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How do you weight your boat for wakeboarding


63Taylor

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I have seen/learned from/ contributed to/ a ton of threads on here about weighting a boat for surfing. But I havent really seen much about setup for wakeboarding. As summer has worn on I have been wakeboarding more and more. All I generally do is drop the power wedge and go about 21-22 mph. I was curious what you all do. I am assuming the MLS was really invented for wakeboarding not surfing originally so what is the set up. Would it be better for fuel to fill the tanks instead of dropping the wedge? I am also curious because I am considering shortening my rope a bit and lowering my speed because I am getting too old to fall at 22 MPH and I dont want to destroy a knee. I noticed on fuel TV those guys always seem to be filling tanks for boarding, so I assume I am not getting the full potential of my boat.

Thanks in advance for tips

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I have seen/learned from/ contributed to/ a ton of threads on here about weighting a boat for surfing. But I havent really seen much about setup for wakeboarding. As summer has worn on I have been wakeboarding more and more. All I generally do is drop the power wedge and go about 21-22 mph. I was curious what you all do. I am assuming the MLS was really invented for wakeboarding not surfing originally so what is the set up. Would it be better for fuel to fill the tanks instead of dropping the wedge? I am also curious because I am considering shortening my rope a bit and lowering my speed because I am getting too old to fall at 22 MPH and I dont want to destroy a knee. I noticed on fuel TV those guys always seem to be filling tanks for boarding, so I assume I am not getting the full potential of my boat.

Thanks in advance for tips

We have a 247 and fill all the tanks then some like the wedge and some don't. 20-22 depending on the rider line length. The wedge makes the wake steeper, too steep for me but without it on this boat it's got good size but nearly no lip and is pretty flat.

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63Taylor, We usually fill the two rear tanks, the middle tank, and the front tank along with the wedge. The bigger the better for us. With all that being said, we run about 23.5 on speed with all tanks filled and wedge, at 75' feet back. its all up to what you are used to and what you are comfortable with. If i were you, i would just get out there and play with it until you find your sweet spot. What is good for me may not be good for you.

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We fill all of the tanks and don't drop the wedge. We prefer the shape of the wake without the wedge, but that is probably more a matter of personal preference. I know that I have not used the wedge this year and I'm not sure that it was used last year.

Oh, and we are usually riding at 22mph at 77'

Edited by obski
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In my boat it is all up to the boarder... And I change my own preference each day depending on a ton of variables. First of all, let me say I am terrible at wake boarding. And so are my buddies.. so we go from empty tanks at 18mph for the newer riders to full tanks and 70% wedge at 21.5 mph for some of the better riders. But like I said and agree with AC88926.. What is good for one guy might not be good for the next guy.

Just get out there and have fun! :rockon:

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We fill front/center/rear just about every time. Sometimes we use the wedge but never above 50%. Usually run at 23.6 with a 70' line. Recently I added twin 400# sacs in the rear and a bow sack. I like it when the swim platform is underwater and you have to slide off of it!

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Manual Wedge Down

380lb sac in the ski locker - full

2x280lb sacs in the v-drive lockers - full

21 MPH on the PerfectPass

75' rope

Last weekend we also had 7 people of VAB well distributed. WOW the wake was big.

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All the ballast and the wedge full deployed. I find the wedge on my boat gives the wake a bit more of a peak which I like as I am a bigger guy and need help with the vertical direction. When I bring some better boarder friends out we add 2 x 900 lbs into the rear lockers. The boat is on the ragged edge of porpoising but throws a ridiculous wake. Some more bow weight is in order but we only do this set up a couple of times a season.

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Full MLS (Three Tanks 2x Rear and Center) Fly High Integrated Bow Sac as full as possible, 300lbs of lead in the nose, additional Fly High 750s x 2 in the rear lockers as full as possible, and a fly high 750 in the walkway. No wedge 25 mph and 82' length. Wake is really big and firm and will send you flying. :rockon:

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Sorry I am going to piggy back your thread if you don't mind because its a similar question.

I ride an 06 VLX with the 1250 lbs ballast and power wedge. We ride it full and the wedge 2-3 clicks up from the bottom(I find the best lip on the wake) like that for a nice boot off the wake. I ride 23mph and 80ft out.

Now my question is I would like to add a bit more weight for some extra size(I can get plenty of height with the stock ballast, but going higher is more fun as you know :biggrin: ). How much should I add and where in the boat is it best used?

Would adding 600lbs of the pop-bags across the boat evenly(200lbs rear, 200lbs center, 200lbs nose) be a good move or put it in different spots(60/40 nose/rear, etc)? Or do I need more weight. It would be sweet to be able to keep the wake the same size it is at 21-21.6mph, but be riding at 23-23.6mph for the speed you can generate... if that makes sense.

