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Help -> 2006 VLX wakesurf setup


EricS

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I have a 2006 VLX Standard ballast & power wedge. We are trying to learn to wake surf.

I was finally able to drop the rope, (wedge down, port full, center full, starboard empty, 8.8mph) but the pocket was so close to the boat that I kept riding up on the swim platform.

I purchased a pair of 400# fat sacks, and put one in the rear locker (to increase the wake size) and one up front (to move the pocket back).

Ran the speed up to about 13 (no power wedge), nice looking wake but I'm not able to get much slack.

Deploying the power wedge seemed to kill the face and the wake was frothy everywhere.

We have a Hyperlite Landlock 5-11 and a Inland Surfer Red Woody, I'm 6'4" 200 pounds.

Can anyone tell me how they have a similar boat configured? I'm afraid to add too much more ballast.

I'm thinking about filling all of the stock ballast tanks, moving the front fat sack to beneath the port side seat, deploying the wedge 50%, then fooling with the speed.

Thoughts? What works?

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I have a 2006 VLX Standard ballast & power wedge. We are trying to learn to wake surf.

I was finally able to drop the rope, (wedge down, port full, center full, starboard empty, 8.8mph) but the pocket was so close to the boat that I kept riding up on the swim platform.

I purchased a pair of 400# fat sacks, and put one in the rear locker (to increase the wake size) and one up front (to move the pocket back).

Ran the speed up to about 13 (no power wedge), nice looking wake but I'm not able to get much slack.

Deploying the power wedge seemed to kill the face and the wake was frothy everywhere.

We have a Hyperlite Landlock 5-11 and a Inland Surfer Red Woody, I'm 6'4" 200 pounds.

Can anyone tell me how they have a similar boat configured? I'm afraid to add too much more ballast.

I'm thinking about filling all of the stock ballast tanks, moving the front fat sack to beneath the port side seat, deploying the wedge 50%, then fooling with the speed.

Thoughts? What works?

With what you currently have to work with I'd go this route until you get another bag.

Wedge 100% down. You don't have enough weight to not use the wedge.

Keep MLS ballast the way you have it, if you have bow ballast fill that.

400 bag full in rear locker surf side.

400 bag full on the rear seat surf side.

Use people to dial the wake from there.

I had a 06' vlx and this was the way I ran mine.

Full mls accept non surf side

2 400# bags in the rear lockers surf side

wedge 100% down

I also had a 400# sac that ran under the seats on the surf side all the way up to the storage compartment.

Wake was nice and tall, not the longest I've ever seen but could surf 10-12' back easily. 9.8-10.4 mph seemed to be the magic speed.

Edited by 06vlx
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Thanks!

Did you just stack the two 400# sacks in the rear compartment?

How many people did you need to have on the boat?

I think I'll buy another sack and setup the way you were.

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Thanks!

Did you just stack the two 400# sacks in the rear compartment?

How many people did you need to have on the boat?

I think I'll buy another sack and setup the way you were.

I did have them stacked in the rear compartment. If you are going to buy another sac I would get a 750# sac for the rear compartment then put both 400's on the seats going up the side, especially as far forward as you can on the surf side that will take the line out of the wave from the swim platform.

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Thanks!

Did you just stack the two 400# sacks in the rear compartment?

How many people did you need to have on the boat?

I think I'll buy another sack and setup the way you were.

I did have them stacked in the rear compartment. If you are going to buy another sac I would get a 750# sac for the rear compartment then put both 400's on the seats going up the side, especially as far forward as you can on the surf side that will take the line out of the wave from the swim platform.

Even better is to put 1 400 on the seats, & the other up front in the bow on the surf side. That really lengthens the wave on that boat & was my favorite surf setup.

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Are you talking just the two 400s or are you putting a 750 in the rear?

Also, did you run power wedge up or down?

...When running with left and center ballast full, the two 400s surf side, one in the rear one in the front with 3 peeps in the boat, I came around to pick up a downed surfer, hit my own wake and put about five gallons of lake over the front of the boat.

How much weight can a VLX handle before things get hairy?

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Are you talking just the two 400s or are you putting a 750 in the rear?

Also, did you run power wedge up or down?

...When running with left and center ballast full, the two 400s surf side, one in the rear one in the front with 3 peeps in the boat, I came around to pick up a downed surfer, hit my own wake and put about five gallons of lake over the front of the boat.

How much weight can a VLX handle before things get hairy?

Ahhh the art of driving a weighted boat. It's a learned skill.

Here's a tip.

Rider falls put boat into neutral and turn the wheel to the unweighted side (high side) of the boat.

Boat will turn ontop of the passing wave.

When wave passes put boat back into forward gear but give no additional throttle (could change if boats are nearby)

I would get a 750 and put in in the rear locker, use the 400's on the seats. I ran 2500 pounds including MLS + wedge all the way down in my vlx.

Edited by 06vlx
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You have to have the 750 in the rear, that's a given. 400 on the seat, 400 up front. Wedge full down.

Regardless of what side you're running the weight on, don't power the boat around. You'll chili-dip the bow every time. How I always turned around was this way:

1. Rider falls, bring the boat to neutral

2. As the boat is coming to a stop, it naturally wants to turn to the non-weighted side, which I helped by turning the wheel with it (still in neutral)

3. As the wave comes by, back in gear & start turning the boat at idle speed. The high side of the nose will hit the wave, but it won't bring in water at that speed (don't take the wave straight on & take it as far "inside" as you can). If you power it around, you will take the wave more on the "outside" & at an angle that is more susceptible to chili dipping. The goal is to make the turn to be as tight as possible. Initiating part of that in neutral helps to that end, since it spins almost on axis because of the fins.

4. Once past the wave, I would speed up just a bit to retrieve the rider (careful, the stern rollers are still significant with that much weight in the bow).

YMMV

EDIT: 06 beat me to it. :)

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06vlx & wakegirl

Thanks so much!

I have been turning around all wrong as I had read something entirely different.

With this much weight, am I correct in assuming that you keep the fat sacks empty unless you are actively surfing?

What pumps do you recommend, and how many?

Thanks again, you folks rock!

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06vlx & wakegirl

Thanks so much!

I have been turning around all wrong as I had read something entirely different.

With this much weight, am I correct in assuming that you keep the fat sacks empty unless you are actively surfing?

What pumps do you recommend, and how many?

Thanks again, you folks rock!

Turning around like that will make life much less stressful for you. Look around it will also show you who the real boaters are on your lake.

If you are getting into surfing I would contact Bake's marine and get the add a bag system to your MLS. For external pumps I prefer the Attwood Tsunami 1200's. The more the better it wil just decrease your fill/drain times.

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With this much weight, am I correct in assuming that you keep the fat sacks empty unless you are actively surfing?

Correct. As you've probably noticed, the boat turns into a cow in terms of handling with that much weight. More will make it worse, so don't fill those bags unless you're actually surfing. Have fun & be safe.

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