Ballast Under Floor?

[rensink]

I'm just wondering why tige doesn't start putting ballast under the floor. Gives you storage space, and you can put more ballast in the boat. Yes I know they run the "No ballast need sales pitch" but isn't about time they got rid of it? Almost all hardcore riders order ballast or install it anyway? Just my and I'm wondering does anybody else agree? My thoughts of the under the floor if they could would be same lay out for the 900 and throw in a center tank for 400lbs or so......

[mtnsmith]

I 100% agree. I believe that the whole issue with in floor ballast is the way the composite stringer system is built, it occupies most of the space that would normally be available for an in floor ballast system. I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm wrong, but this has come up several times before and I think that was the main reason. I gotta say it is nice being able to get to the tanks cause I have had a couple plumbing leaks that I would not have been able to fix had they been in the floor, I have heard this being a problem on other boats a couple of times.

Here is a rendering of the stringer system: http://www.tige.com/tec.php

[FIC]

It would be very difficult to build a strong hull for rough use with tanks built into the floor unless you raise the floor above the stringer system. As pertaining to hard core are you talking about pro level tricks or the average family of wake boarders. I have yet to see a time when my sons who are proffessional skiiers and semi pro riders have not been able to do aggressive tricks with ease behind any model of tige with no ballast.

[chpthril]

I'm just wondering why tige doesn't start putting ballast under the floor. Gives you storage space, and you can put more ballast in the boat. Yes I know they run the "No ballast need sales pitch" but isn't about time they got rid of it? Almost all hardcore riders order ballast or install it anyway? Just my and I'm wondering does anybody else agree? My thoughts of the under the floor if they could would be same lay out for the 900 and throw in a center tank for 400lbs or so......

If Tige does, I probably wont buy another one I would say that, in order to make room in the floor for tanks, you are going to have to leave voids in the stringer sys. This will take away from one, the dry weight of the boat so now it will ride rough like a MC, Bu, Nauty. And 2, reduce the structural soundness of the boat. Now it will flex, creek, moan......in other words, ride like a MC, Bu, and Nauty. J/K, but nothing rides like a Tige

I stood beside an 08 Nautique 236 on my dealer's lot awhile back. From the keel to the gunwale, it looks every bit as tall as a Tige, till you climb in and sit down "Wow, how can this floor be so shallow when the boat looks so deep. My knees are at my ears. No way will I ever own one of these" says the wife. It's like like sitting in a Ski Nautique of yester-year. So, where did all the depth go Did David Copperfield design this boat? Must be smoke & mirrors.

Not trying to pick on any one brand, but this is just a real life example that we experienced just a couple of months ago.

I would rather sacrifice a little storage space (only while the bags are filled) then loose the "all day on the lake comfort" of my Tige

[Razzman]

Calabria has been using their Pure Vert ballast system for years in their ProV. It fills in under a minute and empties in 15 seconds adding 700 lbs. of water weight without using pumps. And as an added bonus it has plenty of freeboard, comfort and hull integrity. They use four internal compartments, not tanks, two up front and two in the rear. It's all part of an engineered hull system. from their site:

"Our Multidirectional HLS(tm) Liner System, distributes at least twice as much water weight than any other factory installed system over at least 2/3rd's of the running profile of the boat. In essence, The PureVert(tm) Wake System allows the entire boat to sit deeper in the water, not just the transom.In effect, the bow running profile is the same whether the tanks are full or empty. This allows the driver of the vessel to actually see what is ahead while maintaining a comfortable seated position."

If you've never seen one of these it's a pretty impressive boat, rides very snooth, handles chop well and is very stable. They are probably one of the best looking boats out there as far as fit and finish not to mention huge inside.

Check 'em out here if you've never seen one just for giggles; http://www.waterskimag.com/boat_insp...cture=1&boat=1

[mtnsmith]

That's something else I should have said I would like to see, ballast sacs instead of tanks. I guess it is easier to do tanks cause then you don't have warranty issues where people puncture their sacs and you don't have to explain to people to not have as much stuff in there while you need the ballast. The calabria is pretty slick, my wife liked them when we were just looking for a wakeboat but there is really no dealer anywhere near us.

[spenchey2]

that is slick.