DIY Pipe Booster for improving wake

[Mainah]

This thread is focused on a DIY device as the title states. I am not saying that I am or am not refining this into something I will patent and sell. That is a long and costly road I am asking not be part of the discussion in this thread. Simply put lets keep this thread focused on DIY. For those wanting something off the shelf right now there are products out there like the wedge from Gatlin products that is the product of a veteran member here @jcyamaharider.

My retention mechanism may be out of some folks capabilities but I really tried to make it simple. The rest is just cutting/drilling/sealing pvc and hdpe. Anyone with a drill and sawsall can do this. The retention mechanisim can just be a straight piece of pex or pvc pipe that you push in with your hand. I found that cumbersome my first try on the water last year but it would get much easier with practice.

Thanks for all of the supportive comments. Now grab your kids, brother, sister, father, mother, friend, wife, whoever ... head to the hardware store and get to work building something together.

 

[SCP1]

Copy, but can you answer my question regarding the deflection in regards to a 19’. Are you deflecting water from the bottom or the water from the jet.

 

[swatski]

Copy, but can you answer my question regarding the deflection in regards to a 19’. Are you deflecting water from the bottom or the water from the jet.

Yes - from the bottom, not from the jet. This is attached to the swim platform,similar to Yamaha WakeBooster, NOT the pump/nozzles. Yes, it could work on a 19 for sure.
Glad to have this discussion, @Mainah. Love the way you fraised it here!

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[Mainah]

Copy, but can you answer my question regarding the deflection in regards to a 19’. Are you deflecting water from the bottom or the water from the jet.

Pretty much both. The directed water stream is focused across the jet ouput.

 

[haknslash]

Looking good so far and impressive results. How much countersteering are you having to do currently with just 2 men in the boat? Once you add ballast and get some list the boat will want to pivot even more, so you may find you run out of countersteering since these boats have a short amount of lock to lock steering. When I tried the wedge it was fine with just me but once I added all the weight it became too much to overcome the countersteering. Of course you are able to divert it away now so this may not be an issue but just wondering that with a boat fully weighted and swimdeck bag if in full lock countersteering will the boat track straight? Perhaps this is why the wake booster seems to have been delayed getting to the public?

So far this looks promising and won’t cost people $500 for a Yamaha booster if it achieves the same result.

 

[Mainah]

Looking good so far and impressive results. How much countersteering are you having to do currently with just 2 men in the boat? Once you add ballast and get some list the boat will want to pivot even more, so you may find you run out of countersteering since these boats have a short amount of lock to lock steering. When I tried the wedge it was fine with just me but once I added all the weight it became too much to overcome the countersteering. Of course you are able to divert it away now so this may not be an issue but just wondering that with a boat fully weighted and swimdeck bag if in full lock countersteering will the boat track straight? Perhaps this is why the wake booster seems to have been delayed getting to the public?

So far this looks promising and won’t cost people $500 for a Yamaha booster if it achieves the same result.

It did not take much counter steering and even with more weight I don’t see that as a concern given how it reacted on Sunday. I am going to try a bit of opposite trim tab next time I am out to see if I won’t both help list more while straightening the direction of travel. I know that has not helped with other devices but it just might with this. I did not get a photo but when letting the boat naturally steer to the surf side the curl/push of the wave got even better but the lake is not a nascar track so that is not a valid real world usage result anyway.

I was time limited on Sunday as I needed to catch the awesome Duke game and I started the afternoon fine tuning my stereo upgrades on the water (more to come on that but lets just say loud enough to make someone sick over an extened period and enough bass to jostle beer out of a long neck sitting in the cupholder). It will be about a month before the water is warm enough to jump in and do the real test with a board. Until then I am going to make the small tweaks already stated and do some more testing trying the tab thing and seeing if the center locker ballast helps or hurts. I really want to avoid a swim deck bag if possible but it is feeling less likely.

On the plus side for getting testing done is that my boat is in the water for the season and sitting pretty on the lift. Hopefully staying tuned to this site will help all those spring fever boaters up north still waiting for ice outs that are bound to be a month away in some cases.

 

[swatski]

This thread is focused on a DIY device as the title states. I am not saying that I am or am not refining this into something I will patent and sell. That is a long and costly road I am asking not be part of the discussion in this thread. Simply put lets keep this thread focused on DIY. For those wanting something off the shelf right now there are products out there like the wedge from Gatlin products that is the product of a veteran member here @jcyamaharider.

