Nauticurl Review - 2002 21 LSV, compared with manual gate

[sledandski]

I know that there have been a few reviews posted about the Nauticurl here and there but I wanted to add in what I have learned and how it compared to the manual gate I built a few years back.

To see what I am comparing too, here is the thread for the gate that I built.

 

We have been running this gate since I built it with no major changes.  I did change the angle a little bit and have been dialing in my weighting over the years and really found my favorite setup last year. I had thought about rebuilding the gate I have but when I saw the Mission Delta come out, then the various DIY suck gates and then the other commercially available ones I decided I needed to spend some time looking at what was available instead of re-doing the gate I built out of plastic and aluminum.  When I built my gate I spent hours building it to make it the way I wanted it.  I am sure I could build a solid and maybe even cool DIY suck gate but if I could buy something for a few hundred dollars that would be the way to go.   As I looked at different options I found that I liked the design and features of the Nauticurl but there was not a lot of real world reviews on it yet.  So I was geeked when I recently got a chance to spend some time playing with the Nauticurl and compare it to what I was running.

Just a little more background.  My current wave is great for this size boat and I have no complaints, but I have some complaints about how long it takes to set up my current gate (putting in pins, etc), how long it takes to change from one side to the other (remove a bunch of pins, change out plate and then re-install).  Because I made the first version out of steel it is starting to rust so I am a little concerned about rust stains in the boat and have to make sure all of the water is out of the unit before I put it away.  So my main goal was to see if the wave was as good as what I had already (or better) and if the ease of use is better.

Couple of thoughts on the Nauticurl in general.  Fit and finish appear to be first class.  The unit is basically 1 solid piece of aluminum (no plastic like I thought the first time I saw it) with 2 rings welded on the bottom for the suction cups to seat into and then a float glued to the back.  The suction cup handles are also aluminum and the unit I got to test had a float on it, which floats it well.  Only thing I noticed was there was some glue showing at the bottom of the float.  Not sure if this is normal or not, or if maybe because this unit was donated to an event I was at that maybe it was that way.  Minor detail but an observation.  Personally I like the clean design and think they did a really nice job on it.  I also think it may have an advantage of not sliding on the boat due to the way the loads are applied to the suction cup with the deflector portion being behind the last suction cup instead of between.

For this test I surfed the Nauticurl then surfed my old gate.  I ran identical weight for both set-ups and same people in the same spots on the same night out on the water.  The only thing I changed on the Nauticurl was where it sat on the boat and that was simply some playing around to find a good spot.  I found that 0-6 inches up from the back of the boat is ideal.  For weight I am running the following.

Bow sac - 300lb

Belly sac - 500-600lbs

both rear lockers full (400lb each side)

Wedge down

Had 3 adults plus driver in the main area in the boat (none in the bow).  Total human weight was roughly 550lbs.  This is a light set up with this much human weight in the boat.  Typically I would run a 750 on the floor of the boat also, but my goal here was to see ease of use and also compare it to what I already had, not to make the biggest wave possible.  For all of these tests I was riding a 5'1" parks carbon thruster and I am 220lbs.  With this weight in the boat and my weight on the board typically this board is not easy for me to ride behind the boat, but I felt this would give me a better feel for any improvements or declines in the wave.  If the wave declined much I would not be able to go ropeless and if it improved much I would notice it quickly as I would not lose the wave as often.

 

So here is what I found

Ease of use - Nauticurl beats my current solution hands down all day long.  I figured it would be better, but it is way better!!  I can put it on in 10 seconds, and it never moved once.  Switching sides is 10-15 seconds and a breeze.  It takes me a minute to get all the pins in my unit, and then another 30-60 seconds to get it pinned to the boat.  On ease of use I was very very pleased.  It is also really nice having very easy access to the suction cup levers. I know some designs tuck the levers in spots that are not the easiest. Not that this affects the wave but it looks way better than my old gate too.

 

Length of the wave - to test the length of the wave I started with the rope at full length and then tried to surf forward.  With my old setup I could do this but I would have to pump the board to get it moving.  With the Nauticurl it was about the same, maybe a little better.  What made it better I think though is the my old wave "dropped off" faster.  With the old wave the transition from "being able to ride" to "hardly any push" was very abrupt and it was a line that once you crossed you were done.  With the Nauticurl the transition as not nearly as abrupt and there was one time in particular where I recovered from farther back then I ever had.

