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2003 vlx wakesetter ballast can't surf


Lpraza

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Hi guys i keep trying to surf with my vlx but i can't find the sweet spot or my wave is not enough hard to push me and keep me out of the water. Can someone who got the same boat as me can help me ? This is my setup

Wedge down

750 fat sac full ( surf side ) locker

300 lbs on seat (surf side )

Center ballast full

300 lbs fat sac on surf side on the boat seats ....

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Hey...could be several things. First of all the weight you have is a good start but you need some up front as well. Wasn't sure if you meant 300 on surf side in the bow or not? I have the same hull as you. For us I run 750 sack in rear surf side, 500 center full, 600 lb bag laying on surf side seats by tower leg, front under seat bow ballast bag full (I am guessing 2-300 lbs in that cause it's limited by the seat bases) and another 200 lbs or so in a bag that I strap down to the surf side bow rails . We also have another sack that it 480 that I use for wake boarding ...it stays in the bow under the playpen cushion. I have surfed with it full in that spot as well and I have played with moving it to the seat as well with the other big bag. With or without that one and the wedge down I can surf my wave all day long. (not catching air like behind a 24 footer or anything but riding)

My next question is how much do you weigh and what board are you using? When I first got my boat and tried to surf it I could never drop the rope . A friend of mine who weighs about 40 lbs less was able to and he used to give me grief about it. Then I demoed an Inland surfer Blue Lake and their Yellow loogie. I was able to surf both ropeless immediately. I weigh 200 and I needed the extra buoyancy for my wave. Since then I have gotten a little better and have ridden different boards fine that aren't as floaty but it definitely requires more work. I hope this helps you.

We only surf about once or twice a year because I prefer boarding and hate filling bags lol. I know there are a lot of folks on here that surf all the time and I am sure they will have better more up to date advice. Your hull will surf fine though when you get it dialed in , just takes some time and experimenting. Weight up front in this hull is necessary imo. Also, forgot to mention, make sure you are in deepish water, 20 ft or so at least I would say. It definitely matters , at least on my boat.

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Which side? I can get the goofy wave perfect on mine but the regular side is a challenge.

I surf on passenger side if you prefer. Thank you guy i will see those member setup

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We have the same hull, you should be getting a surfable wave with a very small sweet spot with your set up, I used to run a 750. More weight & a surf gate will make the pocket large. Can you ride ropeless behind other boats?

My set up now is a 1100 surf side rear, 500 on side seats, 400 -500 ? center floor (can never remember what that thing holds), 750 bow, wedge down & surf gate. It's very surfable wave but sketchy to drive & can't be choppy

Edited by racer808
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I rode with a guy who ons an 03 VLX. We had several surfers up, even myself for a bit, with a lot less weight than most of you are running. The owner is probably 225 lbs & he surfed ropeless for probably 5 or 10 minutes at a time without much problem.

450 each side in the rear, one full, the offside half full.

200 lbs of lead in the rear corner seat, depending on which side was being surfed.

500 center

250 in the bow

Another 100 in lead in the bow seats

Took him about 5 or 10 minutes to change sides.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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I run 1100 in the back corner, the factory middle full, and 400lbs in the nose. We hardly ride with less then 5 or 6 people so sacks on the interior seats are not needed. The front balast just depends on if we have people sitting up front or not.

I have ran it with a 1200lb triangle bag in the front partially full, the 1100 in the corner, two 400's in the rear seats, and the factory center.

It was larger but for how hard it was to drive was not worth the return.

I don't have a wedge also.

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Hi guys i keep trying to surf with my vlx but i can't find the sweet spot or my wave is not enough hard to push me and keep me out of the water. Can someone who got the same boat as me can help me ? This is my setup

Wedge down

750 fat sac full ( surf side ) locker

300 lbs on seat (surf side )

Center ballast full

300 lbs fat sac on surf side on the boat seats ....

It's not the boat or the set up.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've posted this a number of times - it will get you where you need to be with no exposed bags (who wants to deal with bags laying around everywhere?):

http://www.themalibucrew.com/forums/index.php?/topic/51606-i-think-i-have-my-sv23-fairly-dialed-in/

This year I've started playing with a little starboard locker weight. Jury is out on whether it is better or not. I don't necessarily think so; my buddy riding his barn door (Inland Surfer Red Rocket) feels it helps.

IMG_5158_zpsvow21g8a.jpg

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I have a 2002 VLX same as the 2003. I just recently did a complete ballast upgrade. Here's what I did.

- ACME 1235 Prop upgrade

- Straight line 900 Lbs bags in each rear locker.

- 500 Lbs bag in the front bow under the seats.

- Center bag is 700lbs.

- 800Lb bag on the center floorboard towards the surf side

- Johnson reversible pumps.

I was surprised with the wake it threw. I could surf behind my boat without any ropes and has a sweet spot. I'm a fairly newer surfer too. I've been debating to make a surf gate system to make the wake longer and smoother, but that'll be another project. I haven't take pics yet, but it was very similar to my friends 2015 VLX wake without the added fat sacs. Hope this helps.

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So my problem was my surf , he is too tiny for me ( 6 feet and 200 lbs ) i try whith a bigger surf and more flottation and its was more easy. I will try it again this weekend with my short board ( 4 feet and something ) but it will be more harder to find the sweet spot and i will have to work harder to find it .

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