DIY surf gate v1.0

[haknslash]

Here is how I'm building my DIY surf gate for my AR192. I know, I know, delayed convergence supposedly doesn't work well fighting against the jets but I think we can explore it further. I'm not aware of anyone trying this on a single engine jet 19' Yamaha yet since there is considerably less jet wash to deal with and it doesn't take much listing to clean up the face of the wake. I should hopefully have this completed in time for testing at our gathering next weekend.

For reference I'm using this suction cup grip handle. It's made from metal so no worries of the cheaper plastic ones cracking.

These are the stainless steel heavy-duty L-shaped brackets I'm using as bracing for the starboard (HDPE) wedge I will cut out later on once I have my pattern/templatre made from cardboard.

In order to mount brackets to the suction grip handle you must drill holes in the grip. Some people would pry back the rubber and try to drill the holes but this can easily damage the suction cup from the drill bit hitting it. i'm going to show you how to disassemble the grip so that drilling will be safe and easy....

Once you remove the C-clip and pin the flip handle can be removed allowing the suction cup, spring and shaft to come out from underneath the grip....

I drilled some extra holes in my brackets so that they would line up with the grip...

Stainless steel bolts and lock washers used for securing the brackets to the grip handle...

Install bolt and lock washers from underneath the grip handle where the suction cups go....

Should look like this....

Then install nuts and lock washers on the bracket that the C-clip would face. I don't recommend installing both brackets at this point because it will be explained further down.

Now the fun part ! Reinstalling the flip handle to the suction cup, spring and stud....

Install remaining nuts and lock washers to the other bracket. Both brackets installed and it should be looking like this....

Initial mock-up. I plan to use the underside of the swim platform instead of the side of the boat to apply the surf gate. My theory is that this will allow me to get the starboard just aft of the transom more so than using the side of the hull. It also allows the gate to sit down completely submerged in the water hopefully giving me more of an effect on delaying the water as it flows behind the boat....

Bracket "L" ends are flush with the side of the hull. I will add cross bracing and mounting for turnbuckles.

 

[Julian]

Really interesting....I initially thought you were going to put it in a similar position to the way the wake wedge works....sideways across the back. No reason you couldn't try that and see how it does! My primary concern is how strong is the fiberglass of the boat on those surfaces.

"watching" to see how this comes out!

 

[haknslash]

My primary concern is how strong is the fiberglass of the boat on those surfaces.

"watching" to see how this comes out!

This is one reason why I wasn't feeling that comfy putting it on the side like most people do (Ronix, Nauticurl, etc for example). Our boats can flex a good bit if you push hard on the side of the hull. However underneath it is MUCH sturdier and stronger. I do not anticipate the force to be any stronger than the tie down eyes receive and I think the force will be applied laterally across the swim platform surface than against it. Another reason I didn't want to try the side of the hull is dealing with the graphics but after testing the suction cups they actually hold very strong even on top of graphics! The biggest reason I didn't want to use the side is by mounting underneath it allows me to fully submerge the wedge under the water more than mounting on the side of the hull which should have a larger effect since more of the surface would be in the water.

I plan to try both methods but I think underneath mounting gives me the best chance of playing off the rearmost surface of the transom which is what you want with a surf gate.

 

[Speedling]

My bil made one for his super air nautique and once i get my wake wedge i want to test the two together and see what it does!

 

[InmyElement]

Great write up and pictures..looking forward to your results

 

[Blenderhead]

@haknslash - I am intrigued with your design, so much so, I picked up all the parts from Amazon last month lol. I think your device combined with a jet diversion device (ie. Wake Wedge), in theory, it could/would create some delayed convergence to potentially improve the quality of the wave. It may even be able to lessen the additional ballast weight requirement which is essentially just sinking the stern creating delayed convergence. I am very interested to see your results as well. Very promising.

Any estimate to when your build will be complete for testing?

 

[haknslash]

More than likely the xext time I'll have the boat back in the water will be the weekend of the 15th for our gathering on Lake Martin. @Bill D will have his 242 there as well with his wake wedge so we can test on my single engine and his twin engine 24' with a wedge.

 

[dan144k]

Make sure you tie a short rope to a bumper or float, then throw the float into boat. If unit falls off it floats.

If you tie it to the boat, it may bang on your hull if it comes loose.

 

[bobbie]

Watching....

 

[ripler]

Guys on the wakeworld website and just about every other wake boat website use these with great success.

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?t=807068

This guy created a fully automated system.

http://www.wakegarage.com/projects-archive/diy-surf-devices/stealth-gates-diy-surf-gates-on-2007-lsv-r93/

 

[adam72]

watching. I am looking for a solution on my 243 vortex like this.

 

[haknslash]

Yes people have been making been these types of gates and wedges for wake boats for years so this isn't anything new or uncharted territory. However the difference with our jet boats is that we don't have anywhere near the amount of draft or as much hull below the water line which plays a huge role in displacement not to mention powerful jet wash. I think putting one of these wedges on the side of the hull isn't going to allow the wedge's surface to have as much as an effect, especially when heavily listed as you put these on the opposite surf side. That side of the hull will be higher than normal water line without ballast. This is why I think coming as deep and close to the transom and under the swim platform will have the greatest effect at any possible delayed convergence that may be possible with our boats. You really need a way to get the convergence happening below the jet stream so it's not disturbed and mounting the wedge below I think may help in this regard. If our swim platform wasn't as integrated into the rear side of the hull and if there was a little offset like a traditional Wake boat this would make life so much easier to do an automated wedge similar to the Malibu and Axis wedge systems.