 

Push of the wave - this is pretty subjective and just how it felt to me.  Up by the boat I felt the Nauticurl had more push and I was on the back of the board more to slow down.  Towards the back I felt that it was about the same, with the exception of what I mentioned above with the transition.  Also, I found that when I ran the Nauticurl all the way back on the side of the boat the first half of the wave had even more push, but was not as steep.  When I moved the Nauticurl forward about 6" the first part of the wave was steeper but did not seem have as much push.  Anything more than 6" forward and the wave was not decent at all for the weight I was running.

 

In conclusion, the ease of use is way better, and the wave feels a little better.  That likely does not sound like a raving review but to make a wave that was better than something I spent hours building and have been tweaking and dialing in for a couple years is really good in my opinion. I want to try some different weight set ups next and see how it does as I think I can dial it in farther and also want to get used to the wave a little bit.  After using the product, putting it on and taking it off, I like it more and more.  Not saying that the other options out there are not good, but being an engineer and having designed and worked on many different things I have come to appreciate something that is simple, solid, well thought out,well finished and works well.  The Nauticurl really hits these things well.  After I get a chance to ride it more and add some more weight into the boat I will update again but that is what I have for now.  Feel free to ask any questions.

 

I did not have a lot of pics but here are a couple

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2017 by sledandski

[vanamp]

Are they both equal when it comes to steering the boat? 

[sledandski]

1 hour ago, vanamp said:

Are they both equal when it comes to steering the boat? 

 

Totally forgot to mention this and glad you asked.  The hardest part of my homemade gate was when you came back around to pick up a downed rider.  With the gate on the right side of the boat if you turned full left at idle you could go straight and maybe just a little left. I would say you had 0-10% left turn ability. With the nauticurl I would say you had more like 20-35% left turn ability.  I didn't spend a lot of time testing it but it was definitely better than the gate I built.

 

while surfing they both pull and maybe the nauticurl has a little less pull but I did not pay much attention too it, so don't hold me too that.  

 

 

 

[MJR63]

I purchased the naticurl after my tsunami wake shaper fell off and broke my lanyard....I have to say I totally love it!  The fit/finish is first class and construction is industrial strength.  The easy of installation/removal is fantastic and the fact it floats is a BIG plus as you don't need a lanyard (dangerous).  I also believe the wave is better than my previous tsunami wake shaper.  At $259 I think it is a great piece of equipment! 

Mark

[95echelon]

Could you post a pic of your previous and some dimensions? Just want to know what we are comparing to...

[dalt1]

Thanks for the review, Ive been thinking about swapping my Wicked Wakes for it. (Mainly for storage reasons for me) Anyone want to buy a set of Wicked wakes, Mine been listed here in classifieds. Will have to go to Craigslist to sell them now. Where people won't see this thread.

 

[sledandski]

On 8/5/2017 at 9:19 AM, 95echelon said:

Could you post a pic of your previous and some dimensions? Just want to know what we are comparing to...

95, here is the thread I started when I built the first unit a few years back.  

 

I don't have exact dimension but length is roughly 13-14" long and height is about 9-10.  Hope that helps and let me know if there are any questions.

[dalt1]

On 8/5/2017 at 8:48 AM, dalt1 said:

Thanks for the review, Ive been thinking about swapping my Wicked Wakes for it. (Mainly for storage reasons for me) Anyone want to buy a set of Wicked wakes, Mine been listed here in classifieds. Will have to go to Craigslist to sell them now. Where people won't see this thread.

 

Sold my Wicked wakes today and will purchasing Nauticurl. Any discount codes still active that anyone knows of?

[racer808]

On 8/5/2017 at 7:04 AM, MJR63 said:

I purchased the naticurl after my tsunami wake shaper fell off and broke my lanyard....I have to say I totally love it!  The fit/finish is first class and construction is industrial strength.  The easy of installation/removal is fantastic and the fact it floats is a BIG plus as you don't need a lanyard (dangerous).  I also believe the wave is better than my previous tsunami wake shaper.  At $259 I think it is a great piece of equipment! 

Mark

I gave up on my Tusunami, I have GSA but I think I am gonna give the Nauti a whirl

[John I.]

19 hours ago, dalt1 said:

Sold my Wicked wakes today and will purchasing Nauticurl. Any discount codes still active that anyone knows of?

This one may work WWORLD20. (unfortunately it's $20, not 20%)

[dalt1]

Called and got it done. Talked to Andy at Nauticurl. He gave me a $30 off code. Don't know if he wants it published so just give them a call if interested.

[MikeDe]

Does anyone know how these compare in size to the Mission Delta?