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Sorry I am going to piggy back your thread if you don't mind because its a similar question.

I ride an 06 VLX with the 1250 lbs ballast and power wedge. We ride it full and the wedge 2-3 clicks up from the bottom(I find the best lip on the wake) like that for a nice boot off the wake. I ride 23mph and 80ft out.

Now my question is I would like to add a bit more weight for some extra size(I can get plenty of height with the stock ballast, but going higher is more fun as you know :biggrin: ). How much should I add and where in the boat is it best used?

Would adding 600lbs of the pop-bags across the boat evenly(200lbs rear, 200lbs center, 200lbs nose) be a good move or put it in different spots(60/40 nose/rear, etc)? Or do I need more weight. It would be sweet to be able to keep the wake the same size it is at 21-21.6mph, but be riding at 23-23.6mph for the speed you can generate... if that makes sense.

Disclaimer: By no means am I the authority on weighting an 06 (I'll leave that up to Wakegirl and 06Vlx)

I think your best bet would be to add the fly high sacs for rear weight and maybe use the pop bags in the nose and around the boat as VAB or buy another sac for the walkway. One thing I do know about weighting our boats, is if you add midship or nose weight, the wake really firms up and has a very nice kick off the top, even without a wedge.

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Disclaimer: By no means am I the authority on weighting an 06 (I'll leave that up to Wakegirl and 06Vlx)

I think your best bet would be to add the fly high sacs for rear weight and maybe use the pop bags in the nose and around the boat as VAB or buy another sac for the walkway. One thing I do know about weighting our boats, is if you add midship or nose weight, the wake really firms up and has a very nice kick off the top, even without a wedge.

Yeah I don't really know what will work best for us right now. I have run 350lb rear bags(old launch pads) in the boat and honestly we took longer to get on plane with those and if I remember it was a taller wake(I haven't tried them in over a year though) Now right now we don't have an ideal prop(13.5x17.5) so the amount of extra gas we burnt using the bags wasn't worth the difference in wake to us, but I need to try again.

I am very curious what seems to give the most benefit though as lots of the videos I can find of pros riding malibus is a snot load of weight up front(1000lb) front sac. There is one floating around on youtube of chad sharpes boat with a 1000lb front bag, 360-650lb mid bag and then a 360lb rear seat bag(if I had to guess the bag sizes you can see in the video) Same with Sovens 1080 video they have a black 1000lb nose bag in the boat. I would like to weight like they do, but maybe half it just follow the guidelines of say more weight in the nose and less in rear or more weight rear and enough nose to balance it :dontknow:

Edited by black06VLX
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Some quick rulls of thumb are a 60/40 split in weight back to front. The more weight in the back the steeper the wake more up front and you get a fat flat wake. People are ballest too and easier to move.

Everyone will have a different set up due to personal prefrences, skill level, speed, rope length ect. so play around while you are on the lake move people around first then play with the ballest pumps. you will be amaze at the difference of just moving the kids out of the bow to the rear seat makes in shape of the wake, when I do this I am only moving a couple hundred pounds at most but the difference is visable from the boat and real visable from the board.

And last time I checked non of us will get the full potnetial out of our boats (those guys don't have to buy their boats) we have the boats to get to our full potential. Have fun and move the weight around to find YOUR sweet spot.

REW

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Sorry I am going to piggy back your thread if you don't mind because its a similar question.

I ride an 06 VLX with the 1250 lbs ballast and power wedge. We ride it full and the wedge 2-3 clicks up from the bottom(I find the best lip on the wake) like that for a nice boot off the wake. I ride 23mph and 80ft out.

Now my question is I would like to add a bit more weight for some extra size(I can get plenty of height with the stock ballast, but going higher is more fun as you know :biggrin: ). How much should I add and where in the boat is it best used?

Would adding 600lbs of the pop-bags across the boat evenly(200lbs rear, 200lbs center, 200lbs nose) be a good move or put it in different spots(60/40 nose/rear, etc)? Or do I need more weight. It would be sweet to be able to keep the wake the same size it is at 21-21.6mph, but be riding at 23-23.6mph for the speed you can generate... if that makes sense.

When raising the PW up a few clicks definitely add weight up front, wouldn't think you need more than 300-400max. This will help to keep the rampier wake or just add more rear wight if you want it steeper.

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I don't have tanks or a wedge, so i have to just do human ballast.

Everyone is used to me referring to them as fat sacks and moving them around.

