How do you weight your boat for wakeboarding

[Malibudude]

If you want to get a higher wake then yes rear weight is key but that alone will create a more vertical wake. My point is that if you raise the wedge up changing the angle and don’t counter that with front weight it diminishes the return. I find that those who like a lippier wake I’ll just raise the wedge but those that like the rampiness I’ll add weight up front usually human ballast. The wake gets larger in height yet retains the rampiness. So if you add more weight in the rear you’ll need to counter that to some degree w/ more weight up front. It’s a setup that you’ll just need to play with until you find what you like.

Everyone has their setup to their liking; I don’t add additional weight and personally after trying it feel it’s a waste of money and time. Most often it’s just a way around executing proper technique but that’s a completely different topic.

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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[black06VLX]

If you want to get a higher wake then yes rear weight is key but that alone will create a more vertical wake. My point is that if you raise the wedge up changing the angle and don’t counter that with front weight it diminishes the return. I find that those who like a lippier wake I’ll just raise the wedge but those that like the rampiness I’ll add weight up front usually human ballast. The wake gets larger in height yet retains the rampiness. So if you add more weight in the rear you’ll need to counter that to some degree w/ more weight up front. It’s a setup that you’ll just need to play with until you find what you like.

Everyone has their setup to their liking; I don’t add additional weight and personally after trying it feel it’s a waste of money and time. Most often it’s just a way around executing proper technique but that’s a completely different topic.

Very true if you can't edge you aren't going anywhere. I am more just curious because as I increase the rope length I need to ride faster and as I go faster the wake gets smaller. You generate more speed for height that way, but if you could have a larger wake you get the best of both worlds.

[black06VLX]

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.

I find it does grow a bit if you watch it careful(especially skating at lower speeds), but the big benefit is it makes it way more solid feeling(to me anyways)

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.

Yeah we run a pretty much 70/30 load on the MLS system so I guess with 500lbs I could run 350lb up front and 150lb in the rear or something like that.

[TrickyNicky]

I find it does grow a bit if you watch it careful(especially skating at lower speeds), but the big benefit is it makes it way more solid feeling(to me anyways)

Yeah we run a pretty much 70/30 load on the MLS system so I guess with 500lbs I could run 350lb up front and 150lb in the rear or something like that.

Opposite, If you want to keep the same shape run the 350 in the back and 150 in the front. Unless your trying to ssay 70 front/ 30 rear. I really don't know how one would differentiate whats rear and whats front.

[black06VLX]

Opposite, If you want to keep the same shape run the 350 in the back and 150 in the front. Unless your trying to ssay 70 front/ 30 rear. I really don't know how one would differentiate whats rear and whats front.

Yeah I mean MLS is setup at 68% front weight and 32% rear weight.

[JBuck]

Got some decent pictures of mine over the weekend with it weighted as I described earlier.

Edit: Pics as promised... here

Setup was as follows:

MLS full (Center and Rear)

300lbs in the nose

FH Bow Sac full, 1 FH 750 1/2 full in walkway, 1 FH 750 in each locker 1/2 full, full tank of gas, and 6 people.

Boat speed was 24.7, no wedge, and a 78' rope length.

Edited September 7, 2010 by JBuck

[black06VLX]

Got some decent pictures of mine over the weekend with it weighted as I described earlier.

Edit: Pics as promised... here

Setup was as follows:

MLS full (Center and Rear)

300lbs in the nose

FH Bow Sac full, 1 FH 750 1/2 full in walkway, 1 FH 750 in each locker 1/2 full, full tank of gas, and 6 people.

Boat speed was 24.7, no wedge, and a 78' rope length.

Looks good man and nice riding!

Here is what ours looks like at 23mph, 80ft out, full factory ballast(1250lbs) and wedge at 2 clicks up from the bottom position. Lake is only 4-5ft deep on average also and I believe we had 4-5 people in the boat.

Edited September 8, 2010 by black06VLX

[black06VLX]

Just wanted to toss this question in here and not start a new thread. What sac are you guys finding to fit the best and work well in the VLX's?

I was trying to convince my dad just to use our new 750lb fly high sac up front turned sideways(across the widest portion of the bow) and then buy the 2x400lb v-drive twin sacs to use in the rear locker when we board. Then we can throw the 750lb back in the locker when we surf.

He is worried that bag would rub up front and wreck the upholstery.

