Direct Drive Surf Report - 99 Sport/Air

[zeckto13]

Here are pics of the gate- along with the side view dimension that you asked about on YouTube:

It is at a 45 degree angle and the surface is 8" x 12". That does not include the little extension that goes into the step of the hull...obviously this shaper design cannot switch sides due to this extension but I really wanted to divert the water out of that narrow/lower part of hull. I run it about a foot or two (have tried various distances) forward of where the hull angles toward the swim platform. Also, you may notice that the plate is offset downward on my shaper....this is because the suction cups cannot go any lower thanks to that step in the hull. All of this being said... when I made the in the first post: I was using a previous plate on the shaper that did not reach into the step and was not offset (so it could have been used on either side- and was a little higher since the plate was not offset downward).. But my wave has more push with this newer shaper design. Also, the green plate is just a backer since the white "face" of the shaper is fairly thin and I was not sure if it would hold up- the green cutting board was thicker, but not quite large enough so I just attached the larger white face directly on top of it.

Well built a shaper like yours...here's some pics. Going out this weekend to test.



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[Tom351]

Nice work! That has much better fit and finish than mine. I have made a test tweak to mine- have not tested yet... this may make it worse, or maybe better. My thinking is that it might help if I reduce the amount of water that slips off of the upper and lower edges of the shaper plate.....or it may make things worse... or spray like crazy, but I will find out.

(shown farther forward than when in use - because of trailer guide)

[Tom351]

Also, if you get spray with it mounted like that: just try it with the rear cup a little higher so the shaper is angled downward a bit when the boat is at rest- the raised bow at 10ish mph will angle everything back upwards a good bit- I usually have mine at a decent downward angle to reduce spray:

about like this is how i run mine: you can see that the rear cup is much higher on the hull color line than the front.

[zeckto13]

Thanks for the tips. Makes sense. Let me know how those adjustments to your shaper turn out. I am hoping my shaper isn't too low but looks to be about the same spot on the decal as yours so should be good.

[zeckto13]

Well finally got out this weekend. Only got out once but was able to get the wave dialled in so I could go rope less!i thought I would try not listing the boat first which seemed to still work. Here's a vid with all the specs in the description on YouTube. Thanks so much for all the help. The wave seemed to have good push. Was able go back a bit and be able to recover. I obviously need more practice. Hoping to get one more time this sat. before I pack it in for winter. May try listing the boat next time. And adding some bow weight if I can get some extra passengers. Here's the vid https://youtu.be/oZ1-wKRoTT4

[Tom351]

Nice!! For any given amount of weight I have had best results with it listed.... but now I am at the point where I can't safely list it any farther so any additional weight would make the boat more balanced. I may try adding more ballast next to the engine on the non-surf side- if that makes the wave better and the boat more balanced then that would be a win-win. I'll let you know if the tweak I made to my gate helps or not....hopefully this week or next weekend.

Also, I agree that your gate is possibly too low if the boat is evenly weighted....since listing obviously raises the gate side compared to running it balanced.

[MTRBTR]

Interesting discussion. I have a suck gate but don't have it made so that it catches that little step. I know a lot of guys say theirs works just fine that way but I still get the best wave just listing it hard with or without the suck gate. Would like to figure out a way not to have to do this. There is a thread on CCF where a guy with a 97 sport uses the nauticurl and 800 pounds on the back seat and says he gets a great wave. I recreated that with my suck gate this weekend and the wave was barely surfable. It is just way better listed in my opinion. Hoping to modify my gate like the way you guys have and see if it helps.

[zeckto13]

I found another vid on YouTube of a guy with an Air and a mission delta who gets a decent wave as well not listing but uses a tonne of weight. I think our boats do like to be listed but I'm happy with my results above. Will just add a little bow weight to clean up the top, or am going to extend the height of my gate by 2 inches so that it is 11 inches tall like the Ronix shaper. Right now my gate is about 3 inches or so below the waterline when weighted. I think that may clean the wave up a bit more instead of bow weight. Here's the vid of the other guy I mentioned. https://youtu.be/5EvO1Rq44hg


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[Tom351]

I found another vid on YouTube of a guy with an Air and a mission delta who gets a decent wave as well not listing but uses a tonne of weight. I think our boats do like to be listed but I'm happy with my results above. Will just add a little bow weight to clean up the top, or am going to extend the height of my gate by 2 inches so that it is 11 inches tall like the Ronix shaper. Right now my gate is about 3 inches or so below the waterline when weighted. I think that may clean the wave up a bit more instead of bow weight. Here's the vid of the other guy I mentioned. https://youtu.be/5EvO1Rq44hg


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wow, that is a nice wake.. and with about the same total ballast as I run....I will try mine balanced for sure.

[zeckto13]

Ya looks good. Now that I look closer you can tell he has the bags slightly to port side,so there is a tiny bit of list I guess. I was nervous to fill my seat bag all the way full but so tempting as his wave looks good. He has another 400 lbs in the rear locker over the 770lb I had as well. Not sure how he got that much weight back there unless he pulled his tanks. If I had added another 400lbs in the rear I probably would have been really close to the rub rail at idle!


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[Tom351]

Yep, when he says "500lbs - hard tanks full" is that all below the trunk? I'm not sure where the hard tanks are since my boat never had them....Side note: a FlyHigh 370 is a perfect fit in the ski locker- I have that and my 800lb trunk bag both plumbed to a reversible pump...so I can at least get the first 1100ish lbs in and out easily.

[zeckto13]

I have the stock ballast. Yes, they are below the rear locker floor. They are also only 400lbs total (200ea). Ya, I have the fly high tube sac and agree it fits perfect on top of the trunk floor/tanks. That's why I'm not sure how he got another 350lbs in there if he's got the stock tanks. Guess maybe I need to pull my tanks and put a 800 bag like you beneath the floor. Someday project...


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[Tom351]

Ya, I have the fly high tube sac and agree it fits perfect on top of the trunk floor/tanks.

No, I was talking about the front ski locker....below the floor next to driver seat... I have the 370lb bag in there, and the impeller pump is mounted in there as well.

[Tom351]

Also, it sounds like he has ALL of his weight in the back- (mine never liked bow weight for surfing- every time I have tried I moved it to back). I do have 370 in front of engine (in belly locker) and an 800 along side of engine- so that shifts things forward a little bit....wondering how mine would be with that 800 moved from next to engine to behind engine....then I could move the 275 that currently lives behind engine over to the surf side...Then I bet my gate would be too low, but I can quickly swap the "face" of it with a cordless drill to an old one that can be mounted higher.

[zeckto13]

Yup all his weight was in the back, mine as well. Should respond well I think if you switch as mentioned. Could even put the 475 on the floor behind engine and the 800 on the seat supported a bit by the 475. Let us know how it turns out. I will probably buy another 370 tube sac and put in the belly ski locker.


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