First let me ask that we please not mention anything positive or negative about the design safety or usefulness of the wedge. <BR> <BR>I am just curious what are the causes and effects of the wedge on the boat and then on the wake. <BR> <BR>I hate to be picky but I am not asking about real world experiences, just the science book stuff. <BR> <BR>Thanks and sorry about the picky post parade <BR> <BR>Chris

It pulls the boat down due to hydrodynamic forces resulting from the wedge (essentially a foil) pointed in a slightly down angle.

Sippin on the Hatorade, I know. That being said, I'd buy a Malibu if I were looking. Just not sure about drag hardware.<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/600103.jpg" alt="Upload">

I saw that same picture on the Internet. The story was he hit something underwater it bent <BR>the shaft,shaft support, prop [destroyed]and then bent the rudder before hitting the wedge.

The prop and rudder are bent way out of shape if you see other pictures of the same boat. <BR> <BR>Chris, a wake is the water pushed aside by the boat. The more water pushed out, the bigger the wake. To push more water out you need to push the boat further into the water. Weight the boat more with people, water, or metal and it pushes down more water. Force the boat down with hydrodynamic or aerodynamic force and it pushes more water. <BR>At boat speeds there is no practical aerodynamic load but there is lots of potential for hydrodynamic force. Hydrofoil military ships or high speed hydrofoil ferries are examples of using this force to lessen the water drag on ships and lift them from the surface. The wedge and the switchblade are two foil designs to increase downforce. It's the equivalent of a wing on a plane and adding weight to a boat is the equivalent to a blimp. The foil is more efficient but for practical purposes is more difficult to design and implement. One thing to note is that the force is at the stern and you normally need to add weight to the bow to balance the load and keep the boat trim at an optimum. <BR>You'll here comments from boat sales people and on brochures about 'drag hardware' but anyone using that term is not very knowledgeable about the subject or is trying to mislead the person they are addressing. The only thing you 'drag' with a wakeboat is the rider. <BR>An ideal design would be a hydrofoil front and rear that allows the boat to be pushed into the water in some conditions and lifted from the water in others. (a perfect crossover boat) Using foils does not add to your acceleration load because you are not pushing any more mass. If you had the right design there would be no need for added weight. In fact you could run a design that canted the boat for wakesurfing too. <BR>The catch to all this is the shape and definition of the wake. The smoother the waterflow, the smoother the wake. It's easier to get the shape and definition to a wake without adding disturbance under or behind the hull. <BR> <BR>caveat: I don't own a boat with a foil designed to enhance the wake. If I needed one I could add one or make my own, but I am very far from having the skill to use a bigger wake than I've got. I also am not associated with any marine equipment supplier or manufacturer. I'm also fine if anyone wants to disagree with me or not answer the original post. It's fun to see where these threads twist sometimes.

Guys I actually attempted to post this a few days ago. When it didn't show up on the forum I made a new post. You can see it a bit farther down the page. <BR> <BR>Thanks for the replies.