Swim platform affecting the wake?

[NH Moomba]

I have a question regarding my swim platform on my 2000 Outback LS. Try as I might, I have not been able to get a wake that isn't all foam when trying to wake surf. My hull is the same as Ed G's outback and he told me his ballast setup. I have copied it very closely but with no luck. Somebody was recently selling a swim platform for an Outback on Ebay and I noticed it had a bottom cover. Mine is just a top shell. I looked at some other brand boats as well and they all have a bottom cover. So this weekend I was watching the platform carefully while wakeboarding and it seems to me that even at wakeboaring speeds it is interfering with the water flow and creating a lot of turbulant foamy water. Can someone tell me the reason SC added the bottom panel on later models? Could I order one and would it fit on mine? It seems to be acting as a giant scoop.

Andy

[Smrtz]

My 05 outback doesnt have a cover on the bottom of the swim platform?
do you mean it snaps around the bottom like its 2 pieces?

[NH Moomba]

Thanks Ed, I'll check it out. I have played with the speed quite a bit and the foam doesn't go away until about 14 mph. I'm not sure if that is because the older pitot tube style speedometers just are not accurate at slow speeds or the boat is actually going thet fast. 10MPH on my speedometer is basically the first bit of movement of the needle. I need to bring the GPS out and check it. Does your platform have a bottom shell? I looked at some Tige's and they have a bottom shell pop riveted into the bottom of the platform.

Andy

[NH Moomba]

Ed, I will try to take some pictures next weekend. I never have any coolers or stuff like that in the boat - we are generally not out on the water that long. When we tried the wakesurfing, I left all the wakeboard gear on the dock. I was thinking that the gas tank location might be a big difference. I think mine is under the floor. Looking at newer Outbacks, they have a much shallower ski locker and I am gueesing that is where the tank is located since they added the floor locker. I still think the platform is disturbing the wake even at wakeboarding speeds. I did check out the link you sent about the Epic boat. Wow, 2 rudders! I wonder what the fuel consumption is on a boat with 4200 lbs of ballast? Mine slurps it down pretty fast.