New to me 2014 242 LS surf set up

[Kooter]

I have read about a million posts on this site pertaining to surf set ups. Before I drop all my cash looking for some advice / knowledge

- Easiest ballast is just getting Gantlin custom bag and pump
-Wake Wedge is most tried and true but has some limitations/annoyances. We definitely have both goofy and regular riders. Can the universal wedge be changed over on the water or is it not realistic? With the universal do you lose access to the ladder?
-I have a 2014 so booster is out? No mods to remedy this yet?
-Thrust vector wake are awesome in theory with being able to surf either side without hassle but there is no real world evidence of great waves? I have seen Wills videos but not much from other people.


Help me spend my money. Boat has no steering mod at all currently. It would be awesome if TVW could help with that and the wave but i'm just not seeing it or maybe just not looking in the right spot. Is there issues with the Wake wedge and any steering mods?

Thanks,

 

[swatski]

The WW, the Gatlin transom bag, and a big ski locker bag - thats the ticket.

The WW works great, if you must switch sides and money is no object I would get two WW, solves your ladder access issue if you need that. Mounting is a bit of a pain but not too difficult. Storage is awkward. Without the WW you can still surf but need to be going in large circles to the surf side.

The GAtlin transom bag (properly filled and placed) your wave can achieve its greatest potential, from what’s available now. Moving it from side to side is a big PIA.



TVWs surfing? Still in fantasy land, if you ask me.
JBP 1,500 lbs of lead ballast? Don’t get me going on this, i think it is just plain stupid. Unless your circumstances are very special, e.g. you start and stop surfing two feet off of your private dock.

Are you considering plumbing your system or using over the side aerator style pumps?

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[swatski]

If you need fins I would go with the largest Cobras that Jeff is currently offering, set up “down at speed”, and the biggest Fangs. For a pre-AK hull the Cobras work wonders. Those are thoroughly tested in the wild and compatible with WW. Or - trim tabs for that matter if you see getting those in the future.

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[Kooter]

The WW, the Gatlin transom bag, and a big ski locker bag - thats the ticket.

The WW works great, if you must switch sides and money is no object I would get two WW, solves your ladder access issue if you need that. Mounting is a bit of a pain but not too difficult. Storage is awkward. Without the WW you can still surf but need to be going in large circles to the surf side.

The GAtlin transom bag (properly filled and placed) your wave can achieve its greatest potential, from what’s available now. Moving it from side to side is a big PIA.



TVWs surfing? Still in fantasy land, if you ask me.
JBP 1,500 lbs of lead ballast? Don’t get me going on this, i think it is just plain stupid. Unless your circumstances are very special, e.g. you start and stop surfing two feet off of your private dock.

Are you considering plumbing your system or using over the side aerator style pumps?

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I have a 7 year old boy a 9 year old girl and a wife. All of them are interested in water sports but we are by no means hardcore. So at this point I don't plan on plumbing anything or automating anything. My biggest concern is that most of the time we won't be surfing so is the wedge(best wave) going to be more pain than its worth. My family absolutely needs ladder access. That is a non starter. Buying 2 wedges is crazy spendy. Universal wedge ...no ladder.

I boat on a bay of lake MI so I am normally at least 100' deep. Might just buy the ballast (nfw am I getting lead) and try surfing in a circle. Or buy the wedge and surf goofy on the other side.

Last question for you swatski - I have seen all of your DIY wake makers. Have you revisited any of those since the custom bag changed everything? Just wondering if dragging a mat or any of the other jet deflection ideas have been tried with the new transom bag sinking the boat even further.

 

[swatski]

I have a 7 year old boy a 9 year old girl and a wife. All of them are interested in water sports but we are by no means hardcore. So at this point I don't plan on plumbing anything or automating anything. My biggest concern is that most of the time we won't be surfing so is the wedge(best wave) going to be more pain than its worth. My family absolutely needs ladder access. That is a non starter. Buying 2 wedges is crazy spendy. Universal wedge ...no ladder.

I boat on a bay of lake MI so I am normally at least 100' deep. Might just buy the ballast (nfw am I getting lead) and try surfing in a circle. Or buy the wedge and surf goofy on the other side.

Last question for you swatski - I have seen all of your DIY wake makers. Have you revisited any of those since the custom bag changed everything? Just wondering if dragging a mat or any of the other jet deflection ideas have been tried with the new transom bag sinking the boat even further.

I tried various things, no doubt, lol.

We now use ONLY the WW, Gatlin transom bag, and a ski locker bag. Most of the time, as a basic setup.

Of all the things I tried the GTB made the biggest difference in terms of improving the wave quality and simplifying the surf setup.

We also found tying the surf rope off of the side of the tower, and not using any ballast, can be the fastest way to let the kids get a taste and learn how to get up. Inevitably involving multiple starts and stops, not dealing with full blown ballast makes it so much easier. That was at least our experience. My kids still prefer wakeboard or ZUP and we decided we are kind of OK with that.

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