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Old     (Wheeldogg)      Join Date: Jul 2014       02-01-2015, 3:02 PM Reply   
Hey Guys,
I own a 1996 Bluewater Mirage (like pictured below) and i was wondering what the best tower options are. ideally it would either have or be able to have racks and speakers.

Thanks in advance,
Sam

Old     (jdiaz78)      Join Date: Sep 2014       02-01-2015, 6:21 PM Reply   
I put this tower on my Yamaha before I got my Axis. The tower looked good on it. There are cheaper options than this, but this came with everything I needed.

http://www.h2osportswarehouse.com/v/...irborne-pa.asp
Old    LaneDawgBowers15            02-02-2015, 2:35 PM Reply   
Are you going to be tubing with it or just Wakeboarding? If tubing, check out www.StrongestTower.com
Old     (night_hawkps3)      Join Date: Feb 2014       02-02-2015, 5:45 PM Reply   
you can get a super strong tower but you should never pull a tube from it.the tower wont give but your mounting points on the boat will. there is way to much stress on these points even if reinforced .iv seen lots of spider cracking and even bigger cracks caused by this . JUST DONT DO IT IF YOU LOVE YOUR BOAT.
Old     (Wheeldogg)      Join Date: Jul 2014       02-02-2015, 10:29 PM Reply   
don't worry, im not going to tube with it. are the aerial towers quality products? any firsthand experience with buying installing and using one?
Old     (jdiaz78)      Join Date: Sep 2014       02-03-2015, 6:24 AM Reply   
I installed that tower I pointed out with the help of a friend. It took about 5-6 hours, but that included all the wiring for the speakers and such. The quality was good and never had any issues other than shipping. I purchased it in January and didn't get the product until mid April. They said they were waiting on the shipments to send out.

If you are handy with a drill and don't mind getting dirty, it isn't hard, just take your time.
Old     (Wheeldogg)      Join Date: Jul 2014       02-03-2015, 8:24 AM Reply   
Just a few more questions
1. I assume you bought one of the packages, are the speakers they include any good?
2. Do you know if that kind of shipping time is normal?
3. Have you noticed any wear to either the tower, or the boat (spider cracks and the like)
4. How detailed is the manual for installing it? Do you know where I can find a full one online?

Thanks Again,
Sam
Old     (gpd005)      Join Date: May 2013       02-03-2015, 10:34 AM Reply   
Sam, I did my own tower a couple years ago thru www.bigairpylons.com and they always run winter specials. I bought my racks and speakers from other places so I could get exactly what I wanted. There really weren't a lot of instructions but if you can look at other boats and notice where the mounting points are that will really help. I would also suggest adding a little bit bigger mount backing plate. This just give the mounting point more surface area. Remember to start your drill bit in reverse to help prevent any cracking of the gel coat. It isn't hard, just take your time!
Old     (andy_nintzel)      Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Minnesnowda       02-03-2015, 1:15 PM Reply   
I've helped install a few Monster Towers. Super easy set-up, we were able to get them on in a matter of a few hours.
Old     (Jmaxymek)      Join Date: Feb 2012       02-03-2015, 1:57 PM Reply   
+1 for the monster tower. My dad and I have put two on our boats (MT1 on an old Prostar and MTK on a Maristar) with little issue. The first time around I was maybe 13 years old and between the two of us, were able to get the tower measured, placed, bolted and speakers wired in the span of an afternoon. The MTK was a bit of a different story, being pretty much a 2 point tower, there was some hoisting to be done and we wound up having to get our fiberglass reinforced because the gel was spidering. In either case, the tower itself held up very well and aren't at all difficult to raise and lower, and they have good racks and other tower options.
Old     (dyost)      Join Date: Jan 2007       02-03-2015, 3:43 PM Reply   
I just bought an 89 Supra Sunsport that has an the Aerial brand tower. I had never heard of it before I saw this one. Gotta say I'm pretty impressed. They used large diameter tubing, it's really sold and the model the previous owner picked complements the boat well. I have no idea what he paid for it, maybe the receipt is in the folder of paperwork he gave me.

Second the larger backing plates. Consider one more trick though.... the previous owner of my boat (that installed the tower himself) used pine 2x4s under the deck, longer mounting bolts on the tower base feet, and then put the backing plate behind the 2x4. He used liquid nails to secure the boards to the deck. His logic was that the boards would provide just a little bit of "give" up against the fiberglass of the deck.

Debate the merits of this approach... but I have never seen an older boat mounted with a tower that did not have all kinds of spider cracks in the gelcoat around the tower feet. Even a lot of boats with factory towers up to 2005 or so would eventually get them. This boat has none and is a 1989.

I haven't had the boat long enough to know if I'll have problems with the bolts loosening, nor has it been through a season of me putting 220lb loads on it with aggressive riding (I think they did more pulling of kids, surfing, and recreational riding). I suspect the loading that would be more apt to cause the spider cracks though would come less from riding and more from the tower shaking side to side as you bounce around the lake or trailering.

