Show Us Your Wake! (surfing mods comparo)

[Scottintexas]

took the boat out last night for 2 hours with my daughter and 75lbs of poop machine

I tried to focus on just relaxing and seeing how far back I could go, foot position and balance are everything, I found a couple of times I was washing out the back and I'd actually move my front foot way forward and put most of my weight on the front quarter of the board and was able to save it,

board is a LF Fish 5'6"
started with
transmom bag
1100 lbs on cockpit floor
400 lbs under surf side seat
400 lbs on floor in bow
home made wedge
10.5 mph

Apologies for the sideways video,
Can't control/explain to kids
I'll have go pro going next time

then drained the 400 lbs under the seat
wave was of course longer




then reduced speed to 9.5mph
no video

then increased speed to 11 mph,
I thought the wave was cleaner, my daughter described it as "slippery"

.

 

[Newmaniak]

Our Ballast set up is at the end of the YouTube video.

 

[Onserve212X]

My opinion

1. Transom ballast bag
2. Shaper device
3. Ridesteady

You can create a surfable wake with enough ballast. There's just no replacement for displacement.

But my real advice, bite the bullet and don't waste a season on a mediocre wave. Get what you need get'er done. It cost, but you forget the money after the fist surf. The true reality is you saved tens of thousands of dollars on a wake boat. It's so much more liberating and enjoyable to just hop on the board and play. No more struggling just to go ropeless.

1. Wake shaper device
2. Transom or human ballast (free)
3. Ridesteady

The 212X already has stock ballast, then add a few friends, like Swatski’s post. Honestly, my recommendation is to get the shaper and bag at the same time. GPS is nice to have, but not a must.

 

[J-RAD]

I guess it mainly depends on the model as to which you place first in terms of shaper vs ballast. If you're trying to surf an AR240, then step 1 is ballast and more ballast. Followed by the shaper.

I will say that our wasn't until I added the transom ballast bag to the collection that the boat wave REALLY came alive. Prior was a bit meh... unless, I had a bunch of bodies on board. Maybe you'll manage to go ropeless for a bit, but is not much to play with.

Likewise, the Ridesteady only belongs 3rd on the list in relation to surfing. If surfing is only part of the equation and you're doing a fair amount of skiing and wakeboarding otherwise, then I would probably move it more to the top. Because it really is amazing!

 

[JasonSchoenrock]

Curious people’s thought on upgrade order... I’ve got a 2019 212x with built-in ballast. I’m thinking I’ll want to get swim deck ballast, gps speed control, and a wake shaping device (wakebooster or wake wedge). What’s the most beneficial to get first? Second? Third?

I'd say since you've already got built-in ballast, go with a wedge/booster first. Agree that speed control is last on the list if primarily surfing.

 

[rkim808]

This is my daughter going ropeless, Wake was on the smaller side with only the 400# bags filled in side compartments and 4 adults and one child on board on our AR240. My son likes to jump on and off the transom, so didn’t fill a bag on it lol. He says it’s in his way...

 

[Stevenpigsooie]

I agree with the order Ballast first, then wake shaper, then speed control. I will say, however that speed control will make the whole experience day and night better. I’m not sure I would want to surf anymore if I didn’t have it.

 

[galonuscct]

Does anyone here have video/photo of a 2019 242x wakesurfing set up with stock ballast and wakebooster? No mods! About to pull the trigger on Friday and wife and I not too keen on spending all that money and still needing mods to surf.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Unless you weigh 100 pounds your going to need mods to surf. There isn't enough weight even with the factory ballast to displace the water.

 

[J-RAD]

Does anyone here have video/photo of a 2019 242x wakesurfing set up with stock ballast and wakebooster? No mods! About to pull the trigger on Friday and wife and I not too keen on spending all that money and still needing mods to surf.

I've seen video. You can do it. It's not great.

With the 242X with the WakeBooster, the one mod you'll need to be able to surf well is the custom transom ballast bag. @jcyamaharider can hook you up with. In which case you'll likely want to incorporate a better/faster method of filling it.

