Locker ballast ideas & Suggestions...

[Liquidmx]

So I am currently working out my ballast options for my "new to me" 2000 vlx wakesetter. My goal is to have absolutely as much balanced, switched, concealed weight as possible. After riding behind a pro weighted boat, I will probably never go back, but this would be a compromise that would suffice for most the time hopefully.

My plan is this:

fly high bow sack that just came out from wakeside

1000lb sack or custom thats a little bigger than the locker size, see below about question/suggestion.

Option #1: run a 3/4 piece of pvc through the fill entry into the ballast bag to the front of the sack and attach a waterbed fitting to the end (closest point to bow) or some screen type material to keep egdes from pushing against sack to allow full filling (hopefully).

Or

Option #2

Run a 3/4 or 1 inch pvc pipe underneath the sack with two 90's ( 180) to fill from the front of sack (closest point to bow). The sack would then be sitting on top of the fill pipe. I would prop run a swing check valve between the two 90's fittings for insurance in case the pipe breaks.

A sack in each v drive compartment that is pretty large. I will probably put some 1/2 or 3/8 inch pvc sheeting in place of current stuff to protect the bags from the engine.

Obviously the bottlneck of weighting is in the amount of offsetting bow ballast, what do you guys think?

[Chauncemaster]

congrats on the "new to you" VLX. You will defintiely love the wake it puts out when properly weighted. I highly reccomend putting a big sac in the locker as well as in the v-drive compartments. Also, It may be easier to connect everything with hoses rather than try to mess with PVC pipe.

[RiverRunner]

2nd Hoses not PVC

[krakdaddie]

a third for hoses over pvc...

tj-

[WakeGirl]

And a 4th. FWIW, if you're concerned about the hoses kinking, you can buy braided hose in a variety of diameters at Lowe's that won't kink. I've used it in the past for this very application & it works good. I'd also consider using plastic plumbing/pvc connections rather than the blue waterbed fittings. Chances are pretty good that you won't have a tight system using those & the plumbing fittings are available in a lot of different configurations. JM2C

[mcdave]

put as much weight in the bow as you can. We installed a FC 1000lber in the locker (it can't fill completely in that space) and still added 250lbs of lead under the bow seats. The VLX's need alot of weight up front. we also run 550lbers in each rear locker. if you use smaller sacs in the rear you may not need as much up front. we don't need use the wedge with this setup unless surfing.

BTW: I just checked out the wakeside site....that integrated bow sac at 800lbs along with your stock locker sac might be a good option to consider as well.

Edited December 20, 2005 by mcdave

[Liquidmx]

Thanks guys, a couple more quick questions:

does you feel like the bag fills to the locker's capacity with your current setup?

I believe the previous owner had the locker sack in there (assuming it wont be enough weight), I was planning on ordering a custom sack with a fill and drain both on the same side (swing check valve for the fill), sound good? I would measure the dimensions of the locker and order the bag 2" bigger in each dimension for full capacity filling.

What sacks are you running in the rear lockers? I want as much useful weight back there as possible.

I am definately getting that bow sack dave, just waiting to order it with my other stuff since I want to see about a disc on ordering four sacks at once.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Guest J-Ro]

FYI- You are only going to get 350lbs or so in the locker no matter what bag you use. I believe Pistol Pete did the actual real world test on this.

[Chia]

FYI- You are only going to get 350lbs or so in the locker no matter what bag you use. I believe Pistol Pete did the actual real world test on this.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can fit 2 fly high pro x V-drive sacs in each locker (one on top of the other). They claim 400 lbs in each sac.

edit: oops, we are talking about locker ballast aren't we. what he said.

Edited December 21, 2005 by Cervelo

[Pistol Pete]

J is almost correct.

I have the Fluid Concepts 1000# bag in my locker. I carefully laid it out so as to fill to its' maximum capacity and on two seperate tests, I only got a max. of 375# of water into them. FWIW.