 

 

*Edit - I could probably use the companies sites to figure it out....

Edited August 9, 2017 by MikeDe

[isellacuras]

I have been running th nauticurl gate for most of the summer. I find that the listed wave is (IMHO) better but the convenience of not having bags in the cabin is worth it. I do run the nauticurl with a pretty significant list. 

[Bill_AirJunky]

2 hours ago, MikeDe said:

Does anyone know how these compare in size to the Mission Delta?

 

 

*Edit - I could probably use the companies sites to figure it out....

Mission Delta, Tsunami Wake & Nauti-Curl are all pretty close to the same size.

[MikeDe]

16 hours ago, Bill_AirJunky said:

Mission Delta, Tsunami Wake & Nauti-Curl are all pretty close to the same size.

Thanks Bill

[formulaben]

@sledandski FYI we moved the gate forward and it really improved the wave...that's what I love about the suction cup gates is you can play with the placement.  I love this thing over my old gate.  Turning after a downed rider was a one-direction affair, but with this it's almost like it's not there.

[sledandski]

Just now, formulaben said:

@sledandski FYI we moved the gate forward and it really improved the wave...that's what I love about the suction cup gates is you can play with the placement.  I love this thing over my old gate.  Turning after a downed rider was a one-direction affair, but with this it's almost like it's not there.

Sweet, how far forward did you move it??  Also, what weight are your running?

 

Totally agree with the suction cups and being able to play with placement.  Only problem is my wife is not a fan of our boating times being my test and tune time.  Especially when I show up with a spread sheet of the different combo's I want to run.  I started with the gate about 18" forward from the rear corner and was not getting a clean wave at all.  At 12" forward the wave was starting to clean up but the rooster tail was still coming over at times.  6" from the back is where I had a good wave and did most of my testing. 

[formulaben]

We started almost all the way aft but went as far as the ballast thru-hulls/gas cap, which is about 3 feet forward.  I tried lowering the gate and the wave went to mush.  I was surprised at how far forward we could go.  This was on the goofy side.  I heard that on the original wedge that forward made the wave longer, but less push.  Inexplicably his seemed to do both.

[sledandski]

3 minutes ago, formulaben said:

We started almost all the way aft but went as far as the ballast thru-hulls/gas cap, which is about 3 feet forward.  I tried lowering the gate and the wave went to mush.  I was surprised at how far forward we could go.  This was on the goofy side.  I heard that on the original wedge that forward made the wave longer, but less push.  Inexplicably his seemed to do both.

Interesting!!!  I want to try it now.  How low in the water was the gate then?  The top of the gate was just below the water line (see pics in post 1) in my setup.  I wonder if I should have lifted up the gate some as you are way farther forward than I was.  My wave went to mush as I moved forward, which is why I went back.

 

Still had good push and good length?

[formulaben]

I initially put the cups just below the chine; not sure if you have the same chine on your model, but on mine I believe it is where the 2 colors (black & gray) meet.  I went lower to see if it would get rid of the "spray" which really isn't all that bad, but thought it might subside, which it did but the wave was much worse.

[ajgear]

Another trick we figured out this weekend was to tilt the suck-gate.  If you put the front suction cup lower than the rear, you impart a slight angle to the gate that not only introduces yaw, but also pitches the boat away from the gate.  It didn't change the size of the wake, but it certainly cleaned up the front portion.  Our experience was that the farther back we could get the gate, the better the wake was.  The physics of the scenario would back up the thought that the farther behind the center axis of the boat the gate is, the more leverage it has to move the back end over.  Moving it forward doesn't improve the rate of yaw, but it does keep the gate a little higher in the water, preventing too much water from going over the top of the gate and then crossing over and creating the bubbly edge on the front portion.  Depending on the contour of your boat, you cant always move the gate up.  So moving it forward can accomplish a similar result when the bow angle comes up.  Listing can also accomplish that (hence our decision to tilt the gate forward to induce some roll).  We're going to try running a double gate (one above and slightly behind the other) this weekend to see if we can prevent the water that goes over the top of the lower gate from washing across behind the boat.  It shouldn't effect slow speed turning, simply because the upper gate would be above the waterline when the bow comes down.  We'll see how that all goes.

[dalt1]

On 8/9/2017 at 3:53 PM, dalt1 said:

Called and got it done. Talked to Andy at Nauticurl. He gave me a $30 off code. Don't know if he wants it published so just give them a call if interested.

Ordered it on a Wednesday afternoon and it showed up on Saturday afternoon to Nashville TN area.

