Manual "Home Made" surf gate (Teak Gate)

[Zeke83]

So I made my own surf gate following the same design that the guy on the centurion forum did, the "teak gate,"..... holy crap, this thing worked like a charm. Pretty much just eyeballed all the angles and cuts. Took about an hour, and cost about 40 bucks in material. The result was more than worth it. This was my first time wake surfing, weighting a boat, the whole thing. I only see this boat for two weeks (which by the way is not a bu, its a blue water pro am, 96') same hull as a bu though (little skinnier, 7'4"beam). So it was a pretty steep learning curve. Very quickly realized I needed a lot more weight, or a surf gate. Built the surf gate and got two 400 lbs fly high bags with the stunami pump, and used 120 pounds of lead and people for the rest (after playing with it for two weeks was so close to getting the wake dialed, but needed at least 400 more pounds!) Heres some pics. It obviously for a regular port side wake. Taking it on and off takes about 10 seconds. Its pretty nifty. (sorry my spell check quit on me)

This was the wake we got first try with no ballast, just the gate and 5 people. The wave didnt quite have enough push in the sweet spots but looked great, and we were also on a river (very very slow, Willamete in Oregon) but we definitely didnt realize how much effect it had on the boat and the wave until we went out to Lake Cultis and couldnt get a clean wake without 1400 lbs in the boat.

After playing with it quite a bit, about 350 lbs in the bow, two 4oo lbs sacks in an L in the stern port corner, and about 400 more pounds of gear and people, the wake was ALMOST there, had enough push in front but not much in the rear, but got it evened out, nice and long and easy sloped. Im going to get a 750 lbs bag and I think that will do the trick, have to start all over but at least we will have enough weight for a handle free ride. Sitting still the rub rail is still a couple inches above the water on the port stern side. Might try and weight evenly as well with the gate working and see what it does. Took the gate off with the weight just to see what kind of difference it makes and it definitely helps make the wake taller and cleaner. Unfortunately, i dont have very good pics of that wake, i though I took more. Any questions or suggestions are welcome. (again, sorry about the spelling, i cant spell for crap without spell check)

All in all I think everyone with this style hull and swim step should make one of these, its quick and easy and has some real value to making a better surf wake.

[Jimmypooh]

Looks great. Also if you are unfamiliar with surfing, you need deep water. We find that anything less than about 8 feet and the wave just washes out.

[Zeke83]

yes, we experienced that on the river a couple times and couldnt firgure it out till later. The lake we spent most of the time on was plenty deep, avg about 150 where we were surfing.

[racer808]

with the gate do you have to weight the back evenly or can you still list it?

[Zeke83]

The only way we tried it was no weight (on a river going up stream) and then listed with weight. I have yet to try it with even weight. I just didnt have enough. I could probably throw two 750's with about 600 on either side of the engine and 300-400 in the ski loker and see what it does.

[nevertwobig]

I made one like yours and you have to list the boat 60/40. My wake is better than most on the river I run. 20-25' pocket!

[BlackBluMalibu]

with the gate do you have to weight the back evenly or can you still list it?

We have the factory surf gate and we have found that if you list it just a little toward the surf side ( about 200 to 300 lbs) it really cleans up the wake and and makes the wake firmer... Nice simple job on the teak gate... Keep playing with it and you"ll get a great surf wake. FWIW and you may have already considered it, but a prop change will also make a significant difference.

[nevertwobig]

97 sunsetter. 600 locker. 1100 port rear. 400 behind motor. 500 star rear. 200# driver. 200# spotter seat. 200# guy port corner. 200# on clam. Wedge down. Insane wake!

[WakeGirl]

97 sunsetter. 600 locker. 1100 port rear. 400 behind motor. 500 star rear. 200# driver. 200# spotter seat. 200# guy port corner. 200# on clam. Wedge down. Insane wake!

Would love to see a picture of that. If/when I ever get another boat, it's likely to be a SV23 direct drive, & I've been speculating on what a SG would do with that boat. 9 years ago I was trying to get a good surf wave out of my Wakesetter DD, but had subpar results.

[nevertwobig]

Still haven't figured out how to upload pics from phone yet

[martinarcher]

Would love to see a picture of that. If/when I ever get another boat, it's likely to be a SV23 direct drive, & I've been speculating on what a SG would do with that boat. 9 years ago I was trying to get a good surf wave out of my Wakesetter DD, but had subpar results.

That's a good bit of weight in a Setter. I thought I was rocking a lot of weight in a DD.....that's more than mine! I run 750 port side of motor, 500 starboard side of motor, 300 in the locker, 210 in the driver seat, 100 in the observers seat, 125 in the bow. More if we have more peeps.

