Additional ballast on a 2002 SAN

[ers906]

I am looking to create the best wake I can with my 2002 SAN. Looking for a steep wake with a lot of firm pop at the peak. Currently I am running 750# sacks on both sides of the V-drive, a 650# integrated bow sack, and a 370# locker sack. I do keep about 200# of lead (4 50# ballast bags) to help balance the boat while underway. Since typically there are only three of us that typically ride when we go on our early morning runs, I would like to add more ballast sac weight. I was thinking about another adding a temporary sac of approximately 500+# in the walkway to the bow, and another 500+# sack on the back seats or on the floor just forward of the back seats. Does anyone run this setup or have any idea of the feasibility of it? Initially I am going to be filling the extra two sacks with a tsunami pump, but eventually may tie them into the existing ballast pump setup if I like the wake.
Thanks for any ideas

[Texan1554]

Sounds like you're pretty well balanced right now as far as weight placement. I think the place to add will be the walk through. In what you've stated above, I'd leave out the back seat bag and get this thing: http://www.wakemakers.com/fly-high-g...enter-sac.html

This would keep all the extra weight centered in the boat so you aren't tweaking too much front to back to clean up the wake.

[Texan1554]

That said, the setup you run right now should produce a wake capable of throwing anything under the sun.

[Kmayotte]

That said, the setup you run right now should produce a wake capable of throwing anything under the sun.

I run the same setup and feel it's the best wake I'm going to get out of the boat. It's a **** of a wake at that. But if you want more, I agree with a floor sack and seat sacs to mimic more people in the boat. You certainly don't want any more weight in the back (porpoising and poor boat performance) or the bow (lose the steepness).

You may want to play with different line lengths and speed to achieve your ideal wake. What length/speed are you riding at now?

[ers906]

I does throw an amazing wake, just my nature to further tweak things. For a couple of hundred bucks it is fun to see if I can improve things that much more. I am sure going to one of the wakeboarding camps would improve my skills more than adding ballast etc, but just need to find the time. Until then, any more suggestions? On the Single walkthrough bag, would you orient it more towards the front or the back (I am sure I will play around with it plenty). Thanks for your advice

[ers906]

I typically alternate between 80, 82.5, and 85 feet, and between 24-25 mph (depending on conditions and how beat up I am feeling that day, getting older is a bitch).

[Chexi]

Eric, are you throwing 12's? Seriously, the wake you have presently is scary big for most of us old men. Also, there is a point where you can push things (or people) too far with tweaking. I have broken enough things overtweaking in my life to have hopefully learned that lesson.

[ers906]

I certainly understand the breaking things, especially myself (torn ACLs, menisci, separated shoulder, and torn radial-ulnar ligament - and thats in the last year). I am not going to go much more for myself, i am actually doing more surfing now as I get older. I do have several friends that are hitting big threes and looking to try sevens, etc, so this is more for them than myself

[Chexi]

Ah ok. Younger men I assume. What I really found to be the cure for "must have bigger wake" syndrome is a hydrofoil.

[seth]

I run the v-drive sacs if there are only 3-4 people in the boat. I put one on the back seat or on the floor up against it and one across the bow. I dont fill the sack in the bow completely full. So 750's in the back, custom locker sack that fills locker completely, integrated bow sac, 160lbs lead in the nose, 160lbs lead to move side to side in the back, and the 400's.

[silver98formula]

Two 750's and 650 in the bow with a few people are enough to rock my word. I have a few loose 400's and fat bricks in the garage if you want to try them out for a weekend?

[vanislwake]

Have you tried adding more bow weight and slowing it down to 22-23 mph?

[brhanley]

I run a similar setup but with 750s in the back. I have an integrated bow sac but I doubt it fills to 650. I add about 500 lbs or so in a 750 that I throw in the bow. If I really want to go for it, I throw a 300 lb sac in the play area behind the drivers seat. More weight up front really firms up the wake...it is already plenty steep. Just had the really full ballast with 5 people in the boat and the wake was mackin. Not for everyday maybe, but fun to play with.