Wake Plate...

[Buck02LS]

On my 02 Mobius I have a lil wake plate but it doesn’t move up or down or anything it's just it's just in one spot, strait off the back of the boat. I’m sure this is not good for fine tuning my wake for wakeboarding or surfing...

So I was thinking about installing something like this... or should I say, asking my local dealer (Rinker’s Boat World) if hey could do it and how much it might cost...

http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=71185&pdesc=Bennett_X_22_Wake_Tab_22W_x_9D&merchID=1008&str=x-22


How much of a difference is it going to make having the wake plate I can adjust???

Atached is a pic of the plate on my boat now... not a good pic but you can see it...

[Razzman]

What you have is a fixed trim plate which was common on direct drive ski boats, it helps to flatten the wake. Not so good for make a real wake however or surfing. The adjustable unit you show is pretty much exactly like that factory wake plates and will make a huge difference in running attitude and allow you to trim the boat for specific purposes.

[DOCDRS]

It should help immensely for surfing and shaping as Razz states. You may note that at top speeds the boat will porpoise with the plate up due to the hull change from previous years that necessitated the addition of the plate...especially when barefooting

[stretch55]

It will make a huge difference in shaping the wake. That seems like a good deal from Overtons. Who is going to install it??

[kaneboats]

I looked at a boat a couple months ago that would have needed a wake plate so I checked on it. I can tell you that you can find one like that much cheaper than from the seller you mentioned.

[Buck02LS]

stretch55 - my local dealer (Rinker’s Boat World) would be the one's who i'm going to ask to install it if the price is not too high....

kaneboats - do you remember where you found them before when you were looking?

thanks

[Buck02LS]

i found this one also...

http://bennetttrimtabs.com/catalog.php?vID=204

Tab Size - Boat Length - 2010 Retail
18" x 9" - 19' - 24' - $657.00
or
24" x 9" - 22' - 27' - $684.00

[Buck02LS]

i think this one might work too...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lenco-Electric-Trim-Tab-12-X-8-O-E-M-15008-101_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2eac3f40edQQitemZ20 0458322157QQptZBoatQ5fPartsQ5fAccessoriesQ5fGear

[kaneboats]

Don't recall exactly. It was just a net search on "trim tabs" I think.

[brain_rinse]

Seems like a great upgrade to me. Since you're starting fresh I would go electric like Moomba did starting in 09. Easier install and more reliable.

[Jeff W]

Hey Buck -

I'm going to disagree heavily with the group here. For that kind of cash ($650 + cost of install) you would be waaaaayyyyyyy more happy by stacking the boat with more ballast. For less than the cost of the wake plate - you could build an internal ballast system with pumps AND sacks. If you put a 750 in the rear ski locker, 250-350 under the rear seat area, a 250-350 in the front ski locker and then an integrated bow sack with another 350+ you would be much happier with the wake. With our boats - the issue isn't so much the shape of the wake but it is the size of the wake. I know we've discussed this before but 2,000+ lbs in this hull is going to be WAY better than 1000 lbs and a wake plate. The wake plate shapes the wake. But it won't make it any/much bigger.

That's just my 2 cents. I think you'd be much happier with full, automated ballast and SLUMPING that thing than you would with a different shape to the wake. You can tune the shape of the wake with ballast front/back ratio and use some lead if you want to really fine tune it.

[viking]

Good point............that's my plan.
Sack it out!!

[dru1974]

I disagree. They started to put tabs on becouse boats with sacs were becoming dificult to drive with the bow up in the air. Like y uncles 92 supra open bow. Couldn't even drive it.

[kaneboats]

You need both. Ballast to get the big wake. Wakeplate to size and shape it. Only way to go!

[Buck02LS]

so both if i can find a wake plate for a good price and i can get it installed for a good price... but i need to ask how much that's going to run me... and i think for sure i'm going to get a for more ballast to thru in the boat and see how that works out.

jeffw, you have any pictures of your boast in action with all them ballast in there?? i would lov to see your set up with the wake and everything? o and what prop are you running?

Thanks

[Jeff W]

so both if i can find a wake plate for a good price and i can get it installed for a good price... but i need to ask how much that's going to run me... and i think for sure i'm going to get a for more ballast to thru in the boat and see how that works out.

jeffw, you have any pictures of your boast in action with all them ballast in there?? i would lov to see your set up with the wake and everything? o and what prop are you running?

Thanks

I'll take some pics in a couple of weeks when we get out. I'm still winterized in my driveway.


For anyone that says that they "need" both - I say B.S. Most boats don't have a wake plate. And the boats that run trim tabs typically do so for surfing.

Of course being able to shape the wake is a nice feature - but it's not going to increase the size. A big wake is a lot more fun than a small but shaped wake.

I'll take pics soon. I'm running a 3 blade ACME that was recommended to me by the guys over there. It's a SICK prop. I increased hole shot significantly and I actually gained a couple MPH top end.

I say ballast, ballast, ballast.. If you have an extra grand to spend - spend it on sacking that hoe out and adding 2,000++++ pounds and make it all automated.

