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Ordering a T23 in December...Looking at ballast options


Gator808

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I have made the final decision and the winner is a T23! For those out there who have surfed them and or own them. What is your recommended ballast setup? Mainly just for the rear lockers and front bow. I doubt I will be putting a bag in the floor or on the seats. I have heard everything from 750's to 1100's in the rear to a 650 or 750 in the bow. I obviously want the best push/lip on the wave I can possibly get. My crew is usually 6 people. No kids. Thanks for the help! Feel free to post pics or videos of your setups as well :)

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A lot depends on your normal crew size and engine/prop choice. I have a 15 A22 with 350 motor/1235 prop. We run as small as 2 adults/3 kids & up. I have 750s in rear and 700-750 front. Wave is great. I have never said I wanted more ballast or needed more engine. We are at elevation and can get to wakeboard speed, fully loaded if we throw another adult up front.

I think this config is the sweet spot in our boat. I wanted to go 900s in the back but found I needed more bow weight which would have meant bags on the seat or lead which I don't want to do. I love the idea of lead but we trailer our boat every where.

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  • 1 year later...
On 9/19/2015 at 7:44 AM, Gator808 said:

I have made the final decision and the winner is a T23! For those out there who have surfed them and or own them. What is your recommended ballast setup? Mainly just for the rear lockers and front bow. I doubt I will be putting a bag in the floor or on the seats. I have heard everything from 750's to 1100's in the rear to a 650 or 750 in the bow. I obviously want the best push/lip on the wave I can possibly get. My crew is usually 6 people. No kids. Thanks for the help! Feel free to post pics or videos of your setups as well :)

What have you found you like since owning your T23? Picking mine up this week and after break in ready to get the wave huge! Would love to hear from a t23 owner 

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I said the same thing, I don't have any interest in additional seat sacks. I ordered my t22 last year put 900 in rears and plug and play in the bow (not sure the weight). The wave was tall and steep but pretty short. I was forced to ride with 3 people in the front to give it length, once I did the wave was amazing. Problem is, 3 guys riding in the front every time we surf is pretty annoying. I purchased a 500 pound sack that I use a throw in the water pump and it's amazing. Congrats on your new purchase! 

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I have a 2017 (just turned 50 hours).  We run 550 PNPs in the back, and the 650 triangle up front.  We also have a 600 bag that we put just in front of the transmission hump.  Believe it or not, we have been running weighted/tilted without much in the starboard side (surf regular/port), and have an awesome wave without wedge between 10.3 and 11.3 (depending on the board).  Just had a pro/instructor ride with us for a day and he recommended that setup.  He also said the wake was unbelievable.  He really enjoyed it (first time he'd spent much time in a T23).

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Congrats, you are going to love that boat.  I have a 2017 T-23 with a 650 PNP under the bow seats and 1000s in the stern lockers.  Not sure if the 650 gets inflated all of the way, but it's close.  I typically just surf with my wife and young kids, and I've found that I really don't need all 1000lbs in the rear lockers.  With a crew of 6 adults, I'd go with 750s, and maybe even less, but I'd go as heavy in the bow as you can because it's tough to get big people up there when it's hot.

Also, I think it depends a little on which side your crew surfs on.  In my experience, the port side wave is foolproof, and the more weight you add, the bigger it gets.  Both sides filled to 1000#, 6 adults, and the wedge would make monster port side wave, and the surf gate will keep it clean.  However, it would be a very steep wave unless you go faster than 12 mph, which will probably strain the engine.  The wave would be 85% as good at 550# in each stern locker, plus you could get a long wave a 11.7mph and not strain the engine.

The goofy side is a little different.  I've found that the goofy side wave gets washy across the crest if I overload the boat or if I have the boat under-weighted in the bow vs the stern.  For that reason, I sometimes put an extra 400# sack on the bow seats.  This helps me keep the goofy side wave cleaner with my 1,000s about half-full.  With less weight, I can also run a little slower.  Keeping the goofy wave clean with a smooth crest is mostly an aesthetic thing, but I do think it makes 360s a bit easier and you don't splash yourself as much when spinning.  If that's not a concern, you can load it up on either side, but not sure the extra fuel burned and strain on the engine is worth it.  I have tried listing the boat various ways, but I normally just weight it evenly, which is nice when you have to turn into your own wave to retrieve a rider.

