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Will aftermarket "surfgates" outperform stock Surfgate?


flapjack

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When I saw SlurpeeGate, my first thought was that I'd rather have his contraption than factory Surfgate. I know you can not switch on the fly, but it comes off and stores very easily. I have a Response LX, and I like it to look like a slalom tractor when I hit the course -- no high fly pole, no boom, no nothing. Having quick add ons like a high pole, surfgate, etc. are nice.

A second thought is that Surfgate is under the same design restrictions as stock ballast. There is a reason that boat builders make ballast "plug and play" rather than just adding huge tanks or bags.

Are there key design variables that Malibu can not put in Surfgate that an aftermarket/homemade product could take advantage of?

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With the incredible volume of diverse talent we have in the BuCrew Community and the number of combined hours on the water, the culmination of learning through experience will result in a device that performs incrementally if not substantially better then the current design. What is great is the concept that apparatus can be made to pretty much get any year boat to generate a solid surf wave. This is just a wonderful overall contribution to all of us!

With a company that attempts to provide aftermarket versions verses our home made designs, one would imagine Notice of Invention &Patent Rights may be called to task

Edited by JAXONBOATS
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Plug and Play does not really seem that great unless you are adding pumps or using a much larger pump that what comes factory. I know they made some upgrades to bigger pumps and 1" hose but nothing will be as fast as two pumps. 400lbs does not really do that much in the rear anyway.

If it were me - i'd forgo the PNP option and do Johnson reversible pumps with some big bags (at least 750's)

  • Like 2
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  • 3 weeks later...

Give it time, someone will come out with a surfgate system to add on to older malibus.

Personally, I am disappointed Malibu will not offer a retro kit to older boat owners. It would cost me at least $12-15k to sell my 2011, buy a 2013, pay all new taxes and install a comparable stereo. Those would be some expensive surf lessons...

Edited by Fman
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It would cost you at least 12-15K to sell your 2011 and buy a 2013. That is why Malibu will not retrofit newer options to older boats. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's just good business.

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It would cost you at least 12-15K to sell your 2011 and buy a 2013. That is why Malibu will not retrofit newer options to older boats. I don't like it any more than you do, but it's just good business.

And thats why I WONT be owning a boat with surfgate anytime soon. Would it not also make sense to offer a retro kit say for $3,500 and they would profit from this??? otherwise they are loosing out on potential retro kit sales from customers with older boats...

I am pretty confident you will see some type of aftermarket kit not made by Malibu sometime in the future. It will probably have minor changes, but someone has to be looking at this.

Edited by Fman
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New swim Platform

2 Gates

2 Lenco actuators

Misc hardware & wiring to fit your specific hull.

Somehow reprograming your system to react to the Surfgates as far as speed. Probably just a new computer.

New switch panels (LCD) to move gates in/out

Installation by Certified Surfgate installers

Aftermarket for $3000? I doubt it.

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New swim Platform

2 Gates

2 Lenco actuators

Misc hardware & wiring to fit your specific hull.

Somehow reprograming your system to react to the Surfgates as far as speed. Probably just a new computer.

New switch panels (LCD) to move gates in/out

Installation by Certified Surfgate installers

Aftermarket for $3000? I doubt it.

As an aftermarket solution from Malibu, the platform, gates, acutators, brackets. Just do a simple switch that references the speedo reading, engaging at 7 MPH and disengaging at 12 MPH. Very simple to develop and implement and could be built all into a single switch. Doesn't need to interface with the Maliview, have an LCD panel, etc. Remember, this is a retro-fit solution, not the factory installed deal. Under $3000 in parts seems very doable. I'd say an 8 hour labor rate tops for the install (should be less than that on a retro-kit). Take a look at the Teakgate thread; very doable for a lot less than 3k in parts.

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also.... 99% of people out here making ther own "gate" is a complete rig job from the start.. soooo who in their right mind would want to take their 2-3 year old malibu and "rig" up a design on them? when they just paid how many thousands of dollars for their boat.. its smart by malibu NOT retro fitting them for business purpose yes it sucks, but they are also generating a crap ton of sales off of it and taking consumers away from the compettion..other wise youd have people buying older bu's and buying a simple kit just for it.. will malibu release something a few years from now? who knows maybe ;)again parts under 3k? doubt full unless you want a hack job on your $80,000 beauty.. hell the lenco actuators for the power wedge i believe are like close to $800 for a pair.. labor alone for a dealership, to even consider installing any kind of aftermarket gate i would think have to be at least close to $1500 for the simple fact it would be a HUGE responcibilty hazzard..