Would we be better off buying a W711 sac for the bow and another 750lb for the driver side rear locker and just half filling them?

We really haven't added extra ballast to the factory setup so I have no clue what will fit the best and not wreck anything on the inside.

Thanks

[Bobby Light]

Why don't you put the 750 sac in the walkthrough instead. Fits good, does the job, and you don't have to worry about the interior.

[black06VLX]

Why don't you put the 750 sac in the walkthrough instead. Fits good, does the job, and you don't have to worry about the interior.

I wasn't sure if you needed the weight more over the nose area of the boat to do more work and make less weight more effective. The walk through area would be much nicer then putting a sac in the bow I think we will give that a try, but the weather turned to the s***s for the weekend here. Might not get out till next weekend.

[old skool malibu]

As my wedge has been giving me grief yet again this year I have been riding with full mls wedge fully deployed (0%) plus 750 in each rear locker, 400 in the walkway and 400 in the bow. The wake has ample meat to it!! When the wedge works I usually just run full stock plus wedge @ 75 or 88%. With the higher wedge setting the wake has a real nice lip to it. Without the wedge near max the lip is quite a bit smaller but then running the extra ballast makes up for it and more!

[Tory1340]

Splendid info in this one guys. I'm old as dirt but still like to try and hurt myself behind the boat. I need more height and distance. My 06 doesn't have a bow tank, so I'm guessing and trying to make something work. Actually I'm 47, but I do need to improve the wake and your collective ideas are going to help formulate a plan for a bow sack. It seems like I need a couple hundred lbs up front as well as additional mid weight. A test run with a couple of concrete blocks was successful in proving I have to add weight; it's just a question of how much and where. As always The Crew comes through...

Now for a GB on sacks & pumps...

[CL-Rides]

We are running full MLS (quad tanks) and full wedge (100%) at 22mph and 65 foot rope and sometimes i find that the wake curls right before i hit it and will throw me funny in the air and ill crash but any suggestions? Should we bump up speed and run a longer rope length? i can get across wake to wake fine both heelside and toeside so it shouldnt be an issue with longer rope

Also we have 2 #155, 1 #400 and i believe its a 540 lbs, older ballast bag but any suggestions on how we could put those through the boat for wakeboarding without buying more? I dont mind buying more just dont want to if i dont have to...

[old skool malibu]

We are running full MLS (quad tanks) and full wedge (100%) at 22mph and 65 foot rope and sometimes i find that the wake curls right before i hit it and will throw me funny in the air and ill crash but any suggestions? Should we bump up speed and run a longer rope length? i can get across wake to wake fine both heelside and toeside so it shouldnt be an issue with longer rope

Also we have 2 #155, 1 #400 and i believe its a 540 lbs, older ballast bag but any suggestions on how we could put those through the boat for wakeboarding without buying more? I dont mind buying more just dont want to if i dont have to...

Way to much wedge man..if you are at 100%. I beleive your factory preset for wakeword advance is 75% @ 22mph. I would give that a try or at the most 88% put 100% is too much.

[nyryan2001]

Wedge only on my boat unless you are trying to pull some real crazy stuff off or really advanced. I find the wedge alone is more way more than enough for just about anyone, tantrums, basic inverts etc etc... Had several guys just getting to the Pro's at Wake the World behind my boat riding wedge only, 8 folks in the boat, said it was the biggest wake they had been on.

I wish we could paste in links to photos from Facebook on here.

[nyryan2001]

Looks good man and nice riding!

Here is what ours looks like at 23mph, 80ft out, full factory ballast(1250lbs) and wedge at 2 clicks up from the bottom position. Lake is only 4-5ft deep on average also and I believe we had 4-5 people in the boat.

Yep exactly where i keep mine. Mine doesnt have clicks..but about 2 taps on the up arrow MTC touch screen

[black06VLX]

Way to much wedge man..if you are at 100%. I beleive your factory preset for wakeword advance is 75% @ 22mph. I would give that a try or at the most 88% put 100% is too much.

Is 100% nearly half way up or completely down? I am unfamiliar with the newer models.

Our 06 just has the round dial with ticks for placement. I always go fully down and then 2 clicks up with no additional ballast. With the 400lb rear sacs and 750lb front bag half full I keep the wedge down all the way. If 100% is nearly half way up you are 100% right that will give way to much lip.