[sledandski]

3 hours ago, formulaben said:

I initially put the cups just below the chine; not sure if you have the same chine on your model, but on mine I believe it is where the 2 colors (black & gray) meet.  I went lower to see if it would get rid of the "spray" which really isn't all that bad, but thought it might subside, which it did but the wave was much worse.

 

2 hours ago, ajgear said:

Another trick we figured out this weekend was to tilt the suck-gate.  If you put the front suction cup lower than the rear, you impart a slight angle to the gate that not only introduces yaw, but also pitches the boat away from the gate.  It didn't change the size of the wake, but it certainly cleaned up the front portion.  Our experience was that the farther back we could get the gate, the better the wake was.  The physics of the scenario would back up the thought that the farther behind the center axis of the boat the gate is, the more leverage it has to move the back end over.  Moving it forward doesn't improve the rate of yaw, but it does keep the gate a little higher in the water, preventing too much water from going over the top of the gate and then crossing over and creating the bubbly edge on the front portion.  Depending on the contour of your boat, you cant always move the gate up.  So moving it forward can accomplish a similar result when the bow angle comes up.  Listing can also accomplish that (hence our decision to tilt the gate forward to induce some roll).  We're going to try running a double gate (one above and slightly behind the other) this weekend to see if we can prevent the water that goes over the top of the lower gate from washing across behind the boat.  It shouldn't effect slow speed turning, simply because the upper gate would be above the waterline when the bow comes down.  We'll see how that all goes.

 

Very cool!!  

 

FormulaBen - Here is a pic of what the side of my boat looks like.  I was running it at the bottom of the middle section (where the colors go from red to white).  I am thinking I should trying running it higher up and see what happens.  Its interesting that it results in a better wave when mounted higher instead of lower.  I am coming from a gate that covers the whole side of the boat so you never worried about high vs low.  As I am thinking about it more though I think you might be on to something.  Delaying the top section of flow is going to allow the wake your surfing on to clean up because it can wash over the non surf wake, but the water flowing in the normal path around the bottom is going to provide the counter acting flow needed to build the wave up.  Now I need to do more testing!!

 

ajgear - good tip on tilting it.  I saw a pic or two on FB of someone running 2 units, one above the other.  I would be curious what you find.  I think you have have to run far back if your going to try this.  

 

 

[formulaben]

3 hours ago, ajgear said:

Another trick we figured out this weekend was to tilt the suck-gate.  If you put the front suction cup lower than the rear, you impart a slight angle to the gate that not only introduces yaw, but also pitches the boat away from the gate.  It didn't change the size of the wake, but it certainly cleaned up the front portion.  Our experience was that the farther back we could get the gate, the better the wake was.  The physics of the scenario would back up the thought that the farther behind the center axis of the boat the gate is, the more leverage it has to move the back end over.  Moving it forward doesn't improve the rate of yaw, but it does keep the gate a little higher in the water, preventing too much water from going over the top of the gate and then crossing over and creating the bubbly edge on the front portion.  Depending on the contour of your boat, you cant always move the gate up.  So moving it forward can accomplish a similar result when the bow angle comes up.  Listing can also accomplish that (hence our decision to tilt the gate forward to induce some roll).  We're going to try running a double gate (one above and slightly behind the other) this weekend to see if we can prevent the water that goes over the top of the lower gate from washing across behind the boat.  It shouldn't effect slow speed turning, simply because the upper gate would be above the waterline when the bow comes down.  We'll see how that all goes.

Hmmm, I wonder if the high pitch angle of the boat makes my gate tilted back a bit since I align it with the chine?  Tilting it down would make it more flat against the apparent flow of the water...

[ajgear]

On 8/14/2017 at 8:10 PM, sledandski said:

ajgear - good tip on tilting it.  I saw a pic or two on FB of someone running 2 units, one above the other.  I would be curious what you find.  I think you have have to run far back if your going to try this.  

Unfortunately, location of the "Malibu" lettering on the back of my buddy's boat did not allow us to go with a double gate setup on his 2011 VTX.  We did, however, bump from the Mission Delta to the Nauticurl, and it was seriously night and day difference.  The Nauticurl is far better in every respect.  Tilt angle was also much more effective with the Nauticurl, I think largely given the contour of the shaping lip.  This isn't the greatest picture, but it's the "after" on the Mission vs. Nauticurl trial.  We tweeked some more with wedge and speed, but it was pretty darn good.  He had another 5 or 6 feet behind the full rope length that he could still ride.