's in front for 2300 total, labeled "Pro ballast" for 2015. I am assuming Tony from Tige's comments on ballast setup was based on the surf XL from 2016. My brain works analytically so I usually look at every situation like that.

Tony's recommendation for 2016 Surf XL were 35% front 100% rear.

So.....

Based on 800 lbs of weight for the front ballast in 2016, 35% of that would be 280 lbs. 280lbs/2200lbs of rear weight gives us a ratio of front weight to rear weight base line of .1272 or 12.72%

I'm at 2000 lbs at the rear. Multiplying that by the baseline percentage of 12.72% of the rear weight tells me I need 254.4lbs of weight up front.

254.4lbs/1100 lbs (dual 550's) of available ballast I have up front = 23.12% for my front bags.

My testing in the pictures was at 25% full in the front, which should have been pretty close to exact because I altered all of my timers to exact fill and drain times.

It would of been interesting for me to have put my extra bag on the rear seats and increased my bow weight to 45%. Ill try that next outing and report back.

This is all theory obviously....