My retention mechanism may be out of some folks capabilities but I really tried to make it simple. The rest is just cutting/drilling/sealing pvc and hdpe. Anyone with a drill and sawsall can do this. The retention mechanisim can just be a straight piece of pex or pvc pipe that you push in with your hand. I found that cumbersome my first try on the water last year but it would get much easier with practice.

Thanks for all of the supportive comments. Now grab your kids, brother, sister, father, mother, friend, wife, whoever ... head to the hardware store and get to work building something together.

One idea that we can chuck away is using any of those, lol.

(Tip: those do not hold up very well under a plywood knockoff SurfStream - Scarab like device ). Lolol



Now, the trim tab attachment idea is legit I think, to allow for varying the angle of @Mainah device. Also drag on the surf side permits sweeping more water away due to the compensatory turn of the nozzles (incidentally, also main reason why delayed convergence gates don’t work with jet boats)

Attaching your device @Mainah to the tab of course would be easy for you.


Come to think of it, I had that little beast on the wrong side of the boat when I was testing the convergence idea...!


https://jetboaters.net/threads/trim-tabs-options-wake-surfing-and-cruising.12031/page-6#post-216849

 

[Mainah]

One idea that we can chuck away is using any of those, lol.
View attachment 90352
(Tip: those do not hold up very well under a plywood knockoff SurfStream - Scarab like device ). Lolol
View attachment 90353


Now, the trim tab attachment idea is legit I think, to allow for varying the angle of @Mainah device. Also drag on the surf side permits sweeping more water away due to the compensatory turn of the nozzles (incidentally, also main reason why delayed convergence gates don’t work with jet boats)

Attaching your device @Mainah to the tab of course would be easy for you.


Come to think of it, I had that little beast on the wrong side of the boat when I was testing the convergence idea...!
View attachment 90354
View attachment 90355
https://jetboaters.net/threads/trim-tabs-options-wake-surfing-and-cruising.12031/page-6#post-216849

I am fairly positive that getting the pipe device further under the boat like attached to trim tabs on the surf side would be more effective. I may give that a try. No one can say you did not give multiple things a try. The beast was defiantly an all in interesting idea. I do wonder what crazy thing you would come up with putting aside delayed convergence and instead focusing on place diverting on the surf side. Actually I wonder what a bottom mounted delayed convergence device on the non-surf side combined with a place diverting device on the surf side would do when used together?

 

[swatski]

I am fairly positive that getting the pipe device further under the boat like attached to trim tabs on the surf side would be more effective. I may give that a try. No one can say you did not give multiple things a try. The beast was defiantly an all in interesting idea. I do wonder what crazy thing you would come up with putting aside delayed convergence and instead focusing on place diverting on the surf side. Actually I wonder what a bottom mounted delayed convergence device on the non-surf side combined with a place diverting device on the surf side would do when used together?

Oh, I tried a couple of ways to make a diverter to funnel water from under the boat on the surf side, it was fun making new friends in local metal shops however nothing worked well enough to keep me excited. Well, it just never occurred to me to do what you did: bend a pipe!!!

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[buckbuck]

@Mainah I think your stereo is loud enough. Now please get back out there and accomplish something for all mankind.
Does the intake portion sit outside the hull of the boat when looking from the bow?

 

[Mainah]

@Mainah I think your stereo is loud enough. Now please get back out there and accomplish something for all mankind.
Does the intake portion sit outside the hull of the boat when looking from the bow?

This would be loud enough....


Page 3 has a decent photo of how far it sticks out.

