Outback Bow Ballast?

[usaski1]

Well, I've posted this before, but I really want to know if anyone has gone IBS with a outback? Surely some must have tried? I had 2 people in front over the weekend, about 400lbs, and it made the wake so much bigger. How do I do it? I want it to be concealed under the seats or under the floor. Someone must have done this??

[viking]

I thought about this as well last year but concluded for me I need the storage room under there with 3 kiddos and the wife we have alot of stuff when we hit the lake. Also have peeps for ballast and when we surf i throw the stock 370lb bag in the walk-through.

You could take measurements and get a custom bag built for the bow as there isn't a whole lot of room up there. But maybe the standard IBS http://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-integrated-bow-sac.html will fit ok? I think the seats would definitely raise up though if you can jam that in there?

I like the "idea" of hidden ballast but in the outback it's pretty hard to do.
I'd be interested to see any response from somebody that has done it?

[kaneboats]

At least one person has relocated batteries up there. That can shift from 50-150 lbs., depending on # and type.

[NCSUmoomba]

I haven't done the IBS, but I do run (3) 260# "side sacs" in my bow. I have one under each bow seat, and one in the floor. I haven't plumbed them in yet, so I still use the portable Tsunami pump. The two under the seats will not fill up all of the way, but I figure that I am getting somewhere around 600# in the bow. (These sacs are 12x12x48). I have a 370# "tube sac" (10x16x62) in my rear locker that I really like, and I am thinking about using those in the bow soon. I put mine up there and filled it with air to see how it fits. It fits pretty good, better than the side sacs. However, since they are longer they will take up more space under the observer seat. With them tucked under the very front seat some, they extend all the way back to the kick panel under the helm, and to the vertical hull brace behind the observers seat, in my 2001. Again, they will not fill up all the way, but I should get about 600# from them.

I have talked to Barefoot International about some custom Fly-High sacs. I even sent them some drawings of what I wanted. They seemed to discourage custom sacs, and it was going to be quite expensive, figure about double what the next closest sac size is. They were telling me that since the sacs expand to fit whatever space they are in, custom sacs aren't really necessary.

Also, due to the shape of the IBS versus the shape of the outback bow, I would recommend two separate sacs over the IBS. The IBS is WAY bigger than the space under the seats, so it would be kind of a waste. If all you want is 400#, then I suggest the two side sacs.

The best wake I have ever gotten from my Outback is with 600# in the bow and 400# in the stern, running about 22-23 mph.