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Surf gate


ColinC

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Can you add a surf gate to any Mali boat love to have one without having to buy a new boat again sick wakes same on both sides in seconds and stock ballast!!!

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It looks to just be a trim tab mounted sideways. Why couldn't you?

There's two ways to look at this. Malibu is in the business to sell boats. They do not want people to be retrofitting power wedges or surfgate because they want people to buy the newest boat.

The other way to look at it is that there might actually be transom reinforcement and liability issues if installed incorrectly.

Either way I'll go ahead and predict that retrofitting won't be an option through Malibu or through dealers. Going to have to find a totaled 2013 to get the parts just like we have to do with the power wedge.

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/38459-surfgatewave/page__st__340

I will concede it is not out of the realm of possibility, but is has been quoted as a non retrofit addition. If someone has the B@lls to go after this one and it is cost effective to do so i would jump on board, but I just wont be the first. (I will just keep saving,and dreaming)

Edited by Stevo
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You also can't put a wedge on an old Sunsetter, right? :)

You can do whatever you want, just be sure you do it right the first time or be prepared for the consequences.

  • Like 3
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You also can't put a wedge on an old Sunsetter, right? :)

You can do whatever you want, just be sure you do it right the first time or be prepared for the consequences.

It depends on how old of a sunsetter we're talking, I know forsure from 1998 and on the sunsetters can take a wedge, and with proper reinforcement the 97 sunsetter I do believe hearing can take a wedge, I think we run into the same problem with the surfgate where as the fiberglass needs to be thicker and reinforced just to withstand the amount of water you have to displace to make that sick wake.

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Rugger put a wedge on his 1987 that is now MartinArcher's. Tons of bracing inside the back end, done as properly as could be after the fact.

Like I said, anything can be done.

Edited by jk13
  • Like 2
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Looks like a simple concept. I would look at a retrofit if it was available too. I understand the economics of it but how about increasing the bottom line any way possible? Figures they would come out with these things after I bought a new boat last year!! :crazy:

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I plan on trying it. It may take a few months maybe even the winter. I will say this I will ask the crew what they think as I go and I maybe the first to put it on a older boat but we will biuld it together. I'm PUMPED :werule::rockon:

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It sure doesn't look very complex and I doubt there is much force that would be applied to the transom if there were to be a trim tab mounted on the side in a similar fashion to the wake gate. I'm up for trying something like this. I'm surprised that someone hadn't thought of this before. It would be great to have a wake to surf on without "sinking" my boat. Bradley, keep us updated on what you find out!

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I am going to pull the tanks and build up the glass and install tabs vertically on mine this winter. Will keep everyone updated how it goes.

  • Like 2
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I think it would go a long way with all of the Mali owners if they did find a retrofit. At least have us sign a waiver in the event it cracks. I would jump on!

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I was looking at my boat last night and thinking about installing swim platform brackets below and further out from the current one (call these the Male end). Then I could build a surfgate, like an L, so that part of it sticks out and shapes the wake and the other part presses on the transom. In the corner of that L would be a Female end that fits on the swim platform bracket. So that when you want to surf, just drop the surfgate into the bracket, put a pin in, and off you go. Have one for each side. All still manual, but not unlike my wedge.

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I was looking at my boat last night and thinking about installing swim platform brackets below and further out from the current one (call these the Male end). Then I could build a surfgate, like an L, so that part of it sticks out and shapes the wake and the other part presses on the transom. In the corner of that L would be a Female end that fits on the swim platform bracket. So that when you want to surf, just drop the surfgate into the bracket, put a pin in, and off you go. Have one for each side. All still manual, but not unlike my wedge.

Not a bad idea the closer you do it to the boat the less stress.

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Ill add to my MXZ. Maybe they'll come out with something that has to be installed by a certified dealer. They make bank in their service areas anyway. Mine will be first in line - ill try it out. My wife is goofy foot and the rest of us ride regular. It is a pain in the arse for me to switch bags over for one rider - but i do it with a smile...

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I was looking at my boat last night and thinking about installing swim platform brackets below and further out from the current one (call these the Male end). Then I could build a surfgate, like an L, so that part of it sticks out and shapes the wake and the other part presses on the transom. In the corner of that L would be a Female end that fits on the swim platform bracket. So that when you want to surf, just drop the surfgate into the bracket, put a pin in, and off you go. Have one for each side. All still manual, but not unlike my wedge.

you could test using a piece of 2x10, a couple of "L" brackets and a couple of wood clamps and clamp it to the swim deck. good to go

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I want to fabricate a make shift one out of wood too and was interested to know if anyone could tell me a little more about the gate. When the gate is stowed it is 90 degrees to the transom, and when the gate is in use at what angle does it deploy from stowed? 90, 45 or something else? My second question is about how much surface area does the gate have?

If someone can answer those two questions I can have a wooden gate fabricated and tested inside a week.

-Dave

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

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you could test using a piece of 2x10, a couple of "L" brackets and a couple of wood clamps and clamp it to the swim deck. good to go

Actually, I have my old swim deck as a coffee table. I can turn that into a surf deck and incorporate that into the tabs permanently, then it would be really solid. We have a place on the lake and a great beach, so when done surfing I can just swap back to the regular deck when dropping off surf gear.

I want to fabricate a make shift one out of wood too and was interested to know if anyone could tell me a little more about the gate. When the gate is stowed it is 90 degrees to the transom, and when the gate is in use at what angle does it deploy from stowed? 90, 45 or something else? My second question is about how much surface area does the gate have?

If someone can answer those two questions I can have a wooden gate fabricated and tested inside a week.

-Dave

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

Not just surface area but specific length and width.

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I havent seen a picture of surfgate yet. I kind of understand what you guys are saying but having a hard time putting it all together. Is there a picture anywhere?

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Thank you! I get it now. Instead of wood, could you use the marine grade star board? It is more expensive but might be a little better solution. For a 4'x2' sheet, its $150 for the 3/4" thick. Thoughts?

It seems to me that Malibu would come out with a simple, dealer install only "manual kit" that could be put on older models (brackets with a drop in gate) and sell the autmatic gate on the new boats... Why wouldnt they do that besides the obvious reason of trying to sell just new boats? That would speak volumes for the company and who they are committed to year in/out, right?

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