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How much ballast is TOO much?


DreamWake

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!

My limited 1 year ballast experience. Ballast is good but its also about cutting, speed too. Don't neglect that.

But to answer your question. My vlx has the 340hp. (Wish now it was 400 hp ;-). I've had it with 2x 750lb nearly full in the back, plus another half full 750 at the bow, plus 10 people (combined with wedge, and aft, centre and ball inboard ballast systems). I think I could still do more. I definitely need to re prop. Starting is ridiculously slow. I could probably still add more weight. I've seen VLXs around here where the water is coming near the rub rail!

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!

My limited 1 year ballast experience. Ballast is good but its also about cutting, speed too. Don't neglect that.

But to answer your question. My vlx has the 340hp. (Wish now it was 400 hp ;-). I've had it with 2x 750lb nearly full in the back, plus another half full 750 at the bow, plus 10 people (combined with wedge, and aft, centre and ball inboard ballast systems). I think I could still do more. I definitely need to re prop. Starting is ridiculously slow. I could probably still add more weight. I've seen VLXs around here where the water is coming near the rub rail!

Eye Caramba fever5 !!!

That is alot of weight, PLUS 10 people and you want more??? Are you running a stock 537 prop??? How much water do you get over your bow??? What do you do when you see a monster wake coming your way??? Turn tail and run???

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Eye Caramba fever5 !!!

That is alot of weight, PLUS 10 people and you want more??? Are you running a stock 537 prop??? How much water do you get over your bow??? What do you do when you see a monster wake coming your way??? Turn tail and run???

Stock prop.

Monster wakes were a problem at first in terms of swamping the boat. I definitely did that once! Thank goodness I had plexiglass divider in the bow. What a sight! The entire front end just dug in, water swamped in, hit the divider and like a giant bath tub splash then 80% of the water went out of the bow. The unfortunate couple in the front got SOAKED it was like a fish tank for 3 seconds.

The solution? When the rider crashes. Slow down. Stop. Count to four, then turn away from the wake to go pick up the rider and follow the path you came.

When I move the bags to one side for surfing, it's amazing the attention the boat gets from shore! 'Is it going to sink?'

Go big or go home.

p.s. I don't go crazy with ballast if beginners or less advanced riders are behind the wake. (I also keep far away from shore, and never, ever, by any dock)

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Is there such a thing? Honestly it's what you are comfortable with having in your boat. Speed and proper technique is more important. Unless you are throwing 720's, 900's, and Inverts with crazy spins I think the stock setup and a good size crew is plenty.

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I had a cop tell me that i had to include the ballast weight as the crew weight for the coast gaurd placard limitations. If that was the case i could have 2 or 3 people in the boat once the ballast was filled up. I guess it's to a point that you feel safe. In just about all my friends boats they run a addional 800-2000 lbs of ballast on top of factory weight.

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Is there such a thing? Honestly it's what you are comfortable with having in your boat. Speed and proper technique is more important. Unless you are throwing 720's, 900's, and Inverts with crazy spins I think the stock setup and a good size crew is plenty.

I have to agree. My inclination is to say tell your son that he should work on his technique. Remember, the more weight that you add, performance and handling gets incrementally worse. What happens when you have to make a quick maneuver if another boat is bearing down on your fallen son? It's much, much harder to do when you've got a boatload of weight. So my recommendation is to be cautious & to pick your spots when loading the boat up.

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Ever since I saw the old video someone posted awhile back with the guy riding behind a barefoot boat with no tower on a directional board absoulutely tearing it up, I've actually went backwords on ballast.

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!
Not one word about wakeboarding that I can see - but I do see more than one hint that he wants to know HOW MUCH.
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LS- that video was of scott byerly a loooong time ago. I agree that technique is the #1 priority. the reason pros use so much is to get the air they need for the redonkulous tricks. but that said...big wake are a lot of fun either way! If you look on Aliance wake's website in the articles they have a few they did called "overweighted" where they took pics and wrote up about certain pros and their ballast setups...off hand I know there is one on josh sanders (i think) supra 24ssv, I think jeff mckees sante 210 (the 06 model) and gerry nunn's bu 23lsv I think. the bu had over 5000# in it. of course repropping should be the first thing you do..I also the coast guard thing is too little on any boat but that's for the manufacturers insurance reasons I would think. but be advised if you get stopped and you have exceeded that weight limit they have every right to write you a ticket. I think I'm close to double the limit but I do it. if your cautious driving and paying attention you'll do fine. the most important thing is if the driver is not comfortable maneuvring the boat...its too much...or if your above the rubrails ;) (its like the "limit line)

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Geez, we got our big butts upside down pretty easily with my 205 & a single 500 lb fat sack....... on the old surf shape boards! My last board with the Hyperlite Shapiro Honeycomb & we couldn't believe how much it changed the swing weight.

Kids now daze just more gas & transmissions to get their lazy butt upside down. Surprised.gif

Sound like your old man yet? There is just a bit of truth in it. Learn the techniques. Then apply them on a medium / large wake & you'll be goin huge. Then your knees will be the next thing to give up.

Get on a foil, with a medium size wake. You'll burn less gas & get twice the air.

