Ski wake and ballasting

[SilentSeven]

We frequently ski 'twos' on my 206 - that is, one driver and one rider - no observer. Please....no judgements.

When running in this configuration (either skiing or boarding) the wake is not even side to side as boat is over-rotated to the driver side. I've been thinking about putting in some ballast under the observer seat to better level the boat and wakes.

Questions - has anyone done this? How much weight did you use? What product did you use?

My initial thinking is I need about 150lbs or and these 50 lbs ballast sacks look like the ticket.

Appreciate your experiences....

[NautiqueJeff]

LeadWake is a tiny bit less expensive, and is what most people use.

https://www.leadwake.com

[Chaabo]

SilentSeven
Pretty common practice with us slalom nerds.
The amount of weight depends on your boat, setup and the weight of your driver..
Leadwake - as suggested by Jeff is the way to go.
Their bags are sturdy, easy to move, compact and come in various sizes.
In our SN 200 I use about 80lbs under the observer seat, placed as far to the side as possible, but my driver/wife is pretty lightweight.

[SilentSeven]

Thanks Chaabo . For the 80lbs, is that running with an observer or with the left seat completely empty? Right now a lot of the time we are running driver only.

[Chaabo]

Just a driver, no observer.
But every boat/hull is different and the 200 is very easy to balance out, so you might need more counterweight.

[SilentSeven]

got it. Your driver is light so you may need less counter ballast.

Yeah, drivers here are 190lbs+ size guys. I'm kinda thinking 100lbs and then bank on getting it as far outside the center line as possible. I don't need it perfect, just better.

[windsurfnut]

In our 196 we started using 5Gallon gas cans filled with concrete. They are easy to lift with the handles, don't slide around. I put 2 under the observer seat and it levels my 175lbs as a driver perfectly. No mess, and easy to remove when we have extra people