211 fat sac ballast help

[sfjakey]

Ok, I am getting into this surf thing a bit, si I want to try to add some weight to my 211. Are there any specific sacs that fit in the rear storage compartments or in the ski locker? If not, what is everyone using. I don't want anything setting on the floor, I like a clean boat, so whatever I do, it has to be hidden. Thanks. I have an 07 211 by the way.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

www.fatsac.com

They have wedge sacs that should fit well in the lockers, and you will want those for certain. You may opt for a bow sac, too. To get a really nice wake, personally, I throw one on the rider's side gunnel seat. I have two friends with 211's, an 05 and an 07. It is easier and cheaper than plumbing in all the other bags. Couple other guys with 211's will add to this, and they are more suited to answer specifics.

[Justin1933]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

You won't be able to get a great wake without using exposed sacs. The only way to have a clean boat, with all bags hidden, will be with POP bags.

[sfjakey]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

where do you get POP bags?

[Justin1933]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

http://www.pop-products.com/products/

[WakeSlayer]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

Last year by this time that dude had stopped shipping for the season already.

[SkiTundra]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

The bags are available from almost any stage or film supply house. You'll have to add your own shot though, but that's not usually too difficult to find.

[RLS]

RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

The best set up I have found is Launch Pad has a bag that has a pillow or cushion at one end. It will take about 500 pounds of water. The old ones have 4 holes at one end. Put it in the walkway with the four holes hanging over the transom. Fill all the way. Then put a 250 pound bag in the bow on the same side. With the 211 get it to lean is the most important part. put everyone on that side. use the smallest driver you have. Most of the time it is great.

It looks like you are in the Bay Area. We are going to the Delta Monday afternoon if all goes well. If you want to see how we do it PM and we can hook up.

I am not a big fan of pop products because we ski and when we ski we try to have as little weight as possible.

[Red57Bird]

Re: RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

You won't be able to get a great wake without using exposed sacs. The only way to have a clean boat, with all bags hidden, will be with POP bags.

I'd have to disagree on this. I surf regularly behind a friends 07 211 and he uses nothing but stock tanks and passengers. The boat creates a very respectable surf wake with the rider's side rear tank and belly tanks full, and 3-4 passengers. While more weight, Fat Sacs, pop bags, lead bars, etc. will certainly improve the surfing wake, they are by no means a requirement to have a good surfable wake. In fact, his wife has no problem surfing when it is just the two of them.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Re: RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

Redbird, I think there is a difference is between "suitable" and "great". I found the starboard wake on an 07 211 to be nearly unrideable without a ton of extra weight. The port side was decent by itself, and really good with some added weight. There are a lot of variables out there. Justin, I think it is possible to have a great wake without exposed bags, but I find it very easy and not inconvenient at all to slap a bag on the seat.

Just seeing both sides here.

[HS]

RE: Re: RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

It takes some time to find the right amount of weight and where to place it. Our latest setup is a 350# on the walk thru, 370# under the observer's bench and things really improved after putting another 350# on the port bow seat. I also have pop products bags that I had been using for WB, but when we last used the above setup we didn't need them with a driver and one spotter.

[sfjakey]

RE: Re: RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

Wow, that is a lot of weight. I actually surf goofy, so on my o7 I'm ahead of the game. Thanks guys for the ideas

[WakeSlayer]

Re: RE: Re: RE: 211 fat sac ballast help

Wow, that is a lot of weight. I actually surf goofy, so on my o7 I'm ahead of the game. Thanks guys for the ideas

?? Goofy = starboard

We had a hard time getting this figured out on that boat. I would poll some guys about that exact boat. When they switched the prop rotation the starboard side wave changed a lot for the worse. You can definitely get it figured out, but I think you are going to need a bunch of weight.

[tulsaking]

We are new to surfing as well...this is what the surf wake looks like on our '08 211 with stock balast and 5 or 6 people..what difference is adding additional weight going to make to the wake? Thanks for all the info.

[HS]

Dunno. But if your stock ballst is 625# (292 in the belly and 166.5 port and stbd) and you have 5 - 6 people, then at 160# per person, then that's 1,585#. Yesteday, I used the 350 + 370 + 350 = 1,070 and had a driver and 1 observer and had a great wave at 9.8 mph. Tried adding a little in the port tank and the wave got a little bigger. Too much stern weight and the wave will wash over. If you get a wave that is light green and doesn't wash where the rider is (forms a sweet spot) then you might be set. We found that distributing the weight bow to stern on the rider's side works for us.