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I've got a 2015 T23 with 300+ hours.

900s in the back + 650 in front. It really loves bow weight, so you'll likely always want someone sitting up there.

If you're going to add anything else, make it 200-300 lbs of steel/lead in the bow. 

It can handle even more weight if you're not at high altitude. I've run all that plus wedge plus 10 people at lower altitudes and the wave is pretty awesome. Want it longer? Move people forward. Want more push? Move them back.

I generally run at 11.8-12. The more weight you have, the faster you have to go to keep the wave clean. Adding bow weight helps you get up to clean speed with the same amount of total weight.

Edited by SomeYeahoo
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have a 2016 T23. I contacted wakemakers and they are telling me to get a 400lb bag for the bow. I see everyone running 650's or 750's in the bow. Is there a reason they are suggesting only 400 pounds up there or is that all they offer or what?

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On 9/29/2017 at 9:05 AM, CBray4 said:

I have a 2016 T23. I contacted wakemakers and they are telling me to get a 400lb bag for the bow. I see everyone running 650's or 750's in the bow. Is there a reason they are suggesting only 400 pounds up there or is that all they offer or what?

Because they can't technically suggest those large amount of weights for liability reasons.  Same reason they kept telling me I can't use a bigger than 14.5" prop on my boat when I needed a 15".  You can order what you want, but they can't suggest it.  Just come to the Crew for all your needs, we'll love you right.  Get the biggest bag you can get, you don't always have to fill it but when you want more it's there.

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1 minute ago, racer808 said:

Because they can't technically suggest those large amount of weights for liability reasons.  Same reason they kept telling me I can't use a bigger than 14.5" prop on my boat when I needed a 15".  You can order what you want, but they can't suggest it.  Just come to the Crew for all your needs, we'll love you right.  Get the biggest bag you can get, you don't always have to fill it but when you want more it's there.

That is exactly why I asked. I see everyone with 650's and some 750's and then they tell me 400, I'm like... What the heck! Selling me short! But I see why they can't suggest anything over a certain amount because that what the boat says is the bow capacity is or all that nonsense.

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On 9/29/2017 at 9:05 AM, CBray4 said:

I have a 2016 T23. I contacted wakemakers and they are telling me to get a 400lb bag for the bow. I see everyone running 650's or 750's in the bow. Is there a reason they are suggesting only 400 pounds up there or is that all they offer or what?

That's nuts. That said, I think I finally found the limit for the bow this week. I had the 650 bag full, 200 lbs of steel and four adults up there. When I'd come down to idle as slowly as I could, with perfect glass, the bow would dip and take on a little water. So I wouldn't put any more than say, 1500 in the bow if I were you. :) but 650? yea, that's fine. Heck, the boat is rated for 500 by the coast guard. 

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11 hours ago, SomeYeahoo said:

That's nuts. That said, I think I finally found the limit for the bow this week. I had the 650 bag full, 200 lbs of steel and four adults up there. When I'd come down to idle as slowly as I could, with perfect glass, the bow would dip and take on a little water. So I wouldn't put any more than say, 1500 in the bow if I were you. :) but 650? yea, that's fine. Heck, the boat is rated for 500 by the coast guard. 

Cool. I will get a 650 for the PNP in the bow then. I believe it has 850's in the rear from the previous owner. 

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2017 T23

1-3 people (1 or 2 in boat and 1 surfing)

8x 40lbs lead bags in nose under the triangle

8x 50lbs lead bags onthe transmission step (removed the seat there) and 

2x 50lbs lead bags in passanger storage to balance driver weight

front bag left empty

center full 

rear we fill port side full + the pnp bag (mine are the ones that look like Ls and not just rectangles, not sure what size they are)

rear we fill starboard about half if we are just usring port side, or full if we have people wanting to do transfers 

wedge deployed

 

The more people we get depending where they wanna sit depends on if we want to fill the box bag as well...

if 5-6 people are in the main cabin area we setup the same but fill the nose bag as well. if people are going to sit in the nose we leave the bag empty. 

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