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Does anyone have experience with the Go Surf Assist system on malibus? or other trim tab type of wake surf systems?


rogermulligan

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HI,  I  am looking at purchasing a malibu that will likely Not have the surf gates,  and was thinking I could as the Go surf assist system from Wake Makers to automate the wake shaping...  this is different than the Surf gates normally on newer Malibus (2013+).  Does anyone have any experience here?  many articles from Non-malibu owners seem to suggest that the trim tab systems are very good and/or better than the surf gates...  It would be interesting to know if anyone has every installed the go surf assist system and then compared it on the same boat to a good quality stick on wave shaper on the side of the boat.

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I had a 08 23 LSV and installed GSA on it.  I now have a 2020 23 mxz. The GSA system is VERY good.  Not as good as my new boat but was very close.  You will also need ballast bags in the rear lockers and more weight in the bow to maximize the surf wake.  Still much cheaper than buying a newer boat.  

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I spent some time on a axis a22 with GSA and I was very impressed, almost liked it better than surf gate. Also have hundreds of hours behind other boats with GSA and nothing but great things to say. As well as adding GSA also be prepared to upgrade your ballast. 

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I also had GSA on my 23LSV and it was a night and day difference between listing the boat.  I now have a 2019 w/ surfgate and there are still some things I prefer about GSA over Surfgate.  Worth every penny.

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I have the infinity wave system on my 03 VLX and it is great. It is lower cost than GSA with the main difference being the controller is much less refined. Before adding it I had to have a bow ballast bag to keep the nose down and lengthen the wave but haven't needed it since the tabs force the bow down.

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All great feed back!  thanks,  gives me more confidence in putting it on.  One question that I have wondered about for a while is has anyone installed the GSA system and compared on the same boat the wave with it vs. deactivating it (retracted) and slapping a suck gate on the side?   So that there are zero other factors in the equation ie.  same boat, same engine, same prop, same ballast, etc.  Does the wave height change vs. suck gate?  Thanks in advance!  Roger. 

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8 minutes ago, rogermulligan said:

All great feed back!  thanks,  gives me more confidence in putting it on.  One question that I have wondered about for a while is has anyone installed the GSA system and compared on the same boat the wave with it vs. deactivating it (retracted) and slapping a suck gate on the side?   So that there are zero other factors in the equation ie.  same boat, same engine, same prop, same ballast, etc.  Does the wave height change vs. suck gate?  Thanks in advance!  Roger. 

The following is from my install and setup thread on GSA.  I have linked it below.  Lots of good info in the thread if you are interested.

"On my boat (08 vlx hull, 21.5) I can create similar wave to the suckgate with GSA but wave has more push at the back of the wave which lengthened our pocket vs. a suckgate.  I can shape the wave on the fly without having to drain  and fill ballast.  I dont have a power wedge so this ability is huge for us. GSA requires more weight in the rear and less up front due to some lift from the tabs,  so I dont use a bow bag on top of seat anymore.  Lift also helps to get up to speed and I'm getting better fuel economy.  People can sit where they want for the most part and you can quickly get dialed in for the day, then adjust the dial as needed as people move from cabin to bow or vice versa.  @kerpluxal has been using GSA longer than I, and may have more insight, especially for your hull and boat length.

Edit:  I was also very happy with our wave before GSA.  I wanted automation and ability to adjust on the fly.  Both boxes checked plus many unexpected bonuses like more push, bow rise down, fuel economy...etc.  very happy and glad I went GSA vs new boat purchase."

 

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Thanks Deck Hand! read all your posts on this,  great information.  Looks like a great system,  but as everyone has said,  I will likely have to bump up the weight of the ballast.  The infinity tab systems looks interesting and less expensive... I wonder if their more simplistic Tab design guides the water as effectively as the GSA?  The Wakemakers video seems to suggest that GSA is not just a trim tab but is designed to guide the water in a purposeful way... the Infinity,  is/was a flat plate and would not really be able to direct water sideways (I don't think) just downwards.  

I was thinking and wondering if the Infinity tab system paired with a wake garage controller, would be better and at a better cost with more features.... need to investigate.  But am worried that simpler tab design produces a inferior wave.

Am I understanding this correctly,  that the suck gate would likely throw a taller wave for the same weight,  but with no automation,  The GSA throws a longer wave with more push and longer pocket and maybe a lower height wave,  but will get the height back by adding more weight in the boat?  Or am I incorrectly reading between the lines?

Thanks,  for the feedback,  Sincerely,  Roger. 

