Need help with Wakesurf

[Fifty-Fifty]

Crew - I tried out my two Phat Zacs (400lbs each) on my 23LSV 2004 and place them both on Port side, filled factory blastast Port side, deployed Wedge and still not impressed with Wake to enable "ropeless" wake surf. Speed tried: 9, 10, 11, and 12 mph. Nothing worked. Waked seemed a little better with extra ballast but not near enough to go ropeless. Suggestions needed ASAP, going to Bass Lake tomorrow and I do not want to be showed up by a friends Tige, etc.

[Lance B. Johnson]

I just learned this yesterday......no joke. I am by no means an expert but what made a difference for me (completely different boat btw) was adding more weight than you currently are.

I replaced the hard tanks with 750s and still wasn't getting an ideal wake. I went out yesterday just to hang out with my son and play around with the surf wake. No distractions, just me, my boy and my fat sacks. If your close enough to water I recommend doing this also as no one is there to ride.

So what I found was just what everyone here says. I put a 400 lb sack up front but pushed as far to the port side as I can. I put a 300 lb tube (estimate)under the port seats. and another 400 lb up by the batteries. Cant fill this one all the way and still get the cushions on though. The midship ballast was full as was the port side 750.

With this set up the wake was clean even with the wedge down (this was the main problem before)

So my advice to you would be to add more people or more sacks, all on the side you want to surf.........then play around with the speed.

[txdyna65]

This is how we do our 08' 23 LSV

fill all ballast except non surf side, put a 750 sack in the rear locker and two 400 pound sacks in the seat along the surf side and then a 400 up front. We run the wedge almost all the way down, but bump it up a couple of notches. We usually surf around 11mph sometimes a little more. This is with 3 people and 1 surfing. If we have more people in the boat we put the bags in the floor next to the seat. Puts out a great wake and the goofy side is even better and no problems with going ropeless.

Good luck to ya

[jtrovato]

I just learned this yesterday......no joke. I am by no means an expert but what made a difference for me (completely different boat btw) was adding more weight than you currently are.

I replaced the hard tanks with 750s and still wasn't getting an ideal wake. I went out yesterday just to hang out with my son and play around with the surf wake. No distractions, just me, my boy and my fat sacks. If your close enough to water I recommend doing this also as no one is there to ride.

So what I found was just what everyone here says. I put a 400 lb sack up front but pushed as far to the port side as I can. I put a 300 lb tube (estimate)under the port seats. and another 400 lb up by the batteries. Cant fill this one all the way and still get the cushions on though. The midship ballast was full as was the port side 750.

With this set up the wake was clean even with the wedge down (this was the main problem before)

So my advice to you would be to add more people or more sacks, all on the side you want to surf.........then play around with the speed.

This may not help the original poster, but I can go ropeless all day long in my vRide with a 750 in the rear locker, midship ballast full, about 400 lbs under the long seat along the surf side, and manual wedge down. Anything more than that is just extra to make it bigger and longer, but I have a great wake with just that setup. Here are a couple recent pics, there were only 2 people on the boat when these pics were taken, driver and spotter. It's a pretty good wave with no weight added up front. I find with the SV23 Wake hull on our vRides, the weight up front doesn't help as much for surfing as most people preach.

Edited August 16, 2009 by jtrovato

[Awest]

There are a lot of posts of different methods people use depending upon their boats and ballast. It is always worth repeating that it is partially the board you use. That said I was always having trouble until I just decided to drive in about a 50 yard circle to force the boat more to one side and get the lean I needed. Make sure you have at least 15 feet of water under you as well.

Good luck

[txdyna65]

There are a lot of posts of different methods people use depending upon their boats and ballast. It is always worth repeating that it is partially the board you use. That said I was always having trouble until I just decided to drive in about a 50 yard circle to force the boat more to one side and get the lean I needed. Make sure you have at least 15 feet of water under you as well.

Good luck

That may work for you, but we've found that driving in as straight line as possible gives us the most push from the wave. We tried driving in a large circle and while it gave "more lean" the wave didnt have the drive or energy that it had in the straight line method. Plus we just kept running over our own wake and that didnt help anything at all.

[Willy]

Try it with the wedge up! I have a VTX wake hull stock ballast plus optional front ballast, I run all full except non surf side rear and a 750#er in the surf side rear locker. I run it with the wedge down or up. If I run it with the wedge down (slightly up from full down) the wake is taller, not as long and not as clean and need to run slightly turning to the surf side.. Without the wedge it is long and clean not as tall and we run it straight (we do need at least five to six people for this though).

[reconabe]

You need more weight plain and simple. I have am 08 vlx and I run full MLS ballast on port side, and full center tank. then 750 sack in locker, 450 on side seat, and 450 on side in the bow. full wedge 9.8mph

Then the most important part.. EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE sits on the surf side. I dont care if its a 20 lb baby, she sits on the surf side. My wife (who is driving) will even stand up and stand in the aisle. The more passengers the better. Best wave ever for me, we had 10 guys in the boat and the ballast like I said. It was GREAT!

It takes some time getting the feel to go ropeless, dont rush it you'll get it. Plus MORE WEIGHT!

[DC-STRO]

I have the same boat as you. I fill the factory ballast. I put a #550 sac in the surf side locker. I put a #800 on the floor and a #800 on the seat also surf side. I put another #550 in the bow. Anyone in the boat sits on the surf side sacs. I run @ 10 to 10.5 mph. The water line is just above the rub rail and just below the vent. It's a killer wave.

Edited August 31, 2009 by DC-STRO

[Fifty-Fifty]

I have the same boat as you. I fill the factory ballast. I put a #550 sac in the surf side locker. I put a #800 on the floor and a #800 on the seat also surf side. I put another #550 in the bow. Anyone in the boat sits on the surf side sacs. I run @ 10 to 10.5 mph. The water line is just above the rub rail and just below the vent. It's a killer wave.

[Stanley Wheelhouse]

call zack at bakes marine and design a custom sac that fits in your rear locker and under your seats. it will look similar to a fly high enzo sac. best money you will spend. i never understood why you would remove your hard tank. the hard tank holds additional ballasts. you can fill a 750 in the locker if you get a 90 degree elbow fitting and run a hose off of the elbow to hook your pump up to and to burp the sac as well.

Edited September 1, 2009 by Rhino

[Fifty-Fifty]

call zack at bakes marine and design a custom sac that fits in your rear locker and under your seats. it will look similar to a fly high enzo sac. best money you will spend. i never understood why you would remove your hard tank. the hard tank holds additional ballasts. you can fill a 750 in the locker if you get a 90 degree elbow fitting and run a hose off of the elbow to hook your pump up to and to burp the sac as well.

Thanks for the info, good stuff