Ballasting for Surfing an SV211

[paleotm]

I'm trying to get a GOOD surf wake behind the port side of my 211.
I have a 750 sac in port rear, a 750 in center, a 600 V-Bow bag, and an extra 750 I can put wherever (perhaps under passenger seat?). I can put bow bag on port side for surfing. I can fill these to whatever levels. I think I've been overweighting the rear, getting a steep but short sweet spot. So, I tried 750 in rear, bout 400 under pass seat, bout 300 in center, and bout 250 in port bow...not steep or powerful and very washed out.
Any suggestions? If so, are you using the hard tanks plus sacs?
Also, I hear some folks tape over the rear vent screen. Is that a good idea?
Thanks.

[WakeSlayer]

RE: Ballasting for Surfing an SV211

Steep and short = too much weight in the rear for sure. Lose about 250 in the far rear ,leave the center at about 500, If you are taking on water, yes, cover your screen.
Do a search on SV211 ballast. I think it is Mikeski that has about the sickest wake ever on a 211.

[MikeC]

RE: Ballasting for Surfing an SV211

There are so many posts on weighting the 211 that we should have a quicklink to those posts. Do a search and you should find plenty of info. The short and sweet version - spread the weight out and too much weight does not make the wake better. I personally like 450 plus full hard tank in the rear, 300 under the passenger seat, full center tank and 100 in the bow.

I have made plastic covers to go over the rear vents, the pop on and off easily and I only cover one side at a time. Is it the best idea? probably not but I got tired of filling my bilge and the vent hoses with water.

[Airfooter]

Did you try shifting the hydro-gate to "slalom" mode or somewhere near it? This past weekend we were out on our 211 with the factory port side tank full, the belly tank 1/2 full, a 500lb fat sac in the walk thru, 200 lbs under the observer seat pushed up next to the factory sub, & 2 port side obervers = 250lbs. We found that with the hydro-gate shifted to "wakeboard' the wake was very weak and washed out. As soon as we shifted it to slalom mode, it became crisp. It's something we discovered on accident and thankfully we did! We ended up having to shove the end of a towel behing the shift knob to hold it in slalom mode.

[jonfo]

I also use slalom mode on my 220.

[RLS]

What year is your boat? Pre 2007 driver side is better 2007 + passenger side is better.

I have a 2007 so my passenger side is the best but we surf both sides.

Driver side- the hard tank is gone and I have a 750 pound sack. Then I fill the center tank and put a 250 pound sack in the bow on the side we surf. HG set at 2 1/4 Nice wake with a rooster tail

Passenger side rear hard tank plus 400-500 pound sack in the walk-thru and roll the sack to the other side. son drives who weights 130.

any passenger move to the side we are surfer. We like with fewer people

MikeC I would like to see the covers you made. I have a water problem.

Half of it is gone now. When I took the driver side tank out the in/out connection was iffy. I think it was leaking.

[HS]

Today I had one of the best sessions ever. 350# in the port walk thru over full hard tank, 3 people on the side bench / obs. seat with 370# fat sac under the side bench, and a 350# sac in the port bow seat, and belly about 3/4 full. Wife driving. PP at 10.0. HG on slalom mode. Was able to get very far back from the swim platform and ride right back up to the boat with no problem. Really cool.

[HS]

So the port side wave is awesome, how do I get a good wave on the starboard side for goofy footed riders? (left hand prop) The same weight set up does not produce a clean wave.