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What's The Best Surfing Ballast Configuration for a DD Boat?


skiguy

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I'm looking to weight down my Sunsetter LX and do some surfing this season. I've done some research but would be interested to hear the opinions of you folks who have been doing this longer than me.

It's usually just 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 kids. I'm thinking the following configuration:

650 lb Fly High integrated bow sack (would most likely put it under the bow seats)

350 lb tube sack in the ski locker

Here's where I'm undecided:

Option 1) Qty 2 520 lb side sack set for placement between engine and back seat and next to the engine on the surf side - a huge pain to walk over though.

Option 2) A rear seat sack 580 lbs. Would be used in place of the rear seat (would make us a bit less flexible if we wanted to lose the weight for other activities -- we would be without a rear seat)

I plan to use my manual wedge a well so I estimate about 500lbs of down force at 10 mph.

I appreciate your recommendations.

Edited by skiguy
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Granted it was a supra DD , but we used to run

300 up front

550 in ski locker

plumbed 250-300 bag under back seat

400 in rear ski storage area

400 on surf side beside engine

+/- 4 -6 adults

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A bag in the ski locker may sound ideal, but there ain't much support for all that weight.

Watch the gas tank vent so it doesn't end up under water either underway, during a turn or while idle.

Knock up some sort of ghetto gate, it will help with the length of the wave & clean it up a fair bit.

Will bet you get a few waves over the bow if not careful as there ain't much freeboard left with all the weight.

Be interested to hear how you go.

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martinarcher

Start small with bow weight and put most of you weight along the engine on the surf side. I used to stack 500lb bags on the surf side. One on the floor beside the engine (touching the back seat) and the second on top of it bridging onto the observer seat. It worked really good but I got sick of stacking bags and called Fly High and had a custom bag made to replace them both. It worked like a champ with it and about 300lbs in the locker. If we had more than 4 on board I'd put two in the bow. Now that I'm running gates I run a 750 regular side and a 500 goofy side and the 300lb in the locker for a very even goofy/regular wave with the gates. I ran a floating wedge down on the both set-ups. It makes a big difference for us in wave height. I need to put the custom bag up for sale as I doubt I'll ever use it again now that I installed gates.

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Here's what I do:

380lb sack in ski locker

750lb sack at an angle in the rear surf side (whichever side is being surfed - goofy or reg)

wedge down

1 person in bow, on surf side (120lbs)

1 person driving

1 person on engine cover, legs hanging over surf side

1 person on rear seat on surf side. This person manages the rope and takes pics/vid too

We get a great all-day ride from that set up. The swim platform is about an inch under water on the surf side.

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Start small with bow weight and put most of you weight along the engine on the surf side. I used to stack 500lb bags on the surf side. One on the floor beside the engine (touching the back seat) and the second on top of it bridging onto the observer seat. It worked really good but I got sick of stacking bags and called Fly High and had a custom bag made to replace them both. It worked like a champ with it and about 300lbs in the locker. If we had more than 4 on board I'd put two in the bow. Now that I'm running gates I run a 750 regular side and a 500 goofy side and the 300lb in the locker for a very even goofy/regular wave with the gates. I ran a floating wedge down on the both set-ups. It makes a big difference for us in wave height. I need to put the custom bag up for sale as I doubt I'll ever use it again now that I installed gates.

Great advice! Thank you! Did you require any bow ballast or was the 300lbs. in the ski locker sufficient?

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I'm also kicking around another configuration. How about either a 1100 or 800lb back on or under the rear seat? That combined with 350lbs in the ski locker and an integrated bow ballast bag, and the wedge and my DIY surfgate. I noticed that there really isn't that much space between the engine cover and the sides of the boat (approx. 15") and I'm wondering how much lateral stress a 20" wide bag would put on the engine cover - not to mention the pain it would be to walk over the bag to get to the back of the boat.

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Just make sure you have a driver you really trust when its your turn to surf!

Indeed! There will definitely have to be some training of the crew.

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  • 2 weeks later...

After much thought I think I'm going to purchase a couple Ronix Eight.3 800lb. telescoping bags to be placed on either side of the engine and as far rearward as possible (I'll tune the weight as necessary). It turns out the ski locker bag I have is a 540lb bag so I think that should be good and should provide some bow weight as well -- if not enough I'll send the a passenger to the bow. I made a couple DIY gates and will have the option of running the manual wedge down if necessary. It will be interesting to see how my 320 monsoon handles the weight. It will also be interesting to see how safe the boat is. The coast guard placard states a maximum of 1500 pounds :whistle:

I'll take some photos and report back the results soon.

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