Ballast Bags

[jdiaz78]

I'm thinking about buying a ski locker bag to increase my wake for wake boarding. My question, does a 600 lbs bag placed in the ski locker really make that big of a difference when you are being pulled 18-19 m.p.h. I don't want to waste my money if it isn't. I really don't want bags exposed where people are and don't want to build an automatic system. I figure I'll get a wake board boat when my kids get bigger and my Yamaha is paid off. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[txav8r]

@jdiaz78 , I don't think you would be wasting your money, if the wake is important to you. But like most things, not one thing will make all the difference. It will be several things that add up to a difference. I haven't tackled the ballast issue, and I think it is a good challenge, but rather than reinvent the wheel, we have a good many guys that have it almost dialed in. I would recommend reading their posts and getting a take on it. @jcyamaharider @sx210owner have made some pretty incredible waves with our boats. I suspect they would let you know that your going to need more than 600 pounds to do even an average job. You may not want to build an automatic system, but you will still have to fill and empty the system. Like I said, I haven't attempted to build a wave, but I expect if I were to do it, I would want to concentrate on one side of the boat, and put as much weight on that side. So the ski locker needs as much as it can hold, then either side needs as much as you can get into it...and your still probably looking at external ballast to get the big water behind the boat. I seem to remember reading that @sx210owner has 2900 pounds of ballast along with about 800 pounds of gear and friends! Now that is 3700 pounds...that is more than his boat weighs!!! But he has a great wake that he has built. Good luck on it, and if you find that a single bladder can make a big difference, post it up, so others can walk the walk too!

 

[jcyamaharider]

Any weight in the boat will make a difference but it is the individuals personal preference that i cannot comment on. So yes it will help out if it is enough that will be up to you. My boat filled with the 800 pound locker bag and the 2 400 pound bags on the port and starboard side make a really good wake board wake. And this bags are all hidden . With them being hidden it does require an automatic ballast system.

 

[txav8r]

https://jetboaters.net/threads/more-surf-testing.2367/#post-37607

 

[jcyamaharider]

While that thread is an excellent source for a surfing wake i think @jdiaz78 is looking for a better wake board wake?

 

[ar240owner]

For wake boarding , yea I would run a 600 pound bag in the center , it will make a difference !!! When I wakeboard I run just my to front bags , ( a 2008 210 doesn't have a ski looker ) and I makes a nice wave !! So I say do it !!!!

 

[jdiaz78]

Does anyone else just run a bag in the ski locker? Yes, I was looking at this setup for only wake boarding. I tried searching youtube and the internet and didn't find much of our boats and ballast.

 

[txav8r]

I may be partial and prejudice, but I think you will find all the info you want about wake building in a Yamaha, right here on www.jetboaters.net!:winkingthumbsup"

 

[jcyamaharider]

There is no doubt about that Mel!

 

[thcole]

I just got back from wake surfing today, I have 800 in the center locker, 400 on each side in the rear, and 4oo on what ever side someone is surfing on. But anyway, I went about 20mph and my buddy that has a Supra and has wakeboarded behind my boat before without the ballast was impressed with the difference. Not comparable to his but not bad either.

 

[sysinu]

For wakeboarding, I only fill my ski locker (800#) leaving my aft bags empty. I can't really tell a difference with my aft bags full at that speed (at least so far I can't) so I just don't fill them.

 

[motorboater]

@sysinu I have the same setup that we've only used once so far. The 800 in the ski locker does really help keep the wake from flattening out too much at 20mph. Do you fill your bags manually or have you plumbed them?

 

[sysinu]

I have them plumbed and then there's a High Fly valve in my starboard compartment to control which aft ballast is getting filled/drained. After reading what everyone is saying they have to do to make a surfable wake, I would highly recommend plumbing a 3rd pump with a really long flexible hose. That said, I don't think I'm ever going to get *that* into surfing so I'll just keep the ballast that I have now.

Also, in bad weather having that ski locker ballast plumbed is a game changer for me. If it's just my wife and I in the boat, we don't have enough weight without that ballast filled to avoid the boat getting slammed when we hit waves.

 

[007]

before I retired from wakeboarding, I used to run about 600# in the ski locker and 400lbs on each side in the rear. Each boat has a little different wake to start with, so your individual boat model may vary.