surf system / wake shapers

[Chexi]

Sorry folks. I tried to get out over the weekend but had too much work to do. If you don't want to wait another weekend to see the results, it only costs $50 and a little time to find out.

[gdhall]

Any luck?

[Chexi]

I have been so slammed with work, I still haven't been able to take my boat out to test it. The soonest I can guaranty now is the first weekend in November. Ugh.

When I finally do, it will be on my 2000 SAN.

[gdhall]

Dang I'll hafta wait until next year. My boat insurance lapses after oct 31 until April. Not worth the money BC I might go four times during those four months if that. I can't wait to see the results. We surfed my 2003 today. It's good not great

[Chexi]

Finally got a chance to test out the skate ramp on my 2000 SAN. I did not have a ton of time, and did not mess with different weights. Here is how I ran the boat: 350 lbs in the middle of the bow, 500 lbs in the ski locker, nearly full 750s in both rear lockers (let's say about 675 lbs each). Two kids in the boat on the surf side (port) that weigh together about 200 lbs and the driver in the driver seat who weighs about 165. So basically, the boat was evenly weighted and drove like an evenly weighted boat. Took no water over the bow, even with a somewhat inexperienced surf driver.

Results: At 11 mph, very clean, but push was a lot better at 10 - 10.3 (which was a bit washy). However, I could ride way farther back than normal with very little effort. A great investment for $50. More to come.

[glp86]

Glad to hear it worked! Do you have any pics of the wave? Also any pics of it attached to your boat?

[Chexi]

No pics of the wave. Didn't really have the right crew to be taking pics, and it was raining and fairly dark out. I can take some pictures of the skate ramp on the side of the boat and the side of the boat with it off too and will post. Note, the ramp does not lay flat on the hull, because the hull is a little curved. I ran it with the bottom part securely attached and the top part not quite attached. I then put a bungy around the rear deck side rail and connected it to a handle I made in the skate ramp with an old ski rope. I will take pictures of that as well. There never appeared to be any risk of it coming off. I might be a bit worried if I gunned it in reverse though. My ultimate plan is to secure it with rope and caribiners, as the bungy could slip off. A bungy with caribiners or locking clips would be ideal, so I might try to find or make one of those.

Note, I also added two noodle sections inside the reamp that the handle rope is threaded through (I will post pics). I did this after I tested it, so I do not know for sure if they will make the ramp float, but I strongly suspect they will, because the ramp was on the borderline of being neutrally buoyant by itself.

One last benefit (at least with it on the starboard side). The boat backs up to the starboard side with the skate ramp on. Probably not terribly useful, as most people will take it off before heading to the dock, but worth knowing just in case. If you ride goofy and have the ramp affixed to the port side, the boat will likely turn that much more to port in reverse.

[kneebrdr]

I have about $80 in this setup made with all stainless and 3/4" HDPE. Works great can surf with evenly weighted on 2005 210 SANTE. Takes less than a minute to install and remove. I went through several iterations of plywood models before I got it right.

[ScooterMcgavin]

Kneeborder that looks real nice,do you have pics or video of the wave? And preferably someone riding it?

[Rusty Barras]

I'm digging into last year's thread. I tried something like this over the weekend. My setup on 2001 SAN 210: the double skateboard (two bolted together) ramp velcroed to the stbd side. I ran than with ski locker full (custom fit bag, I think it's around 600 - 700 lbs) and both of my 750 rear lockers full. I had about 140lbs of lead in the bow. Had two light adults on the port side and tried having them move around a bit. Running between 10 and 11 mph, i could not get it to push enough to let go of the rope. a buddy tried too and he was close, but not quite there.

I think i'm short a couple hundred pounds in the bow... considering a bow sack and also looking at the mission delta product.

Any advice or thoughts on this attempt? Ideas why i might not be able to get it right?

[Dandy21]

I'm digging into last year's thread. I tried something like this over the weekend. My setup on 2001 SAN 210: the double skateboard (two bolted together) ramp velcroed to the stbd side. I ran than with ski locker full (custom fit bag, I think it's around 600 - 700 lbs) and both of my 750 rear lockers full. I had about 140lbs of lead in the bow. Had two light adults on the port side and tried having them move around a bit. Running between 10 and 11 mph, i could not get it to push enough to let go of the rope. a buddy tried too and he was close, but not quite there.

I think i'm short a couple hundred pounds in the bow... considering a bow sack and also looking at the mission delta product.

Any advice or thoughts on this attempt? Ideas why i might not be able to get it right?

If you haven't already, check out this thread, there is alot of information about wake shapers on it
http://www.planetnautique.com/vb5/fo...eshapers/page6

In addition to that, if you feel you are lacking push, you may want to try less bow weight. Generally speaking, bow weight will lengthen the wave, but in turn minimized the push as the power of the wave is spread a greater distance.

[Rusty Barras]

I read through that one, and i saw where nr2041 was showing he had factory ballast plus five people. i would guess setup to be about equal to that, but my wake looks nothing like his. see photo. (sorry for the steam, needs an impeller)

[nr2041]

I read through that one, and i saw where nr2041 was showing he had factory ballast plus five people. i would guess setup to be about equal to that, but my wake looks nothing like his. see photo. (sorry for the steam, needs an impeller)

if you look at the last pics I posted of the wake in the other thread, I only had three people in the boat, I have factory hard tanks, no additional ballast, 10 mph, we found over the weekend that speeding up made pocket longer but not as tall, and the more level we could get the boat the better the wave was, sometimes had to have everyone sitting on starboard side to ride port wave, we tried several combos for weight, from 8 people and factory to 2 people and 800 lb sack in the floor, nothing really changed the wake all that much, I am really please with just hard tanks and a few people in the boat, I posted pics with measurements and materials used for my build in the other thread, so check them out if your interested

[Rusty Barras]

if you look at the last pics I posted of the wake in the other thread, I only had three people in the boat, I have factory hard tanks, no additional ballast, 10 mph, we found over the weekend that speeding up made pocket longer but not as tall, and the more level we could get the boat the better the wave was, sometimes had to have everyone sitting on starboard side to ride port wave, we tried several combos for weight, from 8 people and factory to 2 people and 800 lb sack in the floor, nothing really changed the wake all that much, I am really please with just hard tanks and a few people in the boat, I posted pics with measurements and materials used for my build in the other thread, so check them out if your interested

Interesting... so for your TE, that's about 500# in the rear (equal on stbd and port) and 300# in the locker? Maybe the extra weight i was running in the back was fighting the effect of the wedge. I'll try to lighten up the rear more next time and level it out a bit. I honestly thought I needed more weight at first. Before these wedges, i read some ridiculous weights when leaning the boat. Never was crazy about that.

[nr2041]

Interesting... so for your TE, that's about 500# in the rear (equal on stbd and port) and 300# in the locker? Maybe the extra weight i was running in the back was fighting the effect of the wedge. I'll try to lighten up the rear more next time and level it out a bit. I honestly thought I needed more weight at first. Before these wedges, i read some ridiculous weights when leaning the boat. Never was crazy about that.

last summer for surfing I was running port locker with sack on top of tank, I would say about 500 in port locker, 800# sack in floor, 350 in port seats, belly tank full, everyone except driver in port side of boat, we had a great surf wave with that setup, but would occasionally take on water through the vent, and boat was dicey to drive, could not turn right without lots of throttle, the new setup with the gate has a great wave, and best of all the boat is perfectly level, it does want to turn to whichever side the gate is on all the time but is manageable, good luck with your setup, keep playing with it and you will figure out what works best for your boat