ballast setup

[dogbert]

Ok, so here's a picture of my wake...we were riding at about 11 MPH (if we went slower, the wake had a tendency to fall over. I had 500 lbs in the rear V-Drive compartment on the port side and another 200 or so on the side bench near the back in the cockpit. Any suggestions on how I can get it to curl more without falling over?

[dogbert]

Another view

[dogbert]

Here's the wake at 10 MPH

[Matt Garcia]

Ya nickypoo I had that same cutout on my 01 23V and it put out a monster wall of water. You cant really tell in this picture but still to this day I havent surfed a bigger wake then my 23V.

[Matt Garcia]

Dogbert, I ran about the same amount of weight plus 4-5 adults and would cruise at 11.5 with a perfect shape. i would try more weight and would not go any slower than 11mph.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by Matt Garcia
Dogbert, I ran about the same amount of weight plus 4-5 adults and would cruise at 11.5 with a perfect shape. i would try more weight and not got any slower than 11mph.

Thanks, man!

I just had one of my kids on the sundeck, he weighs less than 100 lbs.

Picked up a Launch Pad ski locker sack today that should fit under that port side seats that should help make my boat list further to that side. That'll give me about 850 lbs. We'll see how that goes next time out.

That wake pic is incredible, and it's on the starboard side, too!

[sagmanaur]

Ballast

Surfdad,

You sound like you are the leading expert in this area (ballast setup). If you had a 2004 20V, what would your suggested setup be? Or does it matter what size boat you have?

Thanks,

Steve

[harv]

I have a Switch V (20ft) and I put about 500lbs in one back locker fill the front (bow) side sac 150 lbs and add people when I can. I like the wake longer than taller so I try to spread the weight all along the side we are riding on. The more weight I have in front, the longer the pocket is. The wake is still a lot taller than some other boats that I've surfed behind.

I finally taught my wife to wakesurf last night. She has been on the board a couple of times within the last week or two but she finally got the ride last night. I have to add that she really does not live for the rush. A shot of adrenalin for her is to pass slow moving car on a quiet highway. She's hooked, she just called me at work wanting me to ditch and spend the day on the lake! Boy, that's a tough choice.

[dogbert]

Originally posted by harv
I have a Switch V (20ft) and I put about 500lbs in one back locker fill the front (bow) side sac 150 lbs and add people when I can. I like the wake longer than taller so I try to spread the weight all along the side we are riding on. The more weight I have in front, the longer the pocket is. The wake is still a lot taller than some other boats that I've surfed behind.

I finally taught my wife to wakesurf last night. She has been on the board a couple of times within the last week or two but she finally got the ride last night. I have to add that she really does not live for the rush. A shot of adrenalin for her is to pass slow moving car on a quiet highway. She's hooked, she just called me at work wanting me to ditch and spend the day on the lake! Boy, that's a tough choice.

Can we start a support group for wives so we can all get out more like that?

[Surfdad]

I have loaded a ton of boats and have ridden a bunch of different boats in contests or on photo shoots for James, etc. It's funny how two different boats, even from the same manufacturer throw different wakes.

The length of the boat does impact wake development, although the difference of a few feet is probably not noticeable for most recreational purposes. I too will weight our boat differently depending upon what we are doing. Currently we've been practicing for the World Wakesurfing Championships, which is pulled by an Enzo...my understanding is it will be behind their new 24 with a 'blade. In order for that boat to throw a decent wake, it requires that it be travelling in excess of 11.5 mph, or the pocket gets a funny step in it...so...we pull fast...which require MORE rear ballast to maintain a decent height.

I have a fairly standard routine when I start to weight a boat. The Tige is much heavier by design, and so will develop a surf wake pretty easily, but it is also easy to overweight AND at the same time requires more ballast to initiate the list.

Asuuming we are talking about a port side wake, my starting point would be to fill the rear locker with ballast. Personally I would opt for one of the custom made square sacs that are readily available. I would not touch the bow ballast or side ballast at this stage. Then I would run it starting at 10mph and look at the face. If you can run a straightline with a clean face, you are on the right track. If the pocket is short, but tall...you'll want to add ballast to the front. I always start with ballast under the port side bench seat...working from rear to bow. In this way, the height of the wake is maintained, while increasing the pcoket. Adding bow weight knocks down the height rapidly, without a comensurate increase in pocket length.

I go to the bow, ONLY if I can't achieve a respectable height / length pocket. Remember also, that bow weight shifts the weight INWARD away from the list, so it tends to be counter productive.

Finally, when I have a pocket that is about the height I want, with a length in the 12 to 15 foot range, I will add about 100 pounds of lead ballast in the opposing rear corner to the lip and curl off the pocket. This is one trick that can add about 5 feet to your usable pocket...sometimes I have to add up to 200 pounds, but all you want to achieve is the elimination of the curl at the back of the pocket.

[Surfdad]

With that being said, I'd start with 500-600 in the rear locker. 300-400 underneath the bench seat along the port side. About 100 or so pounds in the rear starboard locker and people ballast adjusted to suit.

This is what I like to see behind our Tige.

[dogbert]

Hey Surfdad, can you post a picture of your boat at rest and running so we can see how much list you actually have? As we're all adjusting our ballast to get the ideal, you probably can get a feel for how the wake will turn out while the boat is stationary.

Gets me to thinking, what if used those levels you mount to a camper to level it once you get the ideal setup on each side (as level)? That way, you could just add ballast until both the list and the attitude (front-to-back) are lined up in the levels. Then, if you could make all that electronic and automatic...how sweet would that be. Push a button to setup for starboard or port.

[Surfdad]

I like the idea of the automatic settings. That would perect! I'll have to get some pictures taken, but I can tell you that the rub rail on my boat on the side being weighted is about 5-6 inches out of the water (normally 14 or so inches unweighted) at rest and the OPPOSITE side spray pocket at the leading edge (closer to bow than transom) is just starting to show above the waterline. The swimdeck on the weighted side is probably under water about 4-5 inches.

[sagmanaur]

Thanks

Surdad,

Thanks a bunch for the ideas... My wife will appreciate this tremendously. She has been riding this year, and has become hooked!!! We have a Hyperlite Broadcast 5'-6", and demo'ed a Broadcast 4'-9" this past weekend and she loved the ability to carve "faster". She was screwing around at the end of her run yesterday and almost pulled off a 360. So now I need to get a bigger wake for her so she can continue progressing.

Also, I've been looking online at different boards, and the Trick Boardz look a bit interesting, any words for board brands?


Thanks,

Steve

[dogbert]

Re: Thanks

Originally posted by sagmanaur
Also, I've been looking online at different boards, and the Trick Boardz look a bit interesting, any words for board brands?

My kids prefer to ride the TrickBoardz. It did take them a few times out to master it's maneuverability, but now when they go back to try the Liquid Force Skimskate, they think it's lame. Surprisingly, they can ride with a smaller wake on the TrickBoardz than they can with the larger board because it accelerates faster.

Larry Mann offers a money-back guarantee on his boards, so you can try them.