Only negative I can possible see is the liquid nails holding the boards to the deck makes this fairly permanent (or at least very difficult to get out).
Old     (night_hawkps3)      Join Date: Feb 2014       02-03-2015, 6:37 PM Reply   
here is a mtk i mounted on my boat last spring, because of the 18 inch mounting width of the feet i roughed up the inner surface with a grinder,fiberglassed some 3\4 inch plywood to the inner surface , about 30in x 10in size. have not seen even the littlest crack. it might have been overkill but i guess it worked.i installed some wetsounds rev8 on the tower awesome sound,best iv ever had. not the best pic but you get a look at the tower. we love it
Attached Images
 
Old     (jdiaz78)      Join Date: Sep 2014       02-03-2015, 8:12 PM Reply   
The speakers were Polk Audio and I could hear them while I was wakeboarding no problem. They have an option to up grade the speakers to Fusion, but I like Polk. The tower held up, but I only had it for 1 season before I switched to my new boat. As far as the shipping, I spoke with the owner of the company and he said they had more orders than items in stock and had to wait on more from over seas. They gave me some free stuff to try and make up for it. We didn't have any problems with the instructions.
Old     (NoNceNse)      Join Date: Nov 2013       02-04-2015, 9:52 AM Reply   
The Ice Tower http://bigairwaketowers.com/

Cheap with an easy install.
Old     (whiteflashwatersports1)      Join Date: Dec 2012       02-04-2015, 10:32 AM Reply   
My wife an I installed a monster tower on old searay many moons ago in about 3 hrs. Tower was great and never had any issues with it. We also had the monster racks.
Old     (andy_nintzel)      Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Minnesnowda       02-06-2015, 7:14 AM Reply   
The best tip I ever received for installing speak and lighting wire into a tower was to use a shop vac and dental floss to feed the wires. Basically to take some dental floss rip out about 12 feet of it, insert it into one of the holes for the wire (leaving about 2 feet taped to the side of the boat), then use the shop vac and put it against the other hole making a seal with your hand. Flip the shop vac on and let it suck the dental floss up and out the hole, then you can tie/tape the wire to the floss and pull it thru. Super simple, wish I would have thought of that on my first install instead of wrestling with the wire for 2 hours to get them fed.
Old     (Jmaxymek)      Join Date: Feb 2012       02-06-2015, 10:18 AM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by andy_nintzel View Post
The best tip I ever received for installing speak and lighting wire into a tower was to use a shop vac and dental floss to feed the wires. Basically to take some dental floss rip out about 12 feet of it, insert it into one of the holes for the wire (leaving about 2 feet taped to the side of the boat), then use the shop vac and put it against the other hole making a seal with your hand. Flip the shop vac on and let it suck the dental floss up and out the hole, then you can tie/tape the wire to the floss and pull it thru. Super simple, wish I would have thought of that on my first install instead of wrestling with the wire for 2 hours to get them fed.
But trying to work a bent coat hanger down the inside of the tower is way more fun!
Old     (Wheeldogg)      Join Date: Jul 2014       02-06-2015, 11:43 AM Reply   
Hey, does anyone have pictures of the manuals for the towers you put up? Or a link to where I could find them? I would love to see one from both aerial and monster
Old     (Jmaxymek)      Join Date: Feb 2012       02-06-2015, 12:45 PM Reply   
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wheeldogg View Post
Hey, does anyone have pictures of the manuals for the towers you put up? Or a link to where I could find them? I would love to see one from both aerial and monster
Monster Tower manuals: http://www.monstertower.com/Support-...ion-s/1839.htm

Aerial Tower manuals: http://www.aerialwakeboarding.com/Articles.asp?ID=198
Old     (jdiaz78)      Join Date: Sep 2014       02-06-2015, 8:35 PM Reply   
If someone can tell me how to post pictures I can put some up. I click on the photo icon and it is asking for a URL where the photo is located. I just have the photos on my computer. Do I have to have the photo online somewhere to post it on here?
Old     (NoNceNse)      Join Date: Nov 2013       02-07-2015, 8:40 AM Reply   
http://bigairwaketowers.com/document...ructions_A.pdf
Old     (BGeorge01)      Join Date: May 2014       02-09-2015, 11:05 PM Reply   
+1 Big Air, great product and customer service!!
Old     (bryce2320)      Join Date: May 2012       02-10-2015, 5:05 AM Reply   
+2 for big air. Great family owned business and great customer service.

I have never been around a Samson tower, but I love the look of the Samson Blade. Something else to check out.
Old     (williamburell)      Join Date: Sep 2011       02-10-2015, 5:11 AM Reply   
Quote:
don't worry, im not going to tube with it. are the aerial towers quality products? any firsthand experience with buying installing and using one?
I had an aerial assault tower that came on my old boat. To be honest I hated the thing and the company itself. The customer service was absolute crap. Must have had 2 or 3 orders of getting the wrong parts. The speaker cans and mirror I got from them were fine but its cheap chinese crap. You get what you pay for.
Old     (t6tech)      Join Date: Mar 2015       03-16-2015, 3:26 AM Reply   
Try the diywake.com Pro Wake tower

The towers are strong and the customers service is great.

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