I/O Riders - Post your setup!

Bit of a departure from the other wake thread that started life as a thread about riding behind an I/O...for those of you like me that are stuck behind an I/O, how do you setup your rig? I'll start:

Boat: 2001 Mariah 180 Diablo
Engine: 4.3L Mercruiser 2bbl carb
Prop: 3-blade 19P
Tow Point: Still using the "rear bumper" ski-eye.
Ballast: People (not always available)
Accessories: SE Sport 300 hydrofoil is on the way (fingers crossed)

The wake is actually quite nice. Mellow ramp and a pretty sharp lip. Mariah is in the "cadillac" range of runabouts, and as such is pretty freakin' heavy for an 18' I/O, and the 4.3 is a pretty heavy tank of a motor. Definitely pondering some kind of ballast for the boat, as well as a tower (bottom of the boat doesn't lend itself to a pilon) and a 17p prop.

http://www.wakepics.com/media/Im000404.jpg

The oldschool boat with a little DIY updating done to it. Adding on some DIY tower speakers this weekend, i'll try an remember to take some new pics.

2000 Reinell 185. I sold the Boat last year but was a very Good Boat When I had it

1991 Bayliner 21ft
-305 Mercruiser 5.0 V8
-Joystick Tower

Not bad until I can afford a V-drive

Wow, I'm slummin' hard compared to you guys, I need a tower!

dont't feel bad man...i need a boat!...im stuck with a sea doo...i just go ride cable instead

sea ray 185 sport 2004
4.3 merc.
after market custom tower-fabricated to look like the factory installed tower
no ballast as of right now
and no accesories, however i would love to upgrade the stereo system. right now we just have 2 speakers and a cd/fm/am player.
ill post pics as soon as i get them down to size

Well, I'd probably be caught up to you guys with my boat, got into wakeboarding 4 years ago or so, but spent the last 2 years out of commission, in and out of the hospital and whatnot. Had my first ride in 2 full years last weekend, and have the bug again. So looking at my prop setup and ballast right now, and hopefully a tower of some kind before the end of summer, but I need to see what others in my position have done. Keep the specs comin' guys!

'97 monterey
4.3 liter GL
18.5 ft.
1700 lbs in sacs (boat weight limit- 1170 lbs)
joystick tower
broken radio

'86 Glassport 165RX
3.0 litre 4-cylinder
diy tower
750lbs of ballast, 5 people
Total cost: $1200

booyah

here's our setup. 06 denali xl and 05 maxum 1800mx. tons of upgrades and add-ons. hope to someday own something a little nicer, but right now, can't beat the payment--especially with our 2nd little one only 2 months away!



(Message edited by brucemac on June 11, 2006)

(Message edited by brucemac on June 11, 2006)

Nice Boat Bruce

I'm diggin' the wake behind Cody's boat.

1995 searay signature
5.0 liter
21'
any ideas how to get a better wake?
bought a fat sac 680#

I ride behind a '94 Bluewater, its got the cuddy cabin and everything. We have a custom fabricated pole and put about 400#'s in the nose and only about 200#'s in the back. The rest is people weight anywhere between 2-4 in the boat at a time. We also put the trim up about 1/4th of the way, crispens the wake a little.

Our Glastron GX 185 (18') with a Volvo Penta 4.3, trim up a little, no extra ballast, but extra people; throws a decent wake-enough for W2W and more. Dreaming of a Tige though.....

tommy-
don't sweat the tower. we rode for 2 seasons without a tower-thought this year would be bigger air with the tower. found out after a few days that the wake is much more important. yes, the tower is a high priced boat "closet"-keeping boards, etc. out of the boat. Oh yeah, it looks good too

In my case, the tower made a heck of a difference. The physics of having a higher tow point still dictate easier starts and more airtime, at least on my Bayliner.

Ron - that's why I'm getting my prop/hydrofoil and ballast worked out this year and leaving the tower for later. I've ridden behind boats with towers/pilons, ski-eye's like mine, etc, and the tow point isn't nearly as important as a sweet wake shape, so I'm getting that dealt with first. Thanks for the advice!

Boat: 1990 Galaxy 190
Engine: 4.3L Merc Alpha
Prop: 4 Blade 18 pitch prop (just installed this weekend as birthday present)
Tow Point: Ski eye (but working on building a pylon for my next outing)
Ballast: Unprocessed Soylent Green.
Accessories: Board and rope.

I looked around and found a hull that planed nicely at boarding speed. That and the 4 blade makes for a pretty mean I/O combo. It also has a pretty sweet wake with 5 people in the boat. We've all hit w2ws but I can't hit it consistently at all. One of us is close to pulling off a tantrum.

