Prototype Makai rear bags

[Dukabor]

Question for you guys/gals:

I still need to vent these bags and WM recommend a dedicated vent with a new thru-hull port- AKA cut a hole in the side of the boat.

They claim that this helps know what part of the bag is full. I'm not sure I totally understand this but it does make sense to have it dedicated. Any thoughts?

Interesting, I know in conversations with WM they had a stated internal goal of making these plug and play without any changes to sensor locations and vent lines…. Not that us tweakers wouldn’t play around with them at all

Re: the comments about the prop, at least in my circumstance, my crew always runs very small - 4-5 tops, and the bag upgrade was to replace the crew size with adjustable weight to maximize…. I know if they actually came into production I would likely crank them 100 percent full and see what kind of wake I could create, but hopefully my brain would kick in and use the ‘available weight’ to dial it in

[Hayden]

All of the following is very subjective and if you've got something that works for you and your family/crew then I'd stick with it.

With that said, I did full ballast upgrades on both of my boats, adding easily +1800 lbs over stock on my 2005LSV and +2500 lbs over stock on my 2021 Mojo. I had to do prop upgrades in both cases to hit, (this is the subjective part), a speed of 10.5-11.5mph and a pitch of 9.5-10 degrees. I've personally had the best results, especially for large adults, with 11mph/10 degree pitch.

With my 2021 Mojo and the standard OJ surf prop 15.5x15 it could not get past 9mph once you're on there with +4 adults and the extra ballast I have added. One other quick point is that I'm losing around 9% power being at medium altititude lake, so there's that as well - the elevation of your lake.

I'm really just trying to relay the experience I had when I upgraded my ballast. Whether you need to do anything will depend on all of the points discussed above in my opinion.

[dyrmz134]

All of the following is very subjective and if you've got something that works for you and your family/crew then I'd stick with it.

With that said, I did full ballast upgrades on both of my boats, adding easily +1800 lbs over stock on my 2005LSV and +2500 lbs over stock on my 2021 Mojo. I had to do prop upgrades in both cases to hit, (this is the subjective part), a speed of 10.5-11.5mph and a pitch of 9.5-10 degrees. I've personally had the best results, especially for large adults, with 11mph/10 degree pitch.

With my 2021 Mojo and the standard OJ surf prop 15.5x15 it could not get past 9mph once you're on there with +4 adults and the extra ballast I have added. One other quick point is that I'm losing around 9% power being at medium altititude lake, so there's that as well - the elevation of your lake.

I'm really just trying to relay the experience I had when I upgraded my ballast. Whether you need to do anything will depend on all of the points discussed above in my opinion.

Thanks for the feedback! Can't hurt to try out something different- other than my wallet ha!

[dyrmz134]

Interesting, I know in conversations with WM they had a stated internal goal of making these plug and play without any changes to sensor locations and vent lines…. Not that us tweakers wouldn’t play around with them at all

Re: the comments about the prop, at least in my circumstance, my crew always runs very small - 4-5 tops, and the bag upgrade was to replace the crew size with adjustable weight to maximize…. I know if they actually came into production I would likely crank them 100 percent full and see what kind of wake I could create, but hopefully my brain would kick in and use the ‘available weight’ to dial it in

They definitely are plug-and-play. It's just an issue (like the stock bags) of getting the air out of them. WM , and my dealership swear the sensors don't need to be moved, but several on here and some common sense would say otherwise. It doesn't seem to hard to move them, so I probably will.

[benny32]

I don't know why they would say you don't have to move the sensor but in my experience with their bags in my Makai I had to. I didn't initially and it got no where close to full and I would have manually flip switches off and on until it filled. Moved sensor, no more flipping switches.

[Dukabor]

I don't know why they would say you don't have to move the sensor but in my experience with their bags in my Makai I had to. I didn't initially and it got no where close to full and I would have manually flip switches off and on until it filled. Moved sensor, no more flipping switches.

I think the ‘no need move the sensor’ is from conversations with SC and WM, I am sure the all know we as owners will probably do that, but you can see ho w a boat manufacturer and aftermarket equipment maker would want that to be the official line for a few reasons… less people jumping in and modding boats on warranty that may have other impacts, say you move then sensors and something screws up (whatever it may be) and SC may have to be in a position to deny a warranty claim…. WM for certain wants to maintain a great relationship with manufacturers, to be able to develop products quickly from prototypes and working hand in hand…. They just dont want to step on SC (or any other manufacturers tes)….

I have no doubt the actual product developers and techs at WM, would ‘off the record’ state, you gotta raise your sensors, or create another hole through the hull… but the official line should be plug and play…

Think about it with things like aftermarket lift kits for trucks and the concerns everyone has with warranties there, a manufacturer should not have to take responsibility for an aftermarket product and how it was installed…. So this is how the cover their butts

I believe moving the sensor is the right thing to do, for all of the reasons you stated, and if/when these bags become available and I install I will do exactly that, and maybe beef up my engine panels a little bit more as well lol

[HFarr]

Oh there is no doubt you will need to beef up, stiffen, the engine panels!

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[Dukabor]

Oh there is no doubt you will need to beef up, stiffen, the engine panels!

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Oh yes, I already have two angle iron supports on the center panels, but still had a pop or two with the stock bags, but that may have been because of the other panels… going to add angle iron to each of those, as well as adding a few more clips at the top…. I believe that will be the new weak point and I dont want the glass to crack, so I will add some more to share the load…. Overkill, sure, but I just think of it as added weight=even better wake ha ha

[Dukabor]

Fired off an email to WM this morning to see if there was a status update….

[Dukabor]

Update this morning from WM…. Still no word on release dates, still in the production/development stage