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!

We went to the Malibu-sponsored wakeboard event here in Dallas last year, I think. They had one of the triangle-bow sacs in the front, and at least 400's in the rear lockers, in addition to the factory ballast. Plus, they had the wedge down. They wrapped something around the prop, and had to switch to the backup boat, in which they didn't have the bow sac and probably didn't have additional ballast in back. The riders didn't seem to be getting as much air as on the first boat, but they were still absolutely amazing.

Obviously, technique is very important, but in your boat I wouldn't be afraid of adding more weight in the bow to begin with. I've found that if you start adding more weight, the wake starts to get more finicky, and it seems like you have to increase the speed to clean it up.

I've seen guys absolutely tearing it up behind outboard bass boats (the v-hull varieties), FWIW.

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You guys are dead on right tho' - wakeboarding is way more technique than giant wake. A decent ramp from stock wake should be all they need.

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gerry nunn's bu 23lsv I think. the bu had over 5000# in it. of course repropping should be the first thing you do..

My buddy here in Charlotte went to Gerry's camp a couple years ago and ended up purchasing his demo boat from that year. So, I can definitely testified to what the wake is like....and it's ENORMOUS! Even without the Wedge, the boat throws a killer wake, probably 2.5-3' high. With the Wedge, it's just sick. On his boat, I have to ride 75' out or completely blow past the landing and end up way out in the flats....which hurts! Admittedly, I could attack the wake with less speed and that would probably solve the problem.

Back to the boat, I'm not completely sure what Gerry did to get the monster wake. But we don't use anything over the stock MLS. I did talk with Gerry about it (when he was in-town visiting) and he alluded to quite a bot of lead up in the bow.

His wake makes me very jealous, though. I know I'll never achieve that size, but getting 80% of it would be awesome.

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gerry nunn's bu 23lsv I think. the bu had over 5000# in it. of course repropping should be the first thing you do..

My buddy here in Charlotte went to Gerry's camp a couple years ago and ended up purchasing his demo boat from that year. So, I can definitely testified to what the wake is like....and it's ENORMOUS! Even without the Wedge, the boat throws a killer wake, probably 2.5-3' high. With the Wedge, it's just sick. On his boat, I have to ride 75' out or completely blow past the landing and end up way out in the flats....which hurts! Admittedly, I could attack the wake with less speed and that would probably solve the problem.

Back to the boat, I'm not completely sure what Gerry did to get the monster wake. But we don't use anything over the stock MLS. I did talk with Gerry about it (when he was in-town visiting) and he alluded to quite a bot of lead up in the bow.

His wake makes me very jealous, though. I know I'll never achieve that size, but getting 80% of it would be awesome.

Gerry runs an additional 2250lbs over the top of the stock ballast in his LSV. He's a pro though, not many of us need that additional help.

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We just use stock ballast and that's too big...lol

Whimp! Tease2.gif

Yep, no problem w/ that. :)

We bought the Vride last November & had it out a few times before things froze. Several of us rode behind it with the ballast full, some boarders & some foil riders. And several people thought the wake was almost "too big".

Whatever. Get used to it. Slow down your cut a bit & work on getting the pop off the top of the wake. A couple of rides & you'll be cutting at it more aggressively & clearing the wake. Just remember all the details; edge, pop, handle position, etc.

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I've read alot of forum comments and learned a hell of a alot from the crew. One thing I haven't quite figured out yet as far as ballast is concerned. How much is too much? I have a 2005 watersetter VLX, 340 engine. What does the crew think would be too much ballast? My current set-up is 2-400# twin v-drive fat sacs for the rear lockers and a 750# bow fat sac. I have the stock launch system 900#'s 2x200 in the rear and 1x500 in the center. My 15 year old son is a BIG wake freak, the kid is pretty good and definately has potencial to go far BUT his need for a monster wake is concerning me. I'd much rather hear about my boats balast limits from the crew before I find out for myself, 50 feet under under. Love to hear everyones thoughts on this one...... Thanks !!!

Do you have a wedge? We rode behind a vlx last year and the year before and loved the wake with stock ballast and 6 people. Add the wedge and it was great, but we didnt need it. This year we are riding behind or 23 lsv and it is even better i think. Stock ballast 6 people and the wedge with a full tank of gas and you can do anything you want( besides maybe the 1080 but that is what the double up is for!) Why put all that strain and extra wear on the boat when you dont need it?

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I use the wedge if I'm using stock ballast tanks, ya know, kinda out for a joy ride. If I sac it up and use the wedge it takes too low to plane (340hp) wish I had more hp. My motor seems to labor quite a bit more. As far as the comments about technique, speed and pop off the wake, yeah the kids got all that, by the end of this summer he'll be in the outlaw class. I'm not braggin, just sayin the kids not a rook. The kid just wants to go for big air. Ah, to be young. Wakegirl, your right about giving up manuverabilty, I'm reasonably careful but thanks for the warning, something I should have given more thought. Everyone else, thanks for the comments, looks like i need a BIGGER boat..........ha ha

Anyone ever wakeboard with Gordy Bubolz in Freemont, wis ???

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