My family can't believe the wake I get compared to my cousin's (unweighted) Sport Nautique. At the same time, would I rather have the Sport Nautique? Absolutely.

Nice thread, keep em coming...nice to see not everyone rides behind a $50000 wake boat.

Dante - That's the same engine/drive combo I have, I'm looking at a 17p 4-blade right now to go with the hydrofoil. Have you had a chance to try out the 18p yet? What are the revs at riding speed?

I stuck it on there Sunday, but didn't ride it long since I had to yank the trim tab anode to get it to fit and forgot to bring marine grease with me. The prop I bought did come with the part number I need for a "high performance" anode that the prop won't strike so I guess this is a pretty common issue.

To be honest, I don't ever pay attention to the revs while pulling a boarder. I go by speed and just make sure not to speed up or slow down in more than minor increments. I do know that I cruise around 30-32 mph at 3000 if that helps any. If you're not looking at buying until after next weekend, I'll pay attention next time I'm out and let you know.

I'll also let you know how my $50 homemade no weld pylon works out if I get it ready by this weekend since it looks like you could use something similar.

Definitely man, let me know how it works out.

I just know that with a 19p 3-blade, at wakeboard speed (20-22 mph) I'm revving around 2600-2800 depending on weight in the boat, which isn't quite in the 4.3's powerband. I'd like to get it up over the 3000 rpm mark for a little better flexibility.

Mine, which I just traded in for a new boat:

2004 Crownline 210 LX
5.0 L 270 Hp Volvo Penta
Custom Tower and Fluid Racks
No stero upgrades.
No extra ballast. We just always had at least 6 people and that helped out quite a bit. This boat was amazing and a great boat to learn on. Only problem, no PP but that does not take anything away from how much fun I had with this one. Couldnt find a pic of the boat, Sorry.

Traded in for an 06 MC X2

thanks isaac you too!

Here's my I/O:

1996 Conquest 2100 sport
5.7L Mercruiser/Alpha I Drive


I'm still pretty new to wakeboarding. So far the wake isn't what's keeping me from doing the big tricks . The tower was homemade. Cost about $350 with the powder coating.



It's no wakeboard purpose built boat, but we have fun with it. Someday hopefully I can upgrade to something more purpose built.

Next project will be some ballast as my riding progresses.
Later
Chris

From an 89 Bayliner to a 2006 outback V.
What a difference.

tommy or anyone else-
is it pretty simple to add a hydrofoil? the last thing i need is to mess up the outdrive....
little help?

Chris, is that a swingset for your tower?

Ron - I haven't got mine in yet, not much chance I'll see it by the end of the week. Shipping from US to Canada always takes all 10 (sometimes 11) of those 6-10 business days to ship. But reading the install instructions, it seems very straight forward. There are templates you use to line everything up, then it's just 4 holes to drill, 4 bolts, and you're done. So to me it looks easy.

Ron, I put one on my outboard and it was pretty simple. Make sure you measure everything out and mark before you drill. I used whiteout to make my markings. It showed up well on the dark blue of my old outboard. I imagine it will also show up well on a black outdrive. Just remember that if you decide you don't like the foil, those holes are permanent. Also make sure you don't get the ski-specific foil. I forget the exact brand name but they make a big deal about getting on plane and not losing speed specifically for skiiers. That contraption kills your wake (and does so purposely).

Dante/Tommy - What model of hydrofoil did you purchase? I'm looking at buying the SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil or the Stingray Hydrofoil (both at Overtons for about $50)

Tommy - looks like you're waiting for the SE Sport 300. What made you decided on that model over the stringray?

My setup:
1998 Wellcraft Excel 21SSX
5.7L Mercruiser
21 pitch prop
Monster Tower
Perfect Pass is installed but not calibrated yet
Ballast system will be installed over the next months
Boat is very light and needs a lot more weight to produce more effective wake
Speed is very hard to maintain

(Message edited by dedicatedwse on June 13, 2006)

(Message edited by dedicatedwse on June 13, 2006)

I chose the Stingray because it was in stock at my local West Marine and it was one piece instead of two. That's all that really went into my thinking. It was ok but I haven't felt the need to install one on my newer boat. Then again, it planes a lot better at boarding speed.

Had the swim platform made this spring . . . it's big and functions great.

