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Old     (illini88)      Join Date: Oct 2007       02-13-2011, 10:32 AM Reply   
I'm starting to ponder how to setup a ballast system, and I'm wondering what is the benefit of having weight in the back lockers, vs under the floor in the cockpit area (between the v-drive and the fuel tank). Any thoughts?
Old     (benjaminp)      Join Date: Nov 2008       02-13-2011, 3:31 PM Reply   
It affects how the boat rides. Weight further back in the boat will make the wake steeper. Moving it forward mellows the wake out and will sent you more across than up.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-13-2011, 3:58 PM Reply   
Also depends on if you want to be able to surf or you are just adding weight to wakeboard.
Old     (illini88)      Join Date: Oct 2007       02-13-2011, 8:16 PM Reply   
I don't really care about surfing. In general, I understand the issue of wanting some weight in the bow or walkway to mellow out the wake. I'm just curious if there is much benefit to having some weight about 4 feet in front of the engine compartment on a v-drive.
Old     (ilikebeaverandboats)      Join Date: Jul 2007       02-13-2011, 10:09 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by illini88 View Post
I don't really care about surfing. In general, I understand the issue of wanting some weight in the bow or walkway to mellow out the wake. I'm just curious if there is much benefit to having some weight about 4 feet in front of the engine compartment on a v-drive.
It all depends on what you want, weight in the back to make the wake steep, weight in the front to make a longer ramp. I would imagine weight in the belly would give you both with a bias towards its location relative to the front or rear of the boat.
seems like we answered your question, only other benefit i can see with putting the weight under the floor is that the space in your lockers stays free to fill with something else? I never have enough crap with me to fill a locker anyways.
If you plan on only putting weight in the middle, you will lose the ability to adjust your wake the way you like it. IE, you wont be able to half fill the rear and sack the front, or sack the back and half fill the front.
Your best bet would be to throw sacks in the rear lockers, in the belly, up front under the seats, and in the walkway if you need it...maybe some 100lb brick sacks to move around to counter people weight if you need. that way you have a really versatile system that you can taylor to any situation or riding preference
Old     (spencerwm)      Join Date: Feb 2009       02-14-2011, 3:18 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by ilikebeaverandboats View Post
It all depends on what you want, weight in the back to make the wake steep, weight in the front to make a longer ramp. I would imagine weight in the belly would give you both with a bias towards its location relative to the front or rear of the boat.
seems like we answered your question, only other benefit i can see with putting the weight under the floor is that the space in your lockers stays free to fill with something else? I never have enough crap with me to fill a locker anyways.
If you plan on only putting weight in the middle, you will lose the ability to adjust your wake the way you like it. IE, you wont be able to half fill the rear and sack the front, or sack the back and half fill the front.
Your best bet would be to throw sacks in the rear lockers, in the belly, up front under the seats, and in the walkway if you need it...maybe some 100lb brick sacks to move around to counter people weight if you need. that way you have a really versatile system that you can taylor to any situation or riding preference
I agree with Joey. When the distribution of weight is more in the middle of the boat the wakeboarding wake will be great but you lose some ability to fine tune it. I like the idea of having more weight in the mid ship area as it tends to create the wake shape that I dig. Try it out and see how the boat responds and let us know how it works.
Old     (bmartin)      Join Date: Jan 2007       02-14-2011, 3:55 PM Reply   
Belly vs Rear is really a FALSE choice. It's both, plus plumb some toward the bow if you are going to put in a system. Having balast capacity in all the areas will give you the most flexibility.

I usually ride with full capacity in sacs under bow seats and belly, and fill the rear sacs from 1/3 full to full based on human balast and may adjust the rear sacs to account for side to side imbalances. All rear ballast is probably the least flexible as it is the toughest weight configuration to get a clean wake and depending on the hull/ trim tab you can porpoise if it is too much in the rear. I would much rather have a belly bag under the floor than throwing one in the walkway that people have to climb over.
Old     (Cajun_Misfit)      Join Date: Jun 2010       02-16-2011, 5:49 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by bmartin View Post
Belly vs Rear is really a FALSE choice. It's both, plus plumb some toward the bow if you are going to put in a system. Having balast capacity in all the areas will give you the most flexibility.

I usually ride with full capacity in sacs under bow seats and belly, and fill the rear sacs from 1/3 full to full based on human balast and may adjust the rear sacs to account for side to side imbalances. All rear ballast is probably the least flexible as it is the toughest weight configuration to get a clean wake and depending on the hull/ trim tab you can porpoise if it is too much in the rear. I would much rather have a belly bag under the floor than throwing one in the walkway that people have to climb over.
I'm going to have to agree here... The front balast system is just as important as the back. I run about 1750lbs of extra balast (1000 in the back 750 under the seats in the bow). I know its personal preferance but i have run without the front ballast system, you dont get the same pop from the wake and the boat tends to porpoise if the weight is not somewhat balanced.

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