Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Best wake surf device for my '02 VLX?


PEC

Recommended Posts

They all work. Heck, build your own for 30$ Thats what I did. It was fun, I customized it with some fun graphics, and it works better on my boat than some others I have tried for $300

 

Bottom line, just grab one of your firneds and try it out? No friends? No problem. Buy any of them, make a great surf wave, and you will have more friends to mooch off your new surf wave :cheers:

Link to comment

Like @AJwakedevil said, build your own. A couple of L brackets, a plastic cutting board, some stainless hardware, and suctions cups. We have built plenty, and they cost $20 or less. 

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

This is interesting....5 wake shapers tested on a Malibu boat.

I have the Nauticurl on my boat and really like it, works awesome. Have a friend with a Mission that also works great.....another friend with $20 homemade gate and it also works well. if you make one, I hear that getting the metal suctions work best...other than that, a cutting board, some brackets and suctions cups and you are good to go. (bigger is not better on the cutting board and put some angle one it, the sharp 90 degree runs up the rpm....from what I have seen some angle helps rpm and wave is great).

I always heard the a suck gate was a suck gate and they all did the same thing. Apparently, not exactly true. They will all certainly give you a wave, but design DOES change the height and length to some degree. In this video you can see the camera angle never changes and if you look at horizon, you can see some waves are longer, some are taller, etc.

Edited by Infinitysurf
Link to comment

I have been using a copy someone had a plastics company make of the Ronix 8, which is a highly overpriced wake shaper.  It works but the Velcro is getting a bit old to deal with.

I just ordered a WakeMate, which should be here this week:  https://shapethewake.com/collections/frontpage/products/slim-style-wakemate

Why this unit?  It's newer to the market but what reviews I could find were positive.  Price was better than anything else out there.  Instead of $200 - $400 for most of those out there, it is $85 shipped.  I don't feel like building my own and at this price, why?  I may eventually go to an automated system, but I wanted this for now and the price made it a no brainer, as even if I only use it this summer, I'm sure I can sell it and only be out a few bucks.  The Ronix clone won't sell for what it cost, but it has a couple years of use on it too...

  • Like 1
Link to comment
martinarcher
9 hours ago, minnmarker said:

Build your own gates with @martinarcher   control system - or even build your own control system if you're the electronic type.  Sure beats trying to turn or start with a suck gate.

That's what drove me to design that control system.  one night on the water with a fixed gate and we knew that wasn't acceptable.  With the Sunsetter you couldn't have safe slow speed control of the boat at all.  It might be better with bigger boats but it was terrible with ours.

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, martinarcher said:

That's what drove me to design that control system.  one night on the water with a fixed gate and we knew that wasn't acceptable.  With the Sunsetter you couldn't have safe slow speed control of the boat at all.  It might be better with bigger boats but it was terrible with ours.

Funny, I don't notice any steering issues with the suck gate on while picking up a rider etc.  I've driven 21-23 foot boats with the delta on and never noticed a drag personally.  But hey, I'm still looking into putting a full gated system on mine.  

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Boat is a 2006 VLX Wakesetter.  I ended up getting a Ronix 138 Concave Blade.  I run about 1,000 lbs in each corner, 500 lbs in middle and 500 lbs in front walkway with the Power Wedge 1/2 way down.  I can't compare any other shapers to the Ronix because I haven't tried them but I will say this; It doesn't fall off when you establish a good connection (you'll know when you get it), easy to switch to goofy riders, and everybody that surfs behind my boat loves the wave.  They need to drop the price to about $225 or so IMO.

Link to comment

After trying the WakeMate, I have to recommend it. Boat steers a lot better than it did with my Ronix clone.  No Velcro, way easier to install and the wake is pretty much the same. 

$85 shipped, nothing else really tocuhes it.  DIY suck gate isn't going to look as good and time vs minimal cost savings isn't worth it at all. 

Yes, it is a bathtub suction handle with a 3D printed plastic attachement screwed in...and it works. Small too for easy stowing. 

Link to comment

On my 02 VLX we noticed if the suckgate (home made) is at the very back of the hull steering sucks. But if we move it about even or slightly forward of the cleat (10-12" from stern) steering seems unaffected. 
We have played around with different angles, different shapes, and to be honest the biggest difference we have found is moving the gate fore and aft till we like it the best. 
One of these days I want to see about having a suck gate on both sides having the surf side up towards the middle of the boat to see if it would cause more water to rush in at the stern changing the waves form .

Link to comment
13 minutes ago, cowwboy said:

On my 02 VLX we noticed if the suckgate (home made) is at the very back of the hull steering sucks. But if we move it about even or slightly forward of the cleat (10-12" from stern) steering seems unaffected. 
We have played around with different angles, different shapes, and to be honest the biggest difference we have found is moving the gate fore and aft till we like it the best. 
One of these days I want to see about having a suck gate on both sides having the surf side up towards the middle of the boat to see if it would cause more water to rush in at the stern changing the waves form .

I place my homemade suck gate right at the gas tank fill or slightly in front of it and as high up on the lower section as I can.  This seems to produce the best wake on our 23,.    

Link to comment

I have the swell and wakesurf edge.  They put up the same wake or at least I can’t tell a difference.  The swell is much smaller and easier to mount.  It’s also 50 dollars cheaper and white so you can spot it in the water if it falls off.  I have the wakesurf edge for sale. Has one run. Like new. 

Link to comment

I have a home made one on my 2002 vlx. Works great but steering does suck with it on. Your going to still need ballast especially in the bow to lengthen the wave.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

I have a 2006 Wakesetter VLX - I run 1,000 lbs in each corner, 500 factory ballast in the middle, 400 lbs in the front walkway and a Eight.3 Ronix Blade 138 wakeshaper and it is a sweet wave.  The wakeshaper makes all the difference.  Once you figure out how hard the suction cups need to attach it never comes off.  In the crazy instance it did it floats so all good.  .I play around with the human ballast to fine tune the wave.  Love this set up.

Link to comment
10 hours ago, Reese said:

 

Didnt you post the same thing in this thread earlier this summer..? :whistle:
haha just giving you a hard time.

Link to comment

I want to try building one like the wakesurf edge, maybe 3D printing it or similar.

However I love mine and the wave is good, I have used the same one for 2 years and given away half a dozen. I use 6" PVC trim board from Home Depot, it's 50 bucks a board but you can make half a dozen shapers from a single board. Most importantly it FLOATS. :)

Revision one used the stupid black suction cup from Amazon (that one sucks) and bit at your fingers:

 

2018-08-08_13-10-03.png

Revision two uses the orange suction handle from harbor freight and rocks it. i also made the side supports lower for less finger pinching. It has 6 deck screws, 3 miter saw cuts, and that's it.

 

2018-08-08_13-14-51.png

 

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...