My First Wakesurfing experience/Ballast questions

[prkchp555]

I gotta give some props to Mark at Lake Wakes. I finally got the boat out for the first time this year and got a chance to try out my new lake wakes 5.2 Grasso Bastardo. I also got to try out our new fat sacs (from wake makers, of course). I filled the drivers 750 mostly full (I'm not sure how full is full yet). and hopped in. I'm 245 pounds and got up and rode on the first pull. My only instruction was watching the wake9 vids, so I've got to send some thanks Ragboy.

I still need to figure out the ballast, boat speed and actually where on the wake I need to ride. The wake was fairly large but I never found a spot where it felt like it was pushing me (I held the rope the entire time). I think the rope is about 25 feet long and I pulled myself much closer to the boat but never found any push or slack in the rope.

Of course the wife wants the boat to plane out as she can't see over the bow, steer and reach the throttle simultaneously.

Later I moved the ballast around to wakeboard, while the wake was improved my wife complained again about the boat driving like a pig and the bow staying high. The 400 in the ski locker was full (I think) and the v-drive sacs may have had about 8 inches of water in them. I'm sure I needed more in the rears but as it was the boat behaved like it was stern heavy. She ended up pulling me at 24 mph to get the boat to level out and be able to keep a constant speed.

Is this just how it is while driving a weighted boat or was I that far off?

I'm thinking I may put some masking tape on the engine compartment doors and mark of some increments so I can have some points of reference.

Any pointers, tips or tricks are greatly appreciated.

[Lawdog]

What kind of boat? If you are doing 750 in the rear and only 400 in the middle I'm pretty sure that's not proportionate enough....you need more than the 400. Try adding more weight in the ski locker area.

[prkchp555]

Sorry, I thought I had that in there. It's a 2009 outback V. For surfing it was just one 750 in drivers rear (I surf and ride goofy). For wakeboarding it was 400 in the ski locker and maybe 250 in each of the rears so the balance wasn't too far off.


What kind of boat? If you are doing 750 in the rear and only 400 in the middle I'm pretty sure that's not proportionate enough....you need more than the 400. Try adding more weight in the ski locker area.

[brain_rinse]

I can understand your wife's complaints about being bow-high when surfing. When wakeboarding though you should be nice and planed out, even with some extra weight in the back. Have you GPS calibrated your speedometer yet? Where was the wakeplate set?

[prkchp555]

Have you GPS calibrated your speedometer yet? Where was the wakeplate set?


We will have grab the GPS from the truck and do that.

What wake plate? The boat wouldn't fit in our garage with a wake plate on it. We have a swing tongue on the trailer and still have holes in the drywall from the bunk boards. We just have the little deflectors under the exhaust exits

[moombadaze]

Also it sounds like you rope is to long at 25 feet--the pocket is usually about a boards lenght behind the surf side rear corner of the boat.

[prkchp555]

Am I on the wrong side of the boat? I was toes toward the wake behind the driver? Should I be heels to the wake?

I will fill one of the rear 750's and the front 400 next time out, that combined with a much shorter roper sounds like a good starting point.




"For surfing it was just one 750 in drivers rear (I surf and ride goofy)."

are you switching the 750 to the Goofy side?

400 in the front and 750 in the rear is the perfect weight set-up for the 2009 Outback V - with or without a wakeplate (but it sure helps to have a WP).

Thanks to the wake plate, I can surf the goofy side of my 09 Outback V with absolutely no ballast filled.

You can eliminate the boat variables and start concentrating on rider skills - especially your stance on the board.

[BobP]

For a goofy footer, toes to the wake on drivers side is the normal stance, but there is nothing stopping you from riding heels to wave on the other side...I personally can't do it well that way but trying to learn. Also, once you start doing 180's etc you may be heels to wave in a regular stance. As others have said only fill 750 on side you want to ride along with the center sac. You can use a longer rope but you will need to pull yourself into the pocket, definitely better with shorter rope.

[moombadaze]

toes to the wake is the normal stance.

Speed is very important and so is water depth-anything shallower than 9 feet and the wave sucks-if you live in florida this can be a problem

[kaneboats]

Boat speed is usually around 9.5 to 10.5 MPH and YES, the bow will be up in the air. Give her some extra cushions to sit on and have everybody else in the boat cram into the surf side.