Ryan, that platform is HUGE! Very cool. Did you make it yourself? What is it made of and how did you attach it?

also curious about the platform as I would like something bigger on mine. maybe not that big though it must be totally functional though

also curious about the platform as I would like something bigger on mine. maybe not that big though it must be totally functional though

Here ya go,one of the baddest I/O boats on the market.
2002 Skipro
volvo duel prop
285hp chevy 350
You probly saw this on the show us your rigs where bocephis said he can take his jet boat and beat me at everything on the water.I really dont think he can unless he's barefootin.The skipro was developed in Texas by Pat Moore mostly for barefoot skiing.The open bow I have uses the same hull but is 1 foot longer then the origanal closed bow.Its not only a sweet barefoot boat but a great wake board boat to boot.Lately the skipro has been in high demand for its the fastest barefoot racing boat on the market today.
With stanles props this boat will do 65+ easy.The newer Skipros have over 300hp and they hual bootie.
What I really like about this boat is I can go all weekend on one tank of gas pulling footers,wakeboarders and wooping on most not all jet boats.

Here ya go,one of the baddest I/O boats on the market.
2002 Skipro
volvo duel prop
285hp chevy 350
You probly saw this on the show us your rigs where bocephis said he can take his jet boat and beat me at everything on the water.I really dont think he can unless he's barefootin.The skipro was developed in Texas by Pat Moore mostly for barefoot skiing.The open bow I have uses the same hull but is 1 foot longer then the origanal closed bow.Its not only a sweet barefoot boat but a great wake board boat to boot.Lately the skipro has been in high demand for its the fastest barefoot racing boat on the market today.
With stanles props this boat will do 65+ easy.The newer Skipros have over 300hp and they hual bootie.
What I really like about this boat is I can go all weekend on one tank of gas pulling footers,wakeboarders and wooping on most not all jet boats.

Here ya go,one of the baddest I/O boats on the market.
2002 Skipro
volvo duel prop
285hp chevy 350
You probly saw this on the show us your rigs where bocephis said he can take his jet boat and beat me at everything on the water.I really dont think he can unless he's barefootin.The skipro was developed in Texas by Pat Moore mostly for barefoot skiing.The open bow I have uses the same hull but is 1 foot longer then the origanal closed bow.Its not only a sweet barefoot boat but a great wake board boat to boot.Lately the skipro has been in high demand for its the fastest barefoot racing boat on the market today.
With stanles props this boat will do 65+ easy.The newer Skipros have over 300hp and they hual bootie.
What I really like about this boat is I can go all weekend on one tank of gas pulling footers,wakeboarders and wooping on most not all jet boats.

Sorry the site was tweekin and ended up with with triple post's

Druffel - I chose the SE Sport 300 as I read a number of comments right on this board that it was a great addition to their I/O. More importantly, I couldn't find any NEGATIVE comments about it. And I found it for $35 on eBay.

Druffel & Isaac, yah there is a guy in Spokane, WA that makes the platforms . . . He talked me into making it that big, so it would completely cover the outdrive, and now I'm glad he did. It is 3/4" thick fiberglass with the tapered rim board. It's nice because it makes the boat a lot bigger space wise, and gives you a place to put your board on. The platform is supported with 3 diagonal braces to the rear of the boat. The boat was reinforced at the connection locations. . . it's solid. One negative though, you can't drive very fast in reverse . . . I did it once and the platform dug into the water and darn near swamped the boat, live and learn.

Have a good one.

with a platform that big, do you think it would be safe to wakesurf behind????
if so, could a "normal" sized platform on an I/O make an I/O surfable?

ryan, do you have the guy's name? did he install it? what did you pay?

that platform looks pretty sweet, what shop in spokane was it???? thanks

Ryan,I have a friend that would be very interested as well.Could you post more info please.

86 citation, cheesy tower, DIY speakers custom paint and swim step by me.Not my dream boat ,but it works. I'll send more pics later.

A nother pic .Dang I need a new boat.

I built my platform in my garage out of fiberglass and plywood.its heavy and sturdy.added about 100#'s to the rear of my boat.

whats wrong with it? How you likin the CWB torques? I love mine!

The custom platform was built by:
Contemporary Fiberglass and Marine
10907 E. Marietta, #2
Spokane Valley, WA
509.995.6239
Cost is per square ft. area, mine ended up being $1500 or so.

I imagine a person could surf behind the boat now . . . good point made, will have to try.

There's nothing wrong with it. I'm just getting to the point in my riding that i need a better wake and a consistant speed. The torqs I dont know if I like them too much. When I eat it hard I like to fall out of my boots. but the gator cadi is an F-N Bitchen board.

Jerry, building these platforms are so easy. What I did was made a mold out of 1/8 X 2 inch aluminum,3/4" mdf and fiberglass resin. Then use a mold release and hand lay the matting. The best matting to use is woven roven. Dude I think you should try it , you'll have fun.

Well, I hooked myself up with a Masterline Fat Sac setup off eBay, 2 - 400 lb. sacs, 12x18x62, complete with 1100 gph pump and tubing. Now I just need to rig a cigarette lighter power outlet somewhere in the boat and I've got some ballast to go with the hydrofoil.