[jaciche]

You guys are all fortunate to have wedges and a lot of ballast. My '04 has 900 lbs with no wedge. I like to ride at 80 ft and about 23-24 because i like the speed and the wake is more firm even though it could be bigger at 21-22. IMO size isnt everything. I feel more comfortable doing my flips with a little smaller wake at 24 than a bigger wake at 21-22.

I believe wakeboarding is a social sport so my friends are my additional ballast. I suggest you guys do the same when you want a better wake. It is nice because you can move them quickly. lol i have been known to give hand signals to my buddies while im riding to help change the wake.

Edited August 11, 2011 by jaciche

[Nitrousbird]

I run the fixed wedge down, 500lbs in each locker, and just added an underseat bag up front (probably 300lbs total - boat desperately needed the front bag). Wake is pretty decent (normally ride @ 20MPH), especially since all of us are newer riders. Will be upgrading to 750 in each rear locker and maybe a ski locker tank, then that's about as far as I'd want to take this boat.

[board brained]

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.

agree with this, adding the wedge makes my wake peaky.........

for boarding most of the time I have it set as follows:

rear 750's 2/3 full

belly full

bow 711 sac full

no wedge

20 MPH @ 70 feet.

the best guys in our crew ride with the rears full, wedge down (floating wedge) and 2 155lbs bricks on the floor and at 80 ft.

my wife and daughters ride with no rears, no wedge, belly and bow full at 18 at 80 ft

[CL-Rides]

Is 100% nearly half way up or completely down? I am unfamiliar with the newer models.

Our 06 just has the round dial with ticks for placement. I always go fully down and then 2 clicks up with no additional ballast. With the 400lb rear sacs and 750lb front bag half full I keep the wedge down all the way. If 100% is nearly half way up you are 100% right that will give way to much lip.

100% is half way up and 0% would be all the way down. But i tried 75% and bumped up the speed to 22.4 and the wake was really nice with 8 people in the boat and full ballast

[wakeboarder3780]

I fill all MLS. I just put 750s in the back and also fill those about half full each and drop the wedge. This is with only 2 ppl in the boat.

I do feel that the wedge makes the wake appear "bigger" because it makes it lip out a lot more. I personally hate riding without the wedge because I don't feel I get that additional little "snap" of vertical pop.

I find that with this setup I'm getting a wake that is certainly big enough for me (this is behind a 23 LSV). But I'm having a little trouble planing out so I'm going to add a little bit of lead up front because I don't want to deal with more ballast filling. I'm hoping this won't take too much of the peakyness away but make it a bit easier to get on plane. If the people sit in the back of the boat it makes it almost impossible to plane - takes a good 12 seconds or so.

I'll attach 2 pictures, one of me getting what I think is probably the biggest air I can currently get with my skill level and ballast size and another two just to try to show the shape of the wake.

Height:

http://motographer.smugmug.com/Other/wake2011/18554965_HbtFzH#1433033851_FcFpz4k-XL-LB

Wake shape / size 1:

http://motographer.smugmug.com/Other/wake2011/18554965_HbtFzH#1433045310_CN4VfGh-XL-LB

Wake shape / size 2:

http://motographer.smugmug.com/Other/wake2011/18554965_HbtFzH#1433040965_DSG5JKS-XL-LB

[old skool malibu]

100% is half way up and 0% would be all the way down. But i tried 75% and bumped up the speed to 22.4 and the wake was really nice with 8 people in the boat and full ballast

Yes 100% is close to a 45 degree angle but that is max wedge. 200% is the stowed position. You really dont want exceed 88% and I beleive the factory preset for wakeboard advanced is 75%.

[black06VLX]

Thanks for the info on the new wedge readings.

I played around with the boat this week while we were out in Osoyoos and I was running full MLS with the wedge 1 click up and putting my 750lb bag in the nose filled to about 350-400lbs. I actually found this to be a pretty sick setup for boarding. The wake grows a good amount and thickens at the top really really well. You can get some good height with the wake like this.

Only thing you need to watch is slowing down as if you go really fast on the decel to pick up a rider down you can swamp the front(I mean pulling it from 23mph ride speed to no throttle and just letting it drop down). I think this will be a setup I usually ride at all the time now as it only takes a few minutes to fill that front bag up. Weight in the lockers will help to keep the nose up a bit when slowing down, but until I hard plumb those ones in I will stick to just the front bag.

Edited August 22, 2011 by black06VLX