[nevertwobig]

That's what it takes to get the best wake on my boat

[Zeke83]

I get a little nervous putting more than 300 in the bow, it sits so low. usually had people to move back and forth if needed. I noticed that bow weight really affected the length of the pocket. BlackBluMalibu, I definitely think I need a pitched up prop. I didnt even look to see what pitch i am running, its not the stock brass one, but I am pretty sure it is the same pitch as the stock one because of the problems I was having with speed. Not that I trust my water or mechanical speedo, didnt GPS it, but I found I would have to hit about 12-13 on the water speed or else the boat would plane out and the wake would fall apart at around 11 or slower. I think that is also a problem with getting a good sweet spot, im having to go too fast (if my speedos are accurate) Would a pitched up prop help this so i can go slower and not plane? I run it around in my head and it seems like it would. Maybe I just need more weight in the stern. With the weight I was working with I just couldnt get enough back there and put enough in the bow to lengthen the wake without increasing the speed that I was planing and leveling out at.

[LS-One]

97 sunsetter. 600 locker. 1100 port rear. 400 behind motor. 500 star rear. 200# driver. 200# spotter seat. 200# guy port corner. 200# on clam. Wedge down. Insane wake!

I wouldn't have thought 600 would fit in the locker.

[Zeke83]

*correction, prop pitched down, not up.

[kayakwv]

fyi --- I just can't get tired of all the homemade surf gates. Keep em coming. By this winter, I'll have a good idea of what to DIY.

[racer808]

So I made my own surf gate following the same design that the guy on the centurion forum did, the "teak gate,"..... holy crap, this thing worked like a charm. Pretty much just eyeballed all the angles and cuts. Took about an hour, and cost about 40 bucks in material. The result was more than worth it. This was my first time wake surfing, weighting a boat, the whole thing. I only see this boat for two weeks (which by the way is not a bu, its a blue water pro am, 96') same hull as a bu though (little skinnier, 7'4"beam). So it was a pretty steep learning curve. Very quickly realized I needed a lot more weight, or a surf gate. Built the surf gate and got two 400 lbs fly high bags with the stunami pump, and used 120 pounds of lead and people for the rest (after playing with it for two weeks was so close to getting the wake dialed, but needed at least 400 more pounds!) Heres some pics. It obviously for a regular port side wake. Taking it on and off takes about 10 seconds. Its pretty nifty. (sorry my spell check quit on me)

This was the wake we got first try with no ballast, just the gate and 5 people. The wave didnt quite have enough push in the sweet spots but looked great, and we were also on a river (very very slow, Willamete in Oregon) but we definitely didnt realize how much effect it had on the boat and the wave until we went out to Lake Cultis and couldnt get a clean wake without 1400 lbs in the boat.

After playing with it quite a bit, about 350 lbs in the bow, two 4oo lbs sacks in an L in the stern port corner, and about 400 more pounds of gear and people, the wake was ALMOST there, had enough push in front but not much in the rear, but got it evened out, nice and long and easy sloped. Im going to get a 750 lbs bag and I think that will do the trick, have to start all over but at least we will have enough weight for a handle free ride. Sitting still the rub rail is still a couple inches above the water on the port stern side. Might try and weight evenly as well with the gate working and see what it does. Took the gate off with the weight just to see what kind of difference it makes and it definitely helps make the wake taller and cleaner. Unfortunately, i dont have very good pics of that wake, i though I took more. Any questions or suggestions are welcome. (again, sorry about the spelling, i cant spell for crap without spell check)

All in all I think everyone with this style hull and swim step should make one of these, its quick and easy and has some real value to making a better surf wake.

I just noticed the LF surfboard. How do you like that board? I got one for xmas, haven't gotten to ride it yet

[jshaff]

What is the plastic used for the gate portion

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[racer808]

What is the plastic used for the gate portion

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Looks like a cutting board. I ordered some of this stuff, 1/2" thick for the one I am working on.

http://www.amazon.com/Density-Polyethylene-Opaque-Off-White-Thickness/dp/B00CPRDN3W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397697487&sr=8-1&keywords=hdpe

[Zeke83]

It is a cutting board, lol. Cant really give a good review on the LF as it was the first surf board I have ever ridden. First season surfing and my boat is def not a surf boat. Learning curve was steep trying to put it all together. With a mediocre wave I tossed the handle a couple times and had enough push to just barely stay in the pocket. With the handle it didnt take me long before I was doing airs and 180's, didnt seem to take too much to kick it loose but it tracked pretty good and held the wake nice. Edges felt responsive. Again my reference is this board only. I wana try a smaller board this year, more of an intermediate/advanced, little more aggressive, but will probably end up buying one more for the kids. My son wants to surf this year, and he needs a new wakeboard, and i need 500 new things for the boat, and the waverunner, and the house, and the vehicles, money sucking leeches.