It is interesting to see the reaction when a new friend (usually a girl) of one of my kids is in the boat.

They don't seem to enjoy being called a fat sack. :yahoo:

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I don't have tanks or a wedge, so i have to just do human ballast.

Everyone is used to me referring to them as fat sacks and moving them around.

It is interesting to see the reaction when a new friend (usually a girl) of one of my kids is in the boat.

They don't seem to enjoy being called a fat sack. Yahoo.gif

Never actually called anyof my human ballast "fat sacks" before. Could be dangerous.

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When raising the PW up a few clicks definitely add weight up front, wouldn't think you need more than 300-400max. This will help to keep the rampier wake or just add more rear wight if you want it steeper.

So are you saying I should add no rear weight and just throw another 300-400lbs in the front portion of the boat?

I might take my two 350lb launch pads and move them around next spring to see what I can come up with for a larger wake. The shape is good now it would just be sick to have it another 4-6" higher up for a bit more height.

I am thinking one 350lb bag in the walk through and then 1 right in front of the rear seat(don't want to stick it on the seat)

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My setup is feeling pretty dialed lately. 2007 VLX. Full MLS ballast. Two FlyHigh 750's full in the rear bays, about 900 lbs in the bow, and then a 150 to move around to even things out as needed. It works alright with the wedge all the way down too, but doesn't really change the size, just makes it more peaky.

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So are you saying I should add no rear weight and just throw another 300-400lbs in the front portion of the boat?

I might take my two 350lb launch pads and move them around next spring to see what I can come up with for a larger wake. The shape is good now it would just be sick to have it another 4-6" higher up for a bit more height.

I am thinking one 350lb bag in the walk through and then 1 right in front of the rear seat(don't want to stick it on the seat)

If you liek the shape of your wake than you should add weight at the same ratio that you have now. So if MLS gives you a 60/40 ratio of wieght front to back (not sure if thats a good estimate or not) you should add weight in at that ratio as well. This will keep the angle of the boat through the water to maintain the shape but allow the boat to sit lower, therefore creating a bigger wake.

My setup is feeling pretty dialed lately. 2007 VLX. Full MLS ballast. Two FlyHigh 750's full in the rear bays, about 900 lbs in the bow, and then a 150 to move around to even things out as needed. It works alright with the wedge all the way down too, but doesn't really change the size, just makes it more peaky.

As for this last point, I've NEVER found the wedge to change the size of the wake. For me it turns the wkae from rampy to peaky and it allows me to get extra pop, but it's never added any real size to the wake. Anyone else in the same boat. Its also a manual wedge.

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As for this last point, I've NEVER found the wedge to change the size of the wake. For me it turns the wkae from rampy to peaky and it allows me to get extra pop, but it's never added any real size to the wake. Anyone else in the same boat. Its also a manual wedge.

I've only ever used it for surfing as it makes the wave curl better. I don't like it for boarding purposes. Makes the gas consumption go way down and the boat harder to drive.

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I've only ever used it for surfing as it makes the wave curl better. I don't like it for boarding purposes. Makes the gas consumption go way down and the boat harder to drive.

Speaking of, I should add I ahve the same results witht he wedge for surfing except the wave gives a LOT more push with wedge down.

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Never actually called anyof my human ballast "fat sacks" before. Could be dangerous.

The PC name for human ballast is Dynamic Ballast.We were out the other day with some couples and their kids to go surfing. Told them we need everyboby in the back corner. So once I was up, Sarah reminded them to move to the back corner... so the parents dutifully moved the 6 kids to the back corner while they adults remained scattered about the boat. My wife and I shared a smirk between rider and driver and carried on.

Pros of Dynamic Ballast: Brings food and drink, fun to talk to, pays gas etc

Cons of Dynamic Ballast: Sensitive and moody, easily confused, sometimes don't show up, quick to shift from surfing to wakeboarding

Pros of Static Ballast: Is always going with you, no no shows, does talk back, stays where you tell it to stay, doesn't grid cheetos into the carpet

Cons of Static Ballast: Costs money doesn't make money, time consuming to set up(sometimes), the size of the ballast is printed on the bag vs dynamic ballast is normal 20-30% heavier than advertised

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I am using the power wedge and for certain weight/speed combos it changes the shape of the wake so much that it almost seems bigger. For instance, when I drain about half my weight, slow down to 22, and shorten the line for people to wakeskate, the wake will sometimes get washy due to the slower speed and amount of weight, but playing with the wedge can clean it up into a nice ramp which feels and even looks bigger because it's so clean. In general I fully agree, the wedge doesn't change size, just shapes the wake and makes it more of a pain to drive :-)

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