Should I add "The Wedge" ?

[Swairlines]

Hello All,

I have an 05 Outback that I love. Would like to put out more wake and wanted to know if I should add a product called "The Wedge" (From what I can tell this appears to be a Malibu product). I know, I know...Shame on me...

Anyone have any experience with "The Wedge"? Please reply here. Thank you in advance.

Respectfully,

Jeff B.
Tampa, FL

[qb12]

What about putting a wake plate on it instead of the "wedge".

I know Bennet's makes one that I have heard works great.

[smokedog2]

I love the wakeplate but it does more for a ski wake than a board wake. It also works great for minimizing prop cavitations at high speed & rough water. It will also shape the wake but I do not think it will increase the size of the wake over a boat without it.

This is based on my 05 LSV, other boats could be different.

SD2

[mattva65]

SD2,
I just bought the 05 LSV, my first boat that wasn't an I/O. Could you explain the wake plate use a little bit. Mine has it. I was thinking that it bacicallyact like the trim on an I/O. thanks

[Smrtz]

I have the 05 outback too,

any recommendations on weighting configurations for adding ballasts to increase the wake size? I only have the factory ballast that came with the boat. When she is weighted down with 7+ people the wake is awesome... but many times just 3 of us and the factory ballast doesnt add enough.

[JoeTechie]

Matt,

I can take a stab at the Wake Plate question.

In a normal boat, trim tabs adjust the nose up or down to improve ride, and keep the boat from porpising. In an outboard, you can simply trim the entire engine. The difference lies in the construction of the Moomba Wakeboard hulls. Recent hull design has created a convex hull vs a flat bottom rear hull. So rather than wanting to run through the water flat on plane, the boat wants to ride nose high and therefore stern in the water more and thus create a larger wake. Add the V drive weight shift to this and you get a very nice wake with no ballast whatsoever.

Adding the wakeplate actually forces the nose down for riding at speed, or for reducing the size of the wake for skiers or tubers. It actually should be a "wake reduction plate", as the boat puts up the largest one without it. However, like SD said - it does allow you to "shape" the wake by slightly adjusting the plate.

I'm sure others will add to this.

Hope this helps,

-Joe

[smokedog2]

Ditto JoeT on the WP. Some times a little weight in the stock bag will also help level the boat.

I have no idea about adding weight, I ride the stock wake and it is just fine for me. All the air I need to crash in style. I like to end the day walking.

SD2

[mattva65]

Thanks Guys,
That's exactly the info I was looking for.

[stang67]

Smrtz,
If adding ballast get like two 350# bags for each side of the motor, that will increase you wake quite a bit more. If that isnt enough keep adding more. But 700 extra pounds will be good. Yes the bags will be on the floor, but its a little sacrafice for a better wake.

[lowdrag]

Back to the original question of adding the wedge. From what I've heard, even on the Malibu's if you don't order the wedge from the factory they can not install it at a later date. I suppose there is a lot of reinforcement done to the rear of the hull where it is attached. Without the reinforcement you run the risk of some serious damage. There have also been some horror stories in the past about them. I guess there were some shear pins that were defective and if it struck an object in the water it would tear the wedge out of the hull instead of the pins shearing off and allowing it to flip up. There was a guy on wakeboarder who had this happen and it was a very ugly sight. However, I'm sure those were limited cases and that problem has been fixed.