Ghetto Gate v1.0

[Nitrousbird]

Nitrous - Not sure what you are doing on your front bag, but I put in a central ski locker bag and bow underseat bag this year. I didn't piggyback. Instead, I used a T to fill/drain both bags at the same time from one pump. Works well.

A T or Y = no control over how much goes into each bag. I am doing a Y-valve instead. Due to the location and flush mounting depth, I invested in the expensive Fly High version, as I think I can more easily adapt it to go through the seat base. Since the valve will be next to the driver it is easy to control.

Bow bag is a must with or without gate I'd imagine. Our wake without it stinks. Really short.

And you're right about more weight in the back corner. I go a bit over 250 lbs. There's an appreciable difference in the wake if I move from the observer seat to the back corner or the sunpad.

Have you sealed your rub rail? We get a bit of water through ours when we're loaded heavily like we were this past weekend. Not much, but enough that I have the boat sitting uncovered under the canopy with the storage lockers open to air out.

It's pretty crazy the wake you can get out of the old '01s though. I rode out my first surf 360 this weekend behind ours.

I haven't noticed any water getting in through the rub rail. I've found a little water in there, but it could easily have come from being wet on the sunpad. If it is coming through the rub rail it isn't enough to be worth fixing. I didn't notice any water on the upper carpet yesterday in there. Regardless, the boat is garaged with the lockers open to ensure everything dries nicely.

[Hammertime]

nicely done

[Malibudude]

Well done! The wake would be even larger with a monsoon....

[Rmack]

Well done! The wake would be even larger with a monsoon....

I think I just pooped myself or possibly pulled an abdominal laughing.

[CrystalSurf]

Any update Nitrousbird? v1.x?

[Nitrousbird]

Any update Nitrousbird? v1.x?

I sort of gave up on it after have 0 success with it on vacation. I tried and tried to make a rideable wave again and it was just frustrating so I gave up and haven't tried it since.

I love how the wake is cleaner/longer. My big complaint on vacation is that it lacked push and the height just wasn't there. I should try weighting it with more towards the bow to see if that makes a difference, as I hear the Surfgates like running bow heavy.

[mnhays]

Nitrousbird, I made a 'ghetto gate' if you will, and was using it with 2 750s in the v drive lockers at 700# surf side and ~450-500# non surf side, and the wave, was absolutely gorgeous, but had no push. I added 500# on top of the ski locker and 500# in the bow and holy smokes.

The wave doesn't look nearly as pretty. but boy is that pocket long, and we can ride ropeless all day. tons of fun now.

[wakedncsu]

I sort of gave up on it after have 0 success with it on vacation. I tried and tried to make a rideable wave again and it was just frustrating so I gave up and haven't tried it since.

I love how the wake is cleaner/longer. My big complaint on vacation is that it lacked push and the height just wasn't there. I should try weighting it with more towards the bow to see if that makes a difference, as I hear the Surfgates like running bow heavy.

I also built something similar to yours. My gate is mounted lower than your gate is by a couple inches. My weight setup was both storage locker 750s, ski locker, 300 in the front, 120lb driver, and about 300 lbs of VAB on the ski locker to make a surfable wave. I'm still seeing what I can do to make it better, but that was a very long, surfable wave

Edited August 13, 2013 by wakedncsu

[CrystalSurf]

I sort of gave up on it after have 0 success with it on vacation. I tried and tried to make a rideable wave again and it was just frustrating so I gave up and haven't tried it since.

I love how the wake is cleaner/longer. My big complaint on vacation is that it lacked push and the height just wasn't there. I should try weighting it with more towards the bow to see if that makes a difference, as I hear the Surfgates like running bow heavy.

Thanks for the update. I hear you on the frustration. I almost always have little kids in the boat and so doing trial and error with a homemade gate would be exceptionally frustrating...for both them and me.

[MarkJames]

Thanks for this thread and the inspiration to give this a try. I built my own version of this last night for my 2010 VLX. I mounted it today and took a video of the wake. I'd be interested in hearing some opinions of it cuz I'm NOT an expert on this at all.

My boat is, like I said, a 2010 VLX. So it has the malibu launch system and the power wedge. This video is shot with the right tank half full, the left, front and center tanks full and the wedge down. I've got additional 750lb sacks in each of the back corners. Without the gate I would use them for sure but my first run I had them filled and it was WAY too much. Under full throttle I could barely make 12mph and the wake wasn't that great. With the 750's empty things improved a lot and this wake looks pretty good to me. I'll get a pic of the gate if anyone is interested - it got dark when I was coming in so I couldn't today.

I'm gonna go ahead and do this up nicely with Lenco actuators - I just wanted a 'proof of concept' and I'd sure appreciate hearing your opinions on the wake height, shape, length or anything else that might help.

Funnily enough, I was doing this mod for me - I surf goofy. The wake is pretty good on the left. I didn't realize that the gate went on the 'opposite' side of the side you surf so I made one for the right and ended up doing this for the left side. No biggie - my son is enjoying the heck outta this wake - I've never seen him ride for so long.

Here's the youtube link with just the wake. The water had settled down a bit by the time we filmed this and I think it looks pretty good but I'm no judge.

This link has my son surfing it. There was a bit of wind chop so the wake was a little sloppier than in the first video and he's not surfing his best cuz I think he was a little surprised by the size.

Mark

Edited August 3, 2014 by MarkJames

[MarkJames]

In case anyone is interested here are some pics of my version. It cost me nada. I had all the materials lying around the garage. It's made out of a piece of fir left over from a guitar I was building, a pine shelf from an old wall unit, some fir 1x6's that used to support the mattress from my kid's bed, some scrap 1/4" aluminum that I cut on the table saw and bent in the vise and two eye screws. I used a web clamp through both eyes and off to the center mount on the back of the transom to hold the gate 'in' to the platform and then a second, shorter web clamp through just one of the eyes to hold it up tight to the transom. I put a piece of uhmw cutting board into the part that touches the transom to prevent friction damage.

This is just a proof of concept build and I'll be doing this for sure in a permanent variety next. The pine shelf definitely won't stand up to longterm water immersion - it's glued up of strips and I'm sure it'll fall apart right quick.

It works great!

Edited August 3, 2014 by MarkJames