Ballast Balacing for Wakeboarding Old People

[Claire1000]

Just got our A22 last week. Curious how folks are loading their boats for an easy wake. I have bad joints and only want to go wake to wake with grabs (in my head I'll work on my 360s next summer....). The wake on our boat is gigantic. What's the easiest starting point for keeping it sane but still a nice lip? We tried bow and center, but curious if there's a norm. Thanks!

[shawndoggy]

What speed are you riding at?

coming from an xti it will seem huge period.

try no ballast at all.  It'll still be very rideable.  Then add front.  Then if you want more lip, try the wedge, then start adding center and rear.

Weight in the rear tends to make the wake steeper, weight in center and front add meat/transition and also balance out the weight in the rear.

The wedge will also put a nice poppy lip on the wake.

I'm with you tho claire, on our T22 center plus wedge is plenty for me.  Actually it can be a little scary even that big.

[Raimie]

8 minutes ago, Claire1000 said:

Just got our A22 last week. Curious how folks are loading their boats for an easy wake. I have bad joints and only want to go wake to wake with grabs (in my head I'll work on my 360s next summer....). The wake on our boat is gigantic. What's the easiest starting point for keeping it sane but still a nice lip? We tried bow and center, but curious if there's a norm. Thanks!

For me, all I need in my T22 is the bow ballast filled up and then sometimes with wedge, sometimes without, depending on who's riding. We aren't doing inverts, just w2w and spins.

Your speed plays in to the equation too. We typically ride 19.6-21.4 depending on the rider.

@shawndoggy is spot on. I have even ridden no ballast, no wedge and it's still plenty of wake for me lol

[onwi]

Ride a short line too.  I have people on my boat riding anywhere from 55 to 75 feet.  Committing to clearing the wake with proper form allows you to ride down the transition.  That is 100x easier on your body than getting scared and casing the backside wake.

[nitrous1]

Our main crew ranges from 45-62 yrs old and we ride no ballast most of the time between 20-22mph on a t22, we don't get crazy but that wake is plenty big enough to have a good time. The thing I like about the axis wake is, it's a smooth ramp, the other boat we ride is a mastercraft x2 and it seams steep and peaky 

[Claire1000]

Perfect. Thanks guys! 

[BearCreekBum]

No help with the ballast but I think you should consider a different classification for yourself. 

You are not in the "old people" group yet. That is a moving target that now has reached 80 year olds for me. 

[nitrous1]

9 hours ago, Claire1000 said:

Perfect. Thanks guys! 

 

18 hours ago, onwi said:

Ride a short line too.  I have people on my boat riding anywhere from 55 to 75 feet.  Committing to clearing the wake with proper form allows you to ride down the transition.  That is 100x easier on your body than getting scared and casing the backside wake.

I agree 100% on the short line, the only thing I don't like is it shortens the time you have to set up.

[granddaddy55]

On August 31, 2016 at 11:21 AM, Claire1000 said:

Just got our A22 last week. Curious how folks are loading their boats for an easy wake. I have bad joints and only want to go wake to wake with grabs (in my head I'll work on my 360s next summer....). The wake on our boat is gigantic. What's the easiest starting point for keeping it sane but still a nice lip? We tried bow and center, but curious if there's a norm. Thanks!

The boat was designed for stock and wedge, though our a20 has only 800 and smaller hull than yours,  my wife as a beginner this year after skating for years rides the wakeboard stock and wedge package and loves it , it was what I was riding before breaking my femur not behind a boat . It's a great launchfir me or her and she rides with 10 off , she hasn't  learned wake to wake just one wake airs

the problem is that once your pnp is installed and you didn't run timers in your rears when system is closed ? Mine was 1 minute diff.  Why probkem ? cause once bags installed even with valve handled closed they fill from vent and drain and you have to either have the timing on the tanks or you turn valve handle and block vent and drain by pressing top of bag over those holes inside of bag to prevent it or listen to it no fun either way , best to have those times on the stock  rears and time it, your bags will have residual in them but air then water back fills them making it hard to tell unless your physically blocking both ports whether their filling with water to stop your fill . Easiest is to let them fill a little from bottom but that's a little more than stock which is what I do for convenience after closing the valve handles 1st

our wake stock wedge driver and equip 

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by granddaddy55

[granddaddy55]

On 8/31/2016 at 11:21 AM, Claire1000 said:

Just got our A22 last week. Curious how folks are loading their boats for an easy wake. I have bad joints and only want to go wake to wake with grabs (in my head I'll work on my 360s next summer....). The wake on our boat is gigantic. What's the easiest starting point for keeping it sane but still a nice lip? We tried bow and center, but curious if there's a norm. Thanks!

We added this weekend 2 150's to the bow cushions to stock and wedge and a little in pnp rears, even better and very easy to move bags to even weight for wake cleanup as we ride alone , totally renovated surf wave both sides as well as well as significantly lowering surf nose and better steering wheel tension on regular wave

Edited September 27, 2016 by granddaddy55