 

[Nauti-Nurse]

Finally got part of a day to do some mods on the boat. Mounted my new tower speakers, added an amp and pulled all of the wire. Ran out of time to tune the amps before I had to put her away. I did remeber to take these photos as I was hitching up thanks to @buckbuck earlier post. Ignore the trailer tounge pin as that was just the quickest thing I had as I was trying to beat a severe storm. To @buckbuck point with angle I had aleeady thought the same thing amd have an upper and lower angel with the bottom pointing directly across the jet stream. With things not working in my favor as far as time and weather I may just finish and test this first edition. I can comfirm that the tie down is not reinforced from the inside beyond some washers. I am going to reinforce from the inside with some 1/4 aluminum. I also going to drill and tap some 1/4 aluminum for my planned swim seats as an inner backing plate. Will template on the outer hull then put it into place on the inside for that.
View attachment 88886View attachment 88887View attachment 88888

@Mainah Absolutely pure DIY genius right there! Is it causing enough resistance that you think ultimately there would be a failure in the tie down/fiberglass? Is there increased reinforcement on the newer 2019 boats since the creation of Yamaha's WakeBooster? LOL please don't read that as some smart a$$ comment, I'm just curious!

 

[Mainah]

@Mainah Absolutely pure DIY genius right there! Is it causing enough resistance that you think ultimately there would be a failure in the tie down/fiberglass? Is there increased reinforcement on the newer 2019 boats since the creation of Yamaha's WakeBooster? LOL please don't read that as some smart a$$ comment, I'm just curious!

I did reinforce my tie down with 1/8 aluminum plate. To be honest I don’t think that is needed. The compression on the pex retaining pin is non-existent after testing. No idea on what they did with the 2019 but they have said ok back to 2015 which I assume is related to the position and orientation of the tie down prior to 2015. The rotational force being so close the tie down means low torque. Basically looks are likely deceiving with this. Getting the mounting plate tight to the hull is also key.

 

[SCP1]

Alright who is going to be the 1st one to build one for a 19’, if only haknslash didn’t go to the dark side, lol. My boat is still in storage so I can’t get working as I don’t have any measurements yet.

 

[Mainah]

I made a few modifications to the pipe device and headed out yesterday to float, listen to music, and clean the interior of the boat with my son. He saw the water temp at 68f (20 ft deep cove) according to connext and wanted to try surfing. I put the pipe device on (once again the slide cam latch mechanism is so easy for this). With half a tank of fuel, both port and center ballast full the wave was noticeably shorter with just me on the boat and him surfing. He never let go of the rope but it was quite slack and I am certain he could of but he was timid of sinking back into the cold water. Being down about 25 gallons of fuel and no one on the port side certainly made a giant difference in a less than good way. I am going to make one last modification to the outlet angle such that it outlets less staright across and a bit more back but I think that is all I will get out of this thing alone. Weight in the right place is going to be the key as to the effectiveness. I am wondering if center ballast even helps at this point.

Back to my son. After two minutes he rode up over the wave and dropped the rope because he had enough of being cold and begged for the towel. I think it will be at least a few weeks before either of us jump back in the water unless we are real anxious and grab the wetsuit.

 

[buckbuck]

Ah the sacrifices made for jetboaters. Let the boy know we do appreciate his willingness.
So you are thinking that pointing at the discharge of the jet may not be the best for creating a wave?

 

[Mainah]

Ah the sacrifices made for jetboaters. Let the boy know we do appreciate his willingness.
So you are thinking that pointing at the discharge of the jet may not be the best for creating a wave?

Sorry no photos or video yesterday buy my visual observation was too much wasted water from the pipe directly over to the non surf side. Angling a little bit back will push up the top of the wave a bit in my thinking from what I observed. I have been making adjustments a little bit as a time as once material is removed there is no putting it back. This next modification will be the last one. Going to be getting into the part of the season where I will need to enjoy it rather than continue testing.

 

[Mainah]

Someone posted a video today of the yamaha booster from a perspective I am familar with. I can say rather confidently with everything being equal that the diy double pipe device is at least better in terms of wave size created and the single pipe a bit less. Where is that wetsuit and is it the weekend yet?

 

[Trevor Shipman]

Love the innovation happening here!

 

[swatski]

Someone posted a video today of the yamaha booster from a perspective I am familar with. I can say rather confidently with everything being equal that the diy double pipe device is at least better in terms of wave size created and the single pipe a bit less. Where is that wetsuit and is it the weekend yet?

That's mesmerizing news!

I watched those two video clips several times and I found the yamaha booster effects to be most impressive. Well, for one the poster provided an unadulterated comparison that used same camera angles for both "before and after" (instead of pulling wool over your eyes) - and the difference is pretty dramatic. Even more so as the second clip is of the boat steering strait.

I would say if you can do better than that, this is getting seriously exciting!!!

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