I have an older thread where we discussed some other ideas https://jetboaters.net/threads/diy-wake-shaper-ideas.12712/. I wanted to create a new thead to clean things up now that I'm almost finished with this version. @Rod5 had built one of these as well for under his swim platform but I'm not sure if he also had a Wake wedge combined to test it out. I don't think anyone has tried this with a single engine jet boat since we don't need a Wake wedge to clean up the jet wash, especially once listed. In that thread on page 3 @swatski posted an image from the rear of a jet boat on plane. Granted that wouldn't look the same at surf speed it does however help illustrate why I think having the surf wedge as low and close the the transom would have a good chance I think if having any affect. My theory at least so that's why we try things

 

[haknslash]

Swung by Lowe's on my way home to get small stainless steel turnbuckles, aluminum tubing and hardware to mount the turnbuckles to the L-brackets. Unfortunately I didn't measure the distance from the L-brackets before I left for work so the size of threaded lifting lugs was too small. I'll swap them out tomorrow for the correct size and begin making the spacers for the backside of the L-brackets. This should give you an idea of the direction I want to take it. Yea probably overkill but I want to have a lot of adjustment to try out different angles of deflection. Most wedges I've seen from OEM have a slight downward angle and based on results from other successful DIY wedges it seems you want a little bit of downward angle in addition to the angle coming off the side of the hull as both play a roll in shaping a wave.

This should give you an idea of how I plan to mount the lugs and secure the turnbuckles. It will allow for a little free play and that's fine as once the pressure of the water hits the surface of the wedge it will be tight...

I will add bracing to tie in the front of the wedge for support or I may do another turnbuckle for even more adjustment lol. Excuse my rough photoshop but this may help explain...

 

[Brad Dunn]

Would love if we could get one of these to work, I have the 242 x twin engine tho. always want a better wake and less ballast.

 

[haknslash]

Would love if we could get one of these to work, I have the 242 x twin engine tho. always want a better wake and less ballast.

With these boats you really need to sack them out to get the swim platform surf side near ankle high for a wave. They just are too light and shallow of draft so you need lots of ballast to push them down in order to displace enough water to generate push and shape. Sadly I think tons of ballast will always be part of the recipe for these boats and to be honest it's par for the course on dedicated surf boats too in order for them to generate a big wave. I'm just hoping the surf gate will help generate some power and I will keep y'all posted.

 

[2kwik4u]

Any reason you surf guys aren't doing something like this under the jet nozzle? Could add significant "weight" to the boat without all the ballast bags. Pulling on the stern as you motor along creating more displacement instead of just adding ballast.

This is the "up" position that clearly doens't work with a jet drive (would need to be completely detachable for the jets I think)

Here is another one in the "deployed" position......Out of the way of the jets and ready to put significant downward force on the stern.

 

[haknslash]

I've thought about the Power Wedge before but as you said the jet path would be an issue so you would need to have it so it can be removed and installed easily. Maybe that is v2.0 if 1.0 doesn't pan out!

 

[haknslash]

Coworker friend of mine brought in his DIY surf wedge. He recently bought a 2003 Moomba Outback and the wedge came with the sale. He's going to let me try his out when I take my boat out which will be good not having to make two versions to try on the side of the hull and underneath.

 

[Blenderhead]

** I didn't realize that the last post was from you @haknslash. Keeping my post up though with my results of my shaper that I wasted money on.
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I have tried both on the side and underneath. Underneath provided no value... application to the non-surf side with the shallow draft of the Yamahas doesn't get the shaper deep enough in the water to be effective. Additionally, having it suctioned to the non-surf side combined with listing the surf side lifts it even more out of the water rendering it useless.

Now - If you could sink the entire rear deck ankle deep, and then apply the shaper and a Wake Wedge to interfere with the jets, it may work. However to sink the entire back end of the boat would take even more than the normal amount of ballast (1800lbs + 1100lbs factory for my '17 212x) to list the boat.

Hence @haknslash efforts to get the shaper deeper into the water on the side of the boat, to delay convergence on the non-surf side. I look forward to your results @haknslash

 

[haknslash]

Yup that's how I imagined it would be if mounted on the side of the hull. I didn't anticipate my friends wedge was going to be effective so good to know you've tried it. You would need a big piece of material to sit way low in order for it to be in any decent amount of water but then I'd feel the suction cup would be under great stress and likely fail unless you added another I suction cup to sit beneath somewhere. I've seen the plastic ones snap at the handle.

I know when we list @Bill D 's boat with 2k+ lbs his swim platform is ankle deep on the surf side and the non surf side is a little higher out of the water than the boat would be without ballast. This is why I think the only hope we have for any effect on a jet boat is getting it as close to he transom and below as possible so that the top of the surf wedge is just at the non surf listed water line.

If I was brave I would just try retrofitting the Moomba Flow gates as they look perfect for our boats but the small surface area compared to other surf devices baffles me he a little. I love the simplistic design. Pull a spring loaded pin, set the desired amount you want and off you go.