 

[jcyamaharider]

I've seen video. You can do it. It's not great.

With the 242X with the WakeBooster, the one mod you'll need to be able to surf well is the custom transom ballast bag. @jcyamaharider can hook you up with. In which case you'll likely want to incorporate a better/faster method of filling it.

Agree, it can be done....... I could probably do it........ but that doesn't mean I want to. Just spend a little bit more for an over the side pump and Transom bag and you will be set. Like @J-RAD said, I sell both items. www.gantlinproducts.com

 

[galonuscct]

Agree, it can be done....... I could probably do it........ but that doesn't mean I want to. Just spend a little bit more for an over the side pump and Transom bag and you will be set. Like @J-RAD said, I sell both items. www.gantlinproducts.com

How long does it take to fill up the 800 lb bag with the pump you sell? You think that will cut it with the stock boat ballast, thrust vector wake, and your transom bag?

 

[Newmaniak]

Does anyone here have video/photo of a 2019 242x wakesurfing set up with stock ballast and wakebooster? No mods! About to pull the trigger on Friday and wife and I not too keen on spending all that money and still needing mods to surf.

What
jcyamaharider
said!

 

[jcyamaharider]

My setup is Ski locker full, Custom Transom bag and my Wake Wedge. This Combo produces the best Yamaha surf wake out there.

Bag fills in roughly 15 minutes with the one pump.

 

[jcyamaharider]

Same setup as above but on @BigAbe75 boat

 

[J-RAD]

How long does it take to fill up the 800 lb bag with the pump you sell? You think that will cut it with the stock boat ballast, thrust vector wake, and your transom bag?

Regardless of the shaping device you will need additional ballast to actually displace the water needed for a larger surfable wake.

 

[swatski]

How long does it take to fill up the 800 lb bag with the pump you sell? You think that will cut it with the stock boat ballast, thrust vector wake, and your transom bag?

Under 5min - with 3 intakes! - if you are willing to do the mods, but it is a lot of work.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/faster-custom-fatsac-transom-ballast-bag-fill.23794/

—

 

[biffdotorg]

My setup is Ski locker full, Custom Transom bag and my Wake Wedge. This Combo produces the best Yamaha surf wake out there.

Bag fills in roughly 15 minutes with the one pump.

I use his bag on the transom with a Supa Tsunami pump, and he's right, about a beer. Draining it takes nothing.

 

[Scrodee]

Does anyone here have video/photo of a 2019 242x wakesurfing set up with stock ballast and wakebooster? No mods! About to pull the trigger on Friday and wife and I not too keen on spending all that money and still needing mods to surf.

Here's a 2019 242X with port ballast full and center bag at 35%. Factory ballast only with the Yamaha wakebooster. Maybe 300 lbs of flesh ballast.

This is a video of the first time my wife has EVER tried to wakesurf, please be kind.

2019 242X factory ballast - 1.m4v

• Scrodee
• Aug 14, 2019

2019 242X factory ballast.m4v

• Scrodee
• Aug 14, 2019

I have tried several times myself with various setups of ballast and speed. I feel like I can get a nice looking wave that's not crusty and whatnot but can't ever go ropeless.

Not sure how much it's me or how much it's the wave though; we are totally new to this.

Have thought about the transom bag for next season once if I feel like I can confirm that I am doing things right and it's the wave that sucks.

 

[Stevenpigsooie]

It’s a learned skill to ride on a wave and feel the push. A few weeks ago I tried a different setup and had my buddy surfing but he couldn’t get ropeless. I kept asking, can you feel the push? I traded out with him and in 10 seconds motioned for him to stop and said this setup doesn’t work there’s no push. You can feel the sweet spot and almost draw a line where it fades out. The wave on our boats is determined by displacement (ballast), jet deflection, and speed. You could have the perfect setup yet mess up the wave by being .5 too fast or slow. But here’s the good news. Once it’s dialed in you can reproduce it quickly and consistently over and over.