 

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Comparing GSA to a suck gate in simplist terms, the suck gate will create a softer, more mellow transition but still decent in height which some people like and some people do not. Whereas with GSA you are able to get a bit of both having the adjustability of the tab to mellow it out or ramp it up to a steep wave. The major draw back I find to the suck gate is the inability to press go and not have to stick it on the side of the boat and never get it on the same spot twice. Because GSA is lifting the back of the boat if you are running small weight you might notice you're needing to add more than what you would with a suck gate. 

Comparing infinity wave with GSA they both work well but each have their benefits. The GSA controller is by far the best out there, surf right/left and a dial to adjust steepness. Don't quote me on this but infinities simplicity really works well on a deep v boat, very similar to the factory system on a centurion. that is what it was initially designed for. GSA works very well on a flatter bottom boat. 

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No idea on differences between infinity and gsa as far as wave goes.  I've only ridden the gsa.  I assume both will likely work equally well.  Preference will likely just come down to controller, simplicity and price. I like the GSA controller for the reasons@Cole2001 stated.  With GSA I can mimic a suckgate wave dialed to surf on the controller and a speed between 10.2 to 10.6. It is a taller wave in height and a bit shorter in length. It is also a bit softer. I have floating wedge, so don't have the adjustability of the power wedge, which would allow more options for dialing the wave. If I up the speed to 10.8 to 11.2, the wave gets longer and firmer and can also be teeeked dialing the tabs to shape it.  Ultimately, you can produce different wave shapes with just speed and settings on the controller using the same ballast configuration.  GSA loves weight, however I'm only running about 500 lbs more than we did with a suckgate.  The real difference is location.  This system likes more weight in the rear, so we run about a 30/70 ballast ratio vs the 40/60 with a suckgate.  I only run more weight than before because I was maxed out and couldn't get up to speed, now I can with GSA and it gets better with weight.

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3 minutes ago, rogermulligan said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply, all great!  

I haven't heard of anyone installing either system and complaining that the wave isn't as good as before or regretting the purchase.  Maybe they are out there, I just haven't come across it yet? Ive only heard how much better it gets due to ability to adjust on the fly. For us there were also quite a few unexpected benefits. Like fuel economy, bow rise, no longer needing bow bag on top of seats, etc....It's a large purchase and I was on the fence for over a year researching it.  I finally pulled the trigger and wished I had done it sooner, FWIW.

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1 hour ago, bovhica said:

I haven't heard of anyone installing either system and complaining that the wave isn't as good as before or regretting the purchase.  Maybe they are out there, I just haven't come across it yet? Ive only heard how much better it gets due to ability to adjust on the fly. For us there were also quite a few unexpected benefits. Like fuel economy, bow rise, no longer needing bow bag on top of seats, etc....It's a large purchase and I was on the fence for over a year researching it.  I finally pulled the trigger and wished I had done it sooner, FWIW.

Also agree with never hearing of anyone not impressed. A friend of mine who never seems to be able to get his wave right or know what to do added GSA. I asked him how it was and he was absolutely blown away and had no idea why he didnt do it from day one. 

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I installed the Infinity system on my 2011 VLX last year and I could not be happier. I had been using a modified wicked wake I had from my 2004 witch is basically a deployed surfgate strapped to the platform. Not only is my wave significantly better but the boat handles way better. We deploy whatever tab is needed and just leave it down. The boat still handles fine. I have also been riding an Axis with surfgate and its great but when the gate deploys you better have both hands on the wheel especially for transfers. The surf tab systems don't effect the handling of the boat near as much as gates in my experience. 

I went with Infinity because it was like $1,200 cheaper, however, if I had it to do over I may have gone with GSA because of the controller. As we surf more its just a mater of time before we are ready for transfers on a regular basis. Eventually I will be upgrading the controller but even with my current set up its the best modification I have done. My boat has 550 hours, runs great and is paid for so comparing it to a lot more coin for a newer model with surfgate made the choice easy.  

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Great thread.   I’m looking for a system as well.   Not sure if I want to go with a DIY and use the controller from WG (which sounds great) or just bite the bullet and ante up the cash.    

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10 minutes ago, ROFF said:

Great thread.   I’m looking for a system as well.   Not sure if I want to go with a DIY and use the controller from WG (which sounds great) or just bite the bullet and ante up the cash.    

IMO, If you don't have the power wedge, I'd strongly lean installing one of the tab systems to have the ability to shape the wave with the controller. 

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