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Hi All,
There is so much great information on these forums about different ballast options to improve your surf and wakeboard wake/wave, and everyone seems so helpful and willing to talk about their experiences, but it seems as though options, ideas, experiences, and availability of products change from year to year, so I was hoping to get some updated advice and info on what I should do, and obviously what NOT to do.
I've just gotten myself a 2014 Super Air Nautique 210 which only comes with the built in hard tanks (NO PRO BALLAST).
Coming from an older boat that doesn't have a fancy screen or software, and has 3 switches to control the ballasts, and moving people over so that I can look in the lockers to see how full or empty the bags are, I was more than excited for my first upgrade to a Nautique with a modern screen and control system.
I have to say that the disappointment in the wave when I took it out on the water is an understatement.
I thought that straight out the box, this beautiful fancy Nautique would give me something great, but the wave was one of the worst i've ever seen... No push, no length, no peak...almost unsurfable. The only way to get even a little a drop of push was to almost surf on top of the swim platform.
I decided to search the internet and found planetnautique, and since then I've spent hours, and days reading up on everyones experiences, but every year it seems like things have changed, so I was hoping to start a new topic to try ask some questions and get some updated thoughts and advice.
To begin with, I have 2 main questions on what to do in order to improve things (Keeping in mind that it's my first experience with a boat that has a software system, ballast fill and empty "gauges", etc....)
1. I see that many people have upgraded their pro ballast piggyback bags to 750lb bags, and most seem to go to wakemakers for this.
I contacted wakemakers and was told that the piggy back kit for my boat only comes with 600lb bags.
When I questioned them about a 750lb solution based on things i've read on planetnautique, I was told that even if I put 750lb bags in, they wouldn't fill all the way, so I wouldn't gain anything by using the 750s over the 600s.
After reading all the comments on this forum, I'm now not sure what to do because it seems as though going below 750lb would almost be a waste. If I'm going to the effort and cost to do an upgrade, then I may as well do it right, because once I do it, I really don't want any regrets, and I worry that if I get the wakemakers 600lb piggy back kit, I may end up with regrets based on all the talk on this forum about 750lb bags doing the job.
I forgot to mention that I'm from South Africa, so this is a pretty costly excersize due to shipping and duties, so I have ONE shot at making the right decisions, and ordering the exact connectors, hoses, and other equipment needed.
2. The other main question I have is: One main feature of getting a nice boat with a software system and computer screen is that you are able to control how much the different ballast fill up for different people with the touch of a button, so how would this now work if you add the new ballast?
I know this question has been lightly touched on in a few threads on this forum, but there isn't much info and there are conflicting answers.
a. I've heard some people say that there is nothing you can do, and it now becomes a manual process where you are back to looking at the bags and guessing how full or empty they are (This would be a huge pitty having a fancy system that now becomes useless).
b. Ive heard some saying that the software learns after time.
c. I've heard some say that you are able to adjust the timing in the software to accommodate the new ballast.
I spoke to a dealer in South Africa who works with mastercraft, Tige and a few other boats, and he said that timings can be changed on all these boats, so he would be VERY surprised of you are't able to do it to a Nautique.
This is the answer I got from wakemakers:
"The factory ballast level will fill the same as the new added ballast in the rear. Since your hard tank goes to the top of your locker the fill level will always be the same between the bag and the tank. This means that when you ballast is at 50% your dash will still read 50% but instead of that being 200lbs that will be much more due to the added bag."
Sorry for such a long read, but again, this is my first "fancy" boat, so I thought it best if I could put as much info as possible in order to try and understand a bit more, and hopefully arrive at the best possible solution to get the boat to it's peak capabilities.
There is so much great information on these forums about different ballast options to improve your surf and wakeboard wake/wave, and everyone seems so helpful and willing to talk about their experiences, but it seems as though options, ideas, experiences, and availability of products change from year to year, so I was hoping to get some updated advice and info on what I should do, and obviously what NOT to do.
I've just gotten myself a 2014 Super Air Nautique 210 which only comes with the built in hard tanks (NO PRO BALLAST).
Coming from an older boat that doesn't have a fancy screen or software, and has 3 switches to control the ballasts, and moving people over so that I can look in the lockers to see how full or empty the bags are, I was more than excited for my first upgrade to a Nautique with a modern screen and control system.
I have to say that the disappointment in the wave when I took it out on the water is an understatement.
I thought that straight out the box, this beautiful fancy Nautique would give me something great, but the wave was one of the worst i've ever seen... No push, no length, no peak...almost unsurfable. The only way to get even a little a drop of push was to almost surf on top of the swim platform.
I decided to search the internet and found planetnautique, and since then I've spent hours, and days reading up on everyones experiences, but every year it seems like things have changed, so I was hoping to start a new topic to try ask some questions and get some updated thoughts and advice.
To begin with, I have 2 main questions on what to do in order to improve things (Keeping in mind that it's my first experience with a boat that has a software system, ballast fill and empty "gauges", etc....)
1. I see that many people have upgraded their pro ballast piggyback bags to 750lb bags, and most seem to go to wakemakers for this.
I contacted wakemakers and was told that the piggy back kit for my boat only comes with 600lb bags.
When I questioned them about a 750lb solution based on things i've read on planetnautique, I was told that even if I put 750lb bags in, they wouldn't fill all the way, so I wouldn't gain anything by using the 750s over the 600s.
After reading all the comments on this forum, I'm now not sure what to do because it seems as though going below 750lb would almost be a waste. If I'm going to the effort and cost to do an upgrade, then I may as well do it right, because once I do it, I really don't want any regrets, and I worry that if I get the wakemakers 600lb piggy back kit, I may end up with regrets based on all the talk on this forum about 750lb bags doing the job.
I forgot to mention that I'm from South Africa, so this is a pretty costly excersize due to shipping and duties, so I have ONE shot at making the right decisions, and ordering the exact connectors, hoses, and other equipment needed.
2. The other main question I have is: One main feature of getting a nice boat with a software system and computer screen is that you are able to control how much the different ballast fill up for different people with the touch of a button, so how would this now work if you add the new ballast?
I know this question has been lightly touched on in a few threads on this forum, but there isn't much info and there are conflicting answers.
a. I've heard some people say that there is nothing you can do, and it now becomes a manual process where you are back to looking at the bags and guessing how full or empty they are (This would be a huge pitty having a fancy system that now becomes useless).
b. Ive heard some saying that the software learns after time.
c. I've heard some say that you are able to adjust the timing in the software to accommodate the new ballast.
I spoke to a dealer in South Africa who works with mastercraft, Tige and a few other boats, and he said that timings can be changed on all these boats, so he would be VERY surprised of you are't able to do it to a Nautique.
This is the answer I got from wakemakers:
"The factory ballast level will fill the same as the new added ballast in the rear. Since your hard tank goes to the top of your locker the fill level will always be the same between the bag and the tank. This means that when you ballast is at 50% your dash will still read 50% but instead of that being 200lbs that will be much more due to the added bag."
Sorry for such a long read, but again, this is my first "fancy" boat, so I thought it best if I could put as much info as possible in order to try and understand a bit more, and hopefully arrive at the best possible solution to get the boat to it's peak capabilities.
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