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I thin teak gate has shown it can be done for a reasonable cost. The biggest expense would probably be the Swimstep. Just because the dealer charges 800 for actuators does not mean they are anywhere near that cost. Dealers went back and put on the wedge on older boats. It took some time, but they did it if asked. I "rigged" up a gate, just slips on and off over my swim platform. It is not a permanently stuck on, so I rig it up for surfing, then just slide it off. I bought my sweet boat for me, could care less what others say if they don't like the set up while surfing. It works hands down

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Keep in mind that my Teakgate has about $1k in materials and took me a good 3-4 weeks working in the evenings to complete. Not a cheap or easy DIY, but a fun and very useful one!

If patents were no issue and I were cranking them out I would guess it would cost me even more to make one. I would want to hire the polishing done and would make the control system into a custom designed IP68 housing with plug-able connectors. Those changes would obviously add cost. The other issue with an aftermarket gate is the variance in transom and hull angles that would require a very wide range of gate, hinge, and actuator location designs to make it work for each hull shape. Lastly, my transom is a little over 2" thick which makes me confident that it is plenty strong enough got the gates and anchoring points. Some of the older Bu's might need a bit of beefing up to allow proper mechanical strength for the hinge and actuator anchor points. This could be a thicker transom, a larger backing plate, or other mod. Gas tank location on my boat also makes things interesting. :)

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what about rewiring a set of the automatic lenco switches that resets everytime you cut power so that it would retract when go into neutral? So the gates would automatically retract when you bring the throttle to neutral and then you'd re-deploy manually at speed?

Stock the switches will automatically retract when power is cut or tach signal is lost, but it seems like there'd be a way to rewire them with a relay off of the neutral throttle position switch.

http://www.lencomarine.com/index.php/products/lenco-switch-kits/led-indicator-switch-kit-dual

Single_Actuator_LED_Indicator_Tactile_Switch_Kit_87808fa0f267aa2d016cc6bfa888fe75.jpg

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You could do it, but with a Perfect Pass boat the last thing I would want to do it hold a switch down for 5 seconds every time I pull up a surfer in order to get the wave to form. It also adds the chance of having a gate not fully deployed.

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The easiest poorman's control would be a timed relay that deploys when the neutral safety switch input is lost and stows when it returns. The issue with that is if the boat is in gear tightening up the rope, the gate will deploy and begin to turn or spin the boat before getting underway. That was a big issue for my with the manual gate during testing. The second issue is you could forget to disarm the gates and have them deploy during a slalom or barefoot start which would be BAD news.

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what about rewiring a set of the automatic lenco switches that resets everytime you cut power so that it would retract when go into neutral? So the gates would automatically retract when you bring the throttle to neutral and then you'd re-deploy manually at speed?

Stock the switches will automatically retract when power is cut or tach signal is lost, but it seems like there'd be a way to rewire them with a relay off of the neutral throttle position switch.

http://www.lencomari...switch-kit-dual

Single_Actuator_LED_Indicator_Tactile_Switch_Kit_87808fa0f267aa2d016cc6bfa888fe75.jpg

This is what I have; I just haven't perfected the gate angle and position.

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The easiest poorman's control would be a timed relay that deploys when the neutral safety switch input is lost and stows when it returns. The issue with that is if the boat is in gear tightening up the rope, the gate will deploy and begin to turn or spin the boat before getting underway. That was a big issue for my with the manual gate during testing. The second issue is you could forget to disarm the gates and have them deploy during a slalom or barefoot start which would be BAD news.

Hmmmm, is there a wire on perfect pass that goes hot (or to ground) when perfect pass engages?

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Martian,

If you build a kit for 2010 VLX, I'll buy it. Iothera would too. Still a lot cheaper than than selling my boat to upgrade. I don't think surfgate is worth the upgrade, especially when I have my boat dialed to where I want it for the most part.

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Martian,

If you build a kit for 2010 VLX, I'll buy it. Iothera would too. Still a lot cheaper than than selling my boat to upgrade. I don't think surfgate is worth the upgrade, especially when I have my boat dialed to where I want it for the most part.

I second this. I'd buy one for my boat too considering how much money I've put into it (new tower, huge stereo, multiple batteries, fat sacks, etc). I'll be holding onto my boat for a while, but would like to weight my boat more evenly.

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