[Buck02LS]

Jeffw - I’m looking forward to seeing some pictures of your setup and boat in action…!

Before you said you had an integrated bow sack…is this what you have in your boat?

http://www.activewake.com/fly-high-integrated-bow-sac-w711.html

Thanks

[kaneboats]

If you don't have a wake plate you end up adjusting trim (and thus wake shape) by moving weight around in the boat. It can be done but it's a lot more difficult process. If all your riders ride at the same speed -- or close -- then it wouldn't be an issue once you got it right. If you have lots of different riders with different speeds, then it can be a little trickier.

[Jeff W]

Jeffw - I’m looking forward to seeing some pictures of your setup and boat in action…!

Before you said you had an integrated bow sack…is this what you have in your boat?

http://www.activewake.com/fly-high-integrated-bow-sac-w711.html

Thanks

Yeah, you can only fill it about half way full because our bows are so shallow.

Typically we run a 350 in the ski locker and a 600 filled about 3/4 of the way in the walk way and that is plenty of front ballast. We run a 600 or a 750 (can't remember) in the rear ski locker and if we want a mackin wake - we run a 400 on each side of the motor box but I really have giving up floor room so we only do that when we're putting in hardcore rides with small crew.

The nose likes to dip if you start putting more than 750 up front. You gotta be careful.

[Jeff W]

If you don't have a wake plate you end up adjusting trim (and thus wake shape) by moving weight around in the boat. It can be done but it's a lot more difficult process. If all your riders ride at the same speed -- or close -- then it wouldn't be an issue once you got it right. If you have lots of different riders with different speeds, then it can be a little trickier.

I get it where I like it and leave it. I'm not tweaking ballast levels and front/rear ratios for each rider that gets on my boat. We've got about 1500 lbs set up where I like it and that's how we ride. As I said above - when we want a bigger wake we add 800 to the sides of the motor and it increases the size. Even on my friends boats with hydrogates, taps, wakeplates - we typically just have the driver/owner set the boat up and the rider just changes the speed for his liking.

[kaneboats]

Holy crap. Running 2200 lbs. in an Outback? I was nervous driving with 1400. Be careful!

[brain_rinse]

Weight will definitely make the a more noticeable difference in wake when compared to a wakeplate. However I use my wakeplate constantly to adjust the boat's attitude. I get a better hole shot by keeping the plate down and the bow low. I can get the bow in the air when the water is rough. I can find the sweet spot when I'm planed out and flying across the lake. It's a great addition to the overall feel of the boat.

[danimal365]

I've had both an outback and now a LSV. The wakeplate makes a much bigger difference on the v drives.

[Jeff W]

Holy crap. Running 2200 lbs. in an Outback? I was nervous driving with 1400. Be careful!

We only run the 800 on quiet nights when it's hardcore time.

W sacked out my bro's X-Star this weekend with 4k in ballast and 10 people in the boat. We like to slump our rigs ;)

[Jeff W]

Weight will definitely make the a more noticeable difference in wake when compared to a wakeplate. However I use my wakeplate constantly to adjust the boat's attitude. I get a better hole shot by keeping the plate down and the bow low. I can get the bow in the air when the water is rough. I can find the sweet spot when I'm planed out and flying across the lake. It's a great addition to the overall feel of the boat.

Do you think you'd have the same results in a low slung, low freeboard, direct drive Mobius/Outback like the thread starter has? I have absolutely NO experience with wake plates on older "ski hull" direct drives - only on friends newer, deep hull'd v-drives.

Thoughts?

[Jeff W]

Jeffw - I’m looking forward to seeing some pictures of your setup and boat in action…!

Before you said you had an integrated bow sack…is this what you have in your boat?

http://www.activewake.com/fly-high-integrated-bow-sac-w711.html

Thanks

There is a pic of an 01' Outback wake with 1500 lbs in it in this thread

https://forum.moomba.com/showthread.php?t=10662

My boat is an 02' Outback LS and has the same weight. My wake is a bit bigger than that. There were some hull changes that increased the size on our 02's and the LS model was designed as a crossover.

I wouldn't say my wake is "significantly" bigger than that - but it is definitely noticeably bigger than NSCU's is in this particular picture. It's hard to grasp wake sizes from pictures. Much easier in videos when you can see it in relation to rider size and how they get booted

[brain_rinse]

Do you think you'd have the same results in a low slung, low freeboard, direct drive Mobius/Outback like the thread starter has? I have absolutely NO experience with wake plates on older "ski hull" direct drives - only on friends newer, deep hull'd v-drives.

Thoughts?
Good question... I'm not sure. I'd trust danimal's perspective above that it makes a bigger difference on the v-drives though.

[zegm]

We have the Mobius LS (which if anyone remembers is a direct drive version of the LSV) and the wakeplate makes a huge difference. But that being said even thought the boat is a DD it is a hull designed for wakeboarding so I couldn't say it would make as much difference on the Outback.
However we could NOT ski down the slalom course without the wakeplate down so on our boat we call it the ski plate. When the plate is up we have a nice wake we can wakeboard or surf behind. And like someone else mentioned if the water is rough it is nice to put the bow up to cut through the waves.