Suck Gate

[bsreid]

So, I’m out of the sucgate game. I got frustrated with it the other day and took it off and holy Jesus, my wake without it is awesome! I’m not sure how I got, wait for it...sucked into this whole fad but, I did.

I agree. Some boats really like a listed wave. My r20 was one of them.

[BCRider]

Nickypoo: I'm pretty much with you. I posted this on the FB page as well.

The more and more I play with the suckgate on my boat the more and more I've found the best wave to be had is when fully listed, no offside weight, but still running the gate. All this offside weight that gets added gives the line up through the wave which I really don't like.

[Germaine Marine]

Even with the gate alot of these boats still like 5 degrees of lean over to one side while underway....

[JohnnieMo]

If you aim the suck gate such that it is generating a bit of lift then this also gets you the few degrees you need to clean up the wave.

I did a test here. Jump to 1:49.

https://youtu.be/Ef0Db_l9OdE

A bit more list or passenger weight will resolve that line too.

[UNSTUCK]

Man, that wave looks good with the rider on it. Looks like he could launch right off that for some big air. Nice work!

[JohnnieMo]

Man, that wave looks good with the rider on it. Looks like he could launch right off that for some big air. Nice work!

His (my) lack of skill has that being a bridge a bit too far.

However that was at the end of last season when I finally got the boat to its potential. Only took 4 seasons.

[killerbren]

Johnnie I just got my suction cup from amazon yesterday so i'm going to make a suck gate. I figured you were the guy who tested every combination known to man with these things. I watched your videos with the 90 degree shelf bracket bolted to the suction cups then a wood wedge to put the cutting board on an angle. My question for you is what angle? and what size did you cut the cutting board down to?

[JohnnieMo]

Johnnie I just got my suction cup from amazon yesterday so i'm going to make a suck gate. I figured you were the guy who tested every combination known to man with these things. I watched your videos with the 90 degree shelf bracket bolted to the suction cups then a wood wedge to put the cutting board on an angle. My question for you is what angle? and what size did you cut the cutting board down to?

Hey Brennen,

I didn't actually do a lot of testing on suck gate designs. I've done a couple iterations and to be honest it's hard to do it wrong.

Mine is mounted at 13 degrees. It is a small cutting board. I'd say about 6x10. I wouldn't go smaller than that. I've tried the Mission Delta and I think it is a touch too small. In direct comparisons mine is better.

I'm going to build a new one this spring out of better materials. I just placed the order on Amazon for a new suction cup and HDPE. I also want to make it float.

One note - be sure to get some rust proofing spray for the non-aluminum components. (springs, spacers etc) as they will rust otherwise.

I can show you mine at the Reunion and go over what I've learned. Its no show piece but it's very effective.

[bsreid]

Ok the 22ve friends of ours have had the best luck with the gate mounted behind the suction cup sticking behind the boat. A large tab with a gentle angle.

[gumby]

Be careful what you wish for. Mine use to float (the actual device) it makes it a lot harder to get it put on the side of the boat. A little tougher when you are in the water. but that cold late October morning when you are the driver and your rider is suited up ready to go but is unable to get the device on the side of the boat, and the water is cold enough to make King Kong BOYS craw.......Now you are kneeling on the swim platform trying to get your device on and just can't seam to get it because it floats....Eventually you get it but not before the BOYS are scared for life. (they are nervous just telling the story) Needless to say mine dose not float any more!!! It has a short piece of wakeboard rope with a small bumper tied to it.

[BCRider]

Bsreid: I had mine as far back as I could the one day and although it worked well the spray coming out the side would come across the surf side wave and in your face. I personally find so far that about the middle of the Chromax logo is better as the side of the boat helps direct the spray back. I got the wife to pick up a new cutting board from Walmart yesterday as I want to make a bigger plate to see how that effects the wave and spray.

Last time out with my neighbor out back. This is full list with the gate, half bow full, 11.4, taps 4. I also have Corey's taps plate.

[bsreid]

Hmm we were running with great success with the gate literally sticking out past the boat. We were running mainly level with a little bit of people offset. If it’s spraying up out of the water try angling it down a little further so when you’re up to speed it’s level.

[JohnnieMo]

Every boat will be a bit different. However the principle is mostly the same. You want to have a big enough gate that it impedes the flow of water down the one side of the boat and causes the boat to yaw a bit. The secondly you have to control the over spray such that it doesn't annihilate your wave. Every hull deals that a bit differently and it is hugely based on how deep the hull is in the water with respect to where the gate is.

Despite many different attempts I was never able to control the over spray on my Z1 hull when using gates mounted at the back of the boat. I HAD to mount it forward a couple feet. Other hulls might work right at the back. So try your gate in lots of configurations and you'll learn best.

I maintain that on a Z hull, you want it like this, with the gate up front and mounted with a downward facing angle. The Z hull makes this easier than most.

suckgate.jpg

[NICKYPOO]

^^^ That's the set up that has worked best on my boat. I didn’t like that newer one hanging off the back. The wave was cut in half on the height. It’s super clean but it’s a tiny little section of any power. Anything above it is too flat. Not to mention the spray, no matter what angle I set it at was dumping over the rear locker. Not cool. The old set up at least catches the rubrail enough to keep it out of the boat. It too creates the same type of effect on the wake. Too much effect seems to be my main issue. I think I’m gonna just cut one down tiny just to see what that might do.

[UNSTUCK]

After a few different tries with make these I found that mounting the suction cups towards the front of the boat with the gate towards the rear of the boat worked best. I also had the gate angled back quite a bit. Nowhere near 90*. Probably more like 60-70. Doing these things gave a great wave and made it so no water sprayed either up into the boat or at the surfer. Follow the design of the Naticurl, which I felt